#the affections June showed to Min were Real

[anjasitdown]

One of the things I love with Parallel City is that it didn't shy away from making choices and holding yourself responsible of it. June could've stayed with Min in Earth 2 without violating his principles; he could've lived there with his parallel brother and father in peace. But it does make sense that he returns to Earth 1 with his real brother. June had always believed it's his fault* D turned into a selfish, opportunitistic murderer. I was expecting that when D was cornered by Min and his allies, June would shoot him since he has the responsibility to end the monster he created. But he didn't. He shot the zombies approaching D instead, and that was the most heartbreaking part in the series. It wasn't heartbreaking because June used Min, betrayed and gave him false hope, sure, that scene hurts, but it was heartbreaking to see your own brother get beaten up like a rabid dog, while also acknowledging his sins. And June just.... couldn't hate D enough to let him die. From the very beginning, June had always planned to get his brother home, to where he belongs, with him. Even if D got infected and almost died, he didn't give up on his brother. Even if D lost his arm and leg, June willingly took on the duty to care for him. June did all this not because his brother is his responsibility, but also because of his love for him. He didn't just shy away from his responsibility, June embraced it.

Min understood all this. Not only that but he also appreciates what June did for both of his brothers. Min knew he could never replace June's brother—although they share the same appearance and name—just as how June could never replace his own older brother. But the time they spent together was enough to fill the love they long for to receive from a brother; it was enough to close the gaping wound of grief.

[thedramanotes]

What are they doing to Naksu in Part 2??!

When Alchemy of Souls dropped its first trailer back in June, a lot of viewers were very taken with its assassin female lead. We were told that she's the greatest, most feared assassin in the land. The concept of such a person temporarily finding herself trapped in the body of a gentle country girl was hilarious and we couldn't wait for the show to start.

Cut to the end of season 1. While a large section of the drama's viewership were bummed out that Jung So-min would no longer be portraying Naksu, a seemingly larger segment were thrilled to be finally getting the athletic, lethal Naksu they were promised in Go Yoon-jung. After all, it was her introductory scenes that really sold us on the calibre of this character way back in episode 1.

Between stunning visual effects and a perfectly choreographed fight scene, we watched as Go Yoon-jung flew and danced in battle with an army of mages. A few minutes later, a wounded Naksu entered Jung So-min's body and all of us settled in to watch the comedy of errors that would surely ensue. We were satisfied to wait, since we were sure that when Naksu returned to full glory, we would get action scenes worthy of the assassin from the opening scene.

Alas.

We did not. Season 2 (or Part 2) is now underway, and the great assassin is once again in a weak, new body - although this one looks like her old self.

At this point, the audience probably expected that she would be slowly getting back to full power after such a long period of hard lessons and heartbreaks in another woman's body. But, Naksu is now permanently caged in a new identity, with an untrained body, and no memory of her old self.

She is Jin Bo-young now, because her new body was formed from the real Jin Bo-young's flesh (Mudeok), using Naksu's magic. (There is a whole other essay boiling in my stomach about the erasure of another woman's identity with nary a thought, but we won't go into that right now.)

Alchemy of Souls is a 30 episode drama spanning two parts. We had exactly 10 minutes with the original Naksu, portrayed in gallant form by Go Yoon-jung, and then over 19 episodes where Jung So-min won our hearts as the intelligent and witty Mudeok.

Regardless of my affection for the series (and my affection runs ridiculously deep), I can't fathom why the writers are determined to keep Naksu hobbled until the very end. One reason that struck me early on is related to story arcs. An over-powered character quickly becomes dull since they can solve all their problems by using their powers.

Just look at Jang Uk with his ice stone magic. There is no problem he can't solve with brute force, except his own heartbreak.

Giving Naksu her powers and athleticism back would likely make it harder to keep the story going for 10 more episodes in Part 2. But that's a problem of limited imagination.

There is a lot of conflict the writers could plumb between two powerful main leads. They could be put on opposite sides for one. Imagine a scenario where Naksu is brought back in Bo-young's body not by Lady Jin but by the evil Jin Mu. And with her mind wiped clean, he gets to re-create her identity as an assassin - but this time an even more powerful one, with Jin Bo-young's divine magic running through her veins.

And as Jang Uk faces off with this new improved Naksu with no memory of their time together, it falls on him to remind her and bring her back to the side of good.

Meanwhile, Naksu is piecing clues together and regaining her memory by bits, and with each charged interaction with Jang Uk, and every fight where he uses moves she had once taught him against her, she falls back in love with him.

Like, come ON!

What we are now getting is not a continuation of the embattled Naksu's storyline. We are getting a whole new love story with a whole new love interest.

Think for a moment, how the plot for Part 2 would have gone if instead of Naksu coming back to life, the real Jin Bo-young was the one waking up with the assassin's face after being possessed. The beats for the first 4 episode would have been the same, however, the stakes of the game would have been completely different!

If the real Bo-young had met Jang Uk while escaping her over protective mother's clutches and fallen in love, and then found out that the man was still pining over the assassin who had possessed her body for months...

Just. Think of the pathos there for a moment! But to bring Naksu back in Bo-young's identity through Frankenstein magic and then have her go through useless pangs of jealousy towards her old self that will be resolved in a couple of episodes is the biggest waste of opportunity in such a situation. Not to mention what Naksu has been reduced to at this point.

The great assassin of Season 1, episode 1 is now a lost child, desperately waiting to be rescued by a man, unable to fight, unable to use her magic, unable to act in her own interest without help.

She's become inexplicably soft in every way. Visually, she's draped in pale pastels and layers of gauzy materials. She calls herself "unparalleled in beauty but not very intelligent". She seems even less physically adept than when she was in Mudeok's body (which is unsurprising with the heavy skirt she now wears). And she's easily hurt by Jang Uk's coldness, since he's the only one she looks to for affection and guidance.

This is not the Naksu we have come to know. Even at her weakest, the woman would never insult her own intelligence. She would also rely on her own strengths first, not on a man.

Someone pointed out on twitter that it was nice to see Naksu without her traumatic past, but we become the people we are because of our past. By erasing her self-reliant past, the writers have changed the character entirely.

And so we come back to my conclusion that Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow is not a continuation of Naksu's character arc, it is the story of Jang Uk finding a second love. And she happens to have Naksu's old soul.

I realise that writing this essay 4 episodes into Part 2 may be pre-emptive. Perhaps, they are planning to give us Naksu with all her memories re-instated next week.

But I don't think that will happen. Because they have laid out the foundations of a new romantic dynamic. They want Jang Uk to be pulled towards Bo-young as she is now, because that indicates how they are fated.

If Naksu is to regain her memories in full, it won't happen until the last 3 episodes. At which point I expect a separation trope to kick in just because it can.

And even then, she can't be what the original Naksu was since by the show's own explanation, she no longer has the original Naksu's body (which was said to be taller and more athletic).

I just want to know what the writers were thinking when they created her at the very start. What was the point of this character?

Was she supposed to be a cynical, lonely assassin learning the truth of her past and finding family and friends after she lost her powers? Or was she supposed to be a beautiful love interest who existed first to help the male lead mature into a powerful hero, and then came back from death to reward him for being a nice powerful hero, who didn't turn into a tyrant even though he could have?

Alright. I'll stop here. Let's talk more once the show is done.

[idolstylekpop]

End of the year 2020! We did not expect it to look so tragic. Luckily, we have it behind us. I hope that in the coming year I will have nothing to write about in this post. 

So scandals... Although there were few scandals, at the beginning of the year we were probably surprised by the most unexpected news. 

January prepared a real bomb for us. Information about one of the EXO members leaked to the network. Chen revealed that he would soon become a father. He also added that he already has a partner with whom he wants to spend his life. This news shocked the fans who give him hell on internet. 

We also learned that Big Hit bought out shares in Pledis Ent. Thus, Seventeen and Nu'est became senior colleagues of BTS and TXT. This month we also got disband X1. The case with Producer X 101 has been going on since 2019. It was very loud about it, but only at the beginning of 2020 the disband X1 was announced. 

In February, the A.C.E. team survived a real hell, thanks to their anti-fans who attacked the members of the team. The whole case was reported to the police and the label issued a statement and asked fans to control their emotions. At the end of February we said goodbye to The Rose. The guys called off their contracts but did not resign from the band. The reason: The record company did not pay them for their hard work. 

In March, the Instagram Moon Hyuna account of the former member of 9MUSES, she a posted reported her pregnancy. The future mother shared this wonderful news with her fans.

Since March we can address Hyolyn fans - "Bae". Such a name has been chosen for her fandom. On March also, IU’s agency - EDAM Entertainment  released a statement about the legal action they are taking against malicious commenters.

In April, Mamamoo‘s Solar released her 1st solo album titled “Spit it Out”.

In May, Big Hit officially confirmed that Pledis Ent. is part of Big Hit, but it will remain an autonomous entity. In May we also received a message about an accident caused by one of the AB6IX members. 

In June AB6IX team leader Lim Young-min decided to leave the team after the drunk driving scandal. The team will continue its activity in four people.

In June we also received news of an anti-fans attack by one of NCT members. Information about Taeyong came to light. Apparently 10 years earlier he was accused by his schoolmates of harassing. They also had anti-fan attacks on other NCT members in the same month. The idols spoke out about their fear for their lives. Fans followed the idols most of the day. They had no privacy even in the house where people were standing under their apartments. The whole situation affected their mental health. As you can see, this is not the first time this year where a band has been attacked by fans. 

In July, fans were shocked by the message Mina put on her Instagram - a former AOA member who wrote in it how badly she was treated by band leader Jimin. After this declaration, the fans showed their support for her and other AOA members. Jimin was thrown out of the band. 

In July, Minah alleged that she had been bullied by the other ILUV members. WKS ENE, ILUV’s agency, denied the claims and, along with the members, sued Minah for defamation and spreading false information.

In August, lm Seulong from 2AM was involved in a car accident in which a pedestrian was killed. This is the second car crash involving an idol, this year. In this month, Hongbin has now withdrawn from Vixx. This month Blackpink also released a song in cooperation with a well-known pop singer, Selena Gomez.

On September, Hyungjun was cleared of all false charges brought in 2019 by a woman claiming to be his old friend. She accused him of rape, which was supposed to happen 10 years ago. As it turned out, these were false accusations. The girl was sentenced to 8 months in prison.

October was especially lucky for Blackpink fans, due to the release of their first full length album. Also, this month Minzy (former 2NE1) has established it's own label MZ Entertainment. There was also information that Changmin form TVXQ, got married. 

However, October was not without drama. One of the famous editors and stylists posted a post about a "certain" star on Instagram. The post described a meeting at which she was brought to tears by the celebrity's harsh words and felt humiliated. The Red Velvet member, Irene, was immediately associated with this case. SM stood up for her artist, Irene herself also put on Ig, a post with an apology. 

In October, it was also loud about Chanyeol from Exo. It was because of his supposedly ex-girlfriend who shared some thoughts about their relationship on the Internet. 

In November, YG confirmed the rumors that G-Dragon (BigBang leader) is currently working on its new solo album. Unfortunately, the release date is not yet known to anyone. Also in this month, Eli (ex U-KISS) on his Instagram informed that he separated from his wife.

In November, the world also received news of the BTS nomination with the song Dynamite. BTS was nominated as the first Korean band at the most prestigious gala that is Grammy.

In December, SM Entertainment has issued a statement after it was reported that BoA and a staff member had been questioned by the prosecution. SM will pay compensation to the soloist for any damage to her good image. 

On December, Minhyuk from Monsta X wrote that for health reasons he must take time off. In this same reasons, also Taeyong form NCT and Lia from ITZY, must take time off. Suga from BTS, on the other hand, took time off due to a major operation in November. 

In the last month of this year, we were informed about Girls' Generation's Taeyeon And VIXX's Ravi, who reportedly have been dating each other for a long time. However, the rumors were disproved by both sides.

In this month, ILUV’s legal representatives released an official update on ILUV’s lawsuit against Shin Minah, a former member of the girl group. They explained the whole situation before a few months ago and confirmed the reports of referral of the former member to the prosecution.

Every year cannot go without any scandals, especially k-pop is exposed to many unpleasant situations. This year, many idols had to take time off for health reasons, even though the whole world is in pandemic, so theoretically the number of idol training should be reduced. I hope that next year will allow us to have more happy experiences. 

[minxsara]

WHEN: Thursday, June 4, around 3:10pm WITH: @adriangwon​ & @devonbelmont​ WHAT: unbeknownst to them, on the day of the storm, Sara, Adrian and Devon are trapped in the library with a very troubled witch.

--- trigger warnings: assault, blood

Adrian Gwon: 

The power outage at work wasn't a surprise, but it certainly was an inconvenience. With the news saying they should remain indoors, it meant staying put until the weather cleared up. In any other circumstances, being stuck in the library would've been a godsend, but not so much when all the power was out and the darkened skies left no natural light coming in through the windows. Adrian sighed, not sure what he should do. He glanced around, seeing some of the other people stuck inside with him. "Soo... what should we do now?"

Devon Belmont:

there's an overwhelming sense of boredom as devon lays there, perched on top of one of the many tall bookshelves lining the floor of the library. why couldn't she have gotten ushered into vinyl resting place when the storm rolled in? why had it been the library? she has nothing against the place, honest. but there's no light and no impulse to sit down with a copy of tax law. it feels like detention. and she'd never even been in detention. but she's pretty sure it felt a whole lot like this. with a loud and weary sigh, she made very little show of moving from her spot. "wait it out? unless someone's got a board game stashed somewhere or feels like causing a little anarchy and raiding the vending machines."

Sara Min:

When Sara decided to head to the library for the day, she was definitely not expecting the storm to hit this hard. She had, luckily, left Binnie with her in-laws yet again. But then again, what else was new, right? When the lights were off, she let out a little yelp, quickly reaching up to covering her lips  to keep people from looking at her weirdly, but then again, there weren't many people there to begin with. "It's pouring out there." She looked out the big windows, although she couldn't see anything but the sound was--well--obvious. "I'd be okay with raiding the vending machines. Do you want anything, Adrian?"

Adrian Gwon:

There wasn't really anything to do in the library with the power out. At this point all he could do was make sure none of the important materials being held in the back were damaged. So the mention of anarchy left him with some cause for concern. "As long as it's only towards the vending machines..." He'd prefer not to get fired for vandalism in his workplace. "Um... some trail mix, maybe? Anything, really. Just try not to leave a big mess or else I'm going to get stuck cleaning it up later."

Witchy witch:

The shift in the weather was hitting everyone in their coven really hard, but they had been feeling it and it had been making them have visions of their past, of a time when things were nothing but violence and hatred. Of a time when they were hunted, outside of Nova Pangaea. A light groan of pain escaped their throat as a loud thunder rumbled through the roof, causing the windows to shake. "Can---" They turned to Adrian, hand covering their eyes to hide the tiredness. "You point me to the restroom? This storm is making me nervous." They, then turned to Devon. "Can I have something sweet too? My pressure might be dropping or something."

Devon Belmont:

"we're not gonna burn down the place, if that's what you're worried about." a grin flashes across her lips as she turns to look at him from atop the bookshelf. "i just figure if we're gonna be here a while, we might as well have some food to help pass the time." sitting up, devon swings her feet over the edge, eyes shifting to the other standing close to adrian. "uh, yeah. yeah we can do that." there's weariness to her posture, but she hopes it's not blindingly obvious. "you wanna go now?" she asks sara, bracing her hands against the top of the bookshelf and sliding herself from it. her feet thud against the floor, an echoing ring that reminds her how absolutely empty the building is.

Witchy witch:

 Their nod feels slow and it takes more effort to just remain standing as they look over their shoulder to where Adrian pointed out the bathrooms. Another crash of thunder echoes through the library and they wring their hands together to stop the tremors from being noticeable. "Th-Thank you," they murmur. They didn't want to think what the alternative was to it not being low blood sugar levels, but nothing about this felt normal. Their sluggish nature is what keeps them from rushing to the bathroom and they have to pause every few steps to stop their breath from catching. It was more than tiredness wracking their body, but the pain ebbing over them hadn't gotten to a point where they wanted help. This was something they could handle on their own for now.

Sara Min: 

"We're going to break the machine and throw chocolates at you, Adri." Sara joked. "Live off anarchy and things like that." Although a light chuckle escaped her lips, she was actually trying her best not to look as scared as she felt. The storm didn't seem like it would be going away soon, but at least, she knew that Woobin was at his grandparents' house, thus, being safe. "Yes, let's go." With a nod, she got up from her seat and met Devon by the door of the study area, so they could head to the vending machines. "Are you okay?" She asked the blonde, not knowing whether she was supernatural or not, but judging from the few supernaturals she'd been in touch throughout the week, it seemed like they were all being affected somehow. "You know--with all of this."

Witchy witch:

head pounding and stomach churning, they try and make their way to the restroom. the rattling windows and howling wind does little to satiate the growing emotions swelling inside of them. they had to get away. they had to find a safe place to hunker down. paranoia seeps in as they stagger away, finally managing to find their way inside the restroom. slipping down the tiled wall, hands shift to their ears, eyes clenched shut. yet the wind still screams and the rain still pours. nothing they do seems to make dealing with the growing itch of their power any easier.

Adrian Gwon:

The dry laugh gives away his belief that something as bad as that will actually happen. Maybe not so much on purpose, but the concern was real, and it didn't just fall onto the pair doing something by accident either. "Just don't do harm to the books please. I'd like to keep my livelihood," he called after them. As they walked away, Adrian's attention turned back to the other person that had been talking to them. They hadn't looked so well, and even now watching them go, it looked like they were struggling. Worried the storm might be a playing a part, he decided to go after them.

Witchy witch:

They could hear the storm calling out to them, giving them flashes of another life and how things were much more horrid. They wanted to scream, but couldn't. Their surroundings changed and it felt like they were back in that place of pain. Each thunder came with a flood of memories, vivid ones... to the point where they could even feel the pain inflicted on them back then. They had to get out... they needed to leave, or else--it would only get worse. Getting up from the floor with somewhat difficulty, they made their way to the sink, to splash some water on their face, but it was like they were stuck in a trance. Only when the door opened and they saw that face on the other side, was that they were able to somewhat get back to the present. "You scared me! Do you need to use it too? Goddess!" They huffed, quickly walking past Adrian as an attempt to get away from him, as well as the unwanted images that were back to haunt them.

Devon Belmont:

for the most part, devon retreats into her own mind. tries to calm the churn of her stomach and the rush of heightened blood through her veins. anxiety spikes with every passing moment and, to put it simply, she feels sick to her stomach. "hmm?" it's a reflex to the question, gaze turning briefly sideways. "oh -- yeah. yeah i'm fine." a pause (a long one). "i guess as fine as everyone can be right now." her hands itch and she shifts to stifle them, kneading her palm and wringing her fingers. it's a small, unconscious tick. "what about you?"

Witchy Witch:

Another flash of the storm, another flash of pain. Their mind was bogged of memories not of their own, their surroundings shifting into those in their head. No amount of mutterings or blinking helped clear away what they knew wasn't actually there. An exit. They needed an exit. It was the only clear thought still in their head. The empty hall they had been in suddenly formed into something else entirely in front of them. Screams of agony echoed around them and they covered their ears. Pain rippled through them and a groan of pain left their lips.

Sara Min:

Sara didn't know the petite blonde to say anything about her being really okay or not, so she just took Devon's word for it. "It's Devon, right? You work at the vinyl store. I keep meaning to stop by and add to my collection, but I haven't had much time lately. I'm Sara, by the way." It had always been easy for Sara to make friends, and she figured things wouldn't change in Astoria, so there she was, trying to be nice to everyone around her. "I'm definitely going in for a couple of Twix bars, what about you?"

Devon Belmont:

she straightens marginally when her name is said, flashing a small smile and nodding her head. "yeah. yeah that's my name." for the life of her, though, she cannot manifest the others. the awkwardness doesn't last long. "sara," the blonde replies, "i hate to say it but i wish we would've met on better circumstances." eyeing the machine for a moment, devon searched within her pockets for the potential outcome of spare change. "reese's or skittles. maybe starbursts."

Adrian Gwon:

Somehow he lost track of them and Adrian glanced around to see if he could spot them. Something seemed off, and it was more than just he storm making them uncomfortable. And if it was the Strawberry Moon affecting them, he wasn't sure if it was something they all needed to worry about. Deciding it might not be in the best interest to go looking for them without letting someone else know about his concerns, he went back to where he had been before Devon and Sara had left. He couldn't help but pace nervously and wonder if waiting instead of doing something was in everyone's best interest.

Sara Min:

"I don't think it's all that bad." Sara smiled. Devon didn't look that much younger than her, but she still looked young. It made her wonder if she was feeling overwhelmed with this storm or if she was just quiet. "I mean... yeah, it's bad, but at least we're safe in here, you know? It makes me wonder if there are people out there that can say the same." Sara chewed the inside of her cheek. Life could be very cruel sometimes. "Skittles... I can't believe the last time I ate Skittles. Glad to know we're on the same team here." She giggled, reaching the snacks machine. "I kind of feel bad for raiding it, but at the same time, it reminded me of my brother? He's far more spontaneous than me, I'll tell you that." 

Once the two had gotten enough snacks for themselves and everyone else, they returned to where Adrian and the other person were, Sara being the one to give them their snack, while Devon gave Adrian's. "One order of something sweet coming right up. Snickers are good to handle low blood pressure, so, here you go."

Witchy witch:

the passage of time seems nonexistent to them. all they can hear, all they can think about is the howling of wind and the thumping of rain against the glass. they sound like pellets and the panic swells even greater --- what if the windows shatter? what if this place that's supposed to be safe no longer is? hands shifted up to cover their ears and eyes clenched shut, they stew there in the hard wooden library chair, stomach seesawing. then someone's there in front of them --- there's a voice --- but all they register is the close proximity. panic swells. anxiety spikes. they do not know (or even remember) where they found the letter opener, just that it had made them feel safer.

they jump forward now, self-preservation heightened and roaring to life. the weapon sinks into something solid, yet before they can register, a loud howl of wind raps against the glass of the library's windows. it's the precipice of chaos that sends them over the edge. with a roar of panic and terror they release an uncontrollable wave of air that surrounds them and pushes outward. it's fueled by pure fear and protection.

Adrian Gwon:

Somehow he hadn't noticed them having come back until the other two arrived with some snacks. His attention turns towards Devon, momentarily surprised to see the other back as if nothing had happened. All he could think was, Maybe I was wrong about that. It made him reconsider even mentioning anything at all.

But then something weird happens all at once that Adrian can barely comprehend. His eyes widen at seeing them lunge forward towards Sara. No amount of rushing towards the pair stops the inevitable from happening and he can only let out a shocked gasp as they're all suddenly hit by a rush of air. He falters backwards, startled by whatever it was that just occurred. He glances back at Devon as he gets back his footing. "Are you okay?" he asks before looking towards Sara. "Did they--Was that them just now?"

Sara Min:

It all happened so fast that it took an extra moment for Sara to react to what had happened. The rushed movement causing her to drop the Snickers bar in her hands as she gasped. She didn’t feel pain at first, just a burning sensation in her abdomen, which, now thinking about it, could have been the blood that started soaking her shirt. A shaky hand flew to the wound, making the petite brunette stare in disbelief at her bloody fingers. Before she was able to say anything to anyone, Adrian was rushing to her side. 

“They—they stabbed me?” She looked at him, the realization that she had been stabbed, was bleeding and would not be able to leave the library to seek for help. “I—Adrian, I’m bleeding...”

Devon Belmont:

devon doesn’t see the moment when everything goes to shit, she just sees the aftermath. or, rather, feels it. the burst of wind is strong, enough to make her stagger back a few steps because — well. she’s not expecting the outburst. but ones she finds her feel and her eyes snap up, the blonde’s brain comprehends everything as quickly as it can. 

a flash of lightening illuminates the library and devon sees the red color of blood on sara’s hands and on her shirt. feel the instant and sudden surge of panic. “hey!” she shouts before her mind even registers what she’s doing. “hey, over here!” she waves her hand and sprints off to the side, away from both adrian and sara. there’s an impulse to draw the others attention away, to divert and protect. her hands frantically grab at books before she starts to throw them, aiming for the others head. maybe, just maybe, she’ll get in a lucky hit.

Witchy witch:

The wave of self-preservation spoke louder. Years of fear and abuse made them act before thinking, and as soon as the letter-opened had pierced someone else’s body, they were brought back to the present. In an act of pure desperation, their powers created a wild gush of air to keep people away from the duo. Pulling away, they let the letter opened fall to the floor, the sound echoing in their brain and forcing them to run away.

The voice following them was getting close, books hitting their back, until they reached the door and, again, used their powers to push it open. With the rain and the wind, it was almost impossible to see anything three feet ahead of them, but they ran. They ran as fast as they could.

Adrian Gwon:

Adrian hadn't seen the blood until she had pointed it out. The shock of it makes it difficult for him to comprehend it. It until the blood begins to bloom on her shirt that his brain kickstarts into action. He puts an arm around Sara. "You need to sit down--or lie down," he rushes out to say. "W-We need to put pressure on it to stop the bleeding." Statistics about how much blood a person could lose before being in critical condition ran through his head; the next being that they needed medical assistance if they couldn't get the bleeding to stop.

Knowing they weren't the only people trapped in the library, he started to yell out for help. "Help! We need help! Someone's hurt!" Hopefully someone would be of better assistance than he would be.

Devon Belmont:

there’s a relief in seeing the other run. while devon hasn’t wanted to hurt them outright, they had attacked first. her brain could process the why later, and probably with an apology about a few well placed book throws. but in the next few seconds they’re gone — furthering her guess that self preservation had played a large role in the attack in the first place. powers and emotions were haywire, proof enough as the thundering of blood through her veins was enough to almost drown out the wail of wind and rain. 

the call for help splits through her adrenaline like a knife and devon’s at the their side in an instant, eyes splitting between the blood spreading across sara’s shirt and around. while she’s sure there are others within the building, she’s not sure how many of them could actually help. with the realization comes an itch at the tips of her fingers. a rush of electricity through her veins. “it’s okay,” she says, looking to adrain. her voice wavers slightly, but not with fear. with adrenaline. “it’s okay,” she says again, this time to sara and as the words leave her lips she shakes out her fingers. clenches and unclenches her hands. “everything’s going to be okay.”

Sara Min:

For someone who had been—slightly neglecting her baby for the last two months or so, Sara’s first thought was dying and not being able to see him grow up, just like Moonbin. “I—I have a baby, Adrian! I can’t—I have... I have to go to a hospital!” She practically pleaded as she held onto him, slowly easing herself to the floor. Although, deep down, she knew she wouldn’t die right away, fear and adrenaline made Sara blow things out of proportion, making her get scared of her own demise... maybe having lost her husband in such a sudden way was also adding up to her nerves. 

When Devon approached them, saying she’d be okay, that was probably what triggered the tears. No one said that unless things were serious, right? “Guys, I have to go...” She said in between breaths, “I have to see my baby... I—i know I haven’t been a good mom lately, but I need to see him...”

Adrian Gwon:

It was his first time seeing this much blood. His gaze flitted back and forth between Sara and her wound. Hearing her words made it all the more scary. He didn't want her to panic, but he wasn't doing that well with trying to remain calm either. You weren't supposed to make promises you couldn't keep, but what did you do when you didn't know what was going to happen? The windows rattled from the wind, a bad reminder that they couldn't safely leave. "I know. I know. But we need to stop the bleeding, Sara." 

Devon showed up beside them after he had yelled for help. He doesn't understand why she thinks everything will be okay. He doesn't try to feel overwhelmed with worry when Sara started to cry about her child. "How--What are we going to do?" he asks Devon.

Devon Belmont:

in moments like these devon's thankful she's as impulsive and reckless as she is. if she weren't, her brain would be overtaking her instincts. and to think right now would be to become complacent. blood was nothing new to her --- growing up with her brothers had introduced her to it long ago. and healing, well. she'd seen her fair share of injuries. afterwards, she'll have to talk to her brother about how afraid she is of becoming numb to situations like these. who is she, really, if she can think perfectly well through chaos?

"sara, i need you to calm down, okay?" she tries to keep her voice level and calm. "adrian, just keep talking to her. see if you can keep her calm." devon rings her hands for a moment, shaking loose the invisible static and anxiety she feels prickling through her fingertips before kneeling next to the other. "breathe with me, okay? everything's going to be okay." one of her hands shifts forward, rests against the side of sara's face. fingertips at the hairline at the base of her neck, palm against her cheek, thumb resting just above her ear. the other shifts down to her bleeding side and --- devon inhales and exhales slowly, nodding her head to encourage sara to do the same. "everything's going to be okay," she says, eyes shifting close as she slips into concentration. "i promise."

Sara Min:

With everyone telling her to calm down, it almost felt like Sara couldn’t do it. Her rational side was honestly dormant, that was the only possible reason for her to be feeling this overwhelmingly emotional. “I know I told him I didn’t know how to be his mommy... but I don’t want to leave him.” She confessed to Adrian. It was true what they said—that confessing your deepest thoughts was easier to a stranger. “He already has no dad, I—I have to do better, Adri. I can’t leave him... I need to go to a hospital or something.” 

Then, Devon told her to calm down again, when Sara was moving her body to try and stand up, only to be met with a sharper pain in her abdomen, which made her wince as she held tightly onto Adrian’s arm. “I don’t want to die...” The realization came to her in that moment of desperation. For the last year or so, she had been toying with the idea, but now, when actually hurt, Sara couldn’t do it. Not that she would die immediately... it would take long hours for her to actually bleed out, but, again, she wasn’t being rational. 

The hand against her neck felt warm, almost as if it was meant to soothe her, which actually managed to do so. The breathing helped, too. Devon being the one to manage to calm her down and breathe along with the blonde. There was a warm, tingling sensation on her abdomen. It wasn’t unpleasant nor painful, just—different. Numbing. Was it magic?

Adrian Gwon:

Okay, okay, he could try doing that. Hopefully. He tried to think of some random fact he could share, but Sara beat him to starting a conversation. What he wasn't prepared for, aside from everything else going on, was her concerned confession. His brows furrow, expression softening at hearing it. He chanced a glance at Devon, but she was focused on something else. "It's going to be okay, Sara. You're going to be okay. We're not going to let anything happen to you and then you can go see your son," he tried to reassure. Putting his hand over hers in what he hoped was somewhat comforting, he added, "And Two-thirds of all parents feel the way you're feeling according to most statistics. But you love your son, right? And you're doing the best you can for him. I think that's the only thing parents can do..." 

His gaze slid back over to Devon as she got Sara to turn attention back over to her. The other woman seemed to slip into a trance of concentration and he watched her movements over Sara. Was it magic she was performing? He didn't dare ask in that moment though. Not if it meant ruining their chances of helping Sara get through this.

Devon Belmont:

the world around her fades in a split second. the moment the connection is made, devon is tethered. she's not expecting the instant twist deep in the pit of her stomach, nor the sudden, overwhelming, exhaustion. there's a burning in her lungs, air turns to ash in her mouth. when she speaks, a low muttered incantation of latin, heat ebbs at her palms. she had stumbled into her powers as a child. unknowing. unexpected. by accident. and even now, after years of study and practice, her emotions still ruled. she'd been told that's what made her an excellent prospect. that the connection with one's self was intrinsic to the art of healing. but if that's the case, devon's not sure if she'll ever become a master of it.

she was uncontrollable. unrelenting. even now selflessness eats away at her. she will give and give and give without restraint, because that is who she was. the bond she's formed with sara exactly that --- a link. so when the blonde starts to will the other's body to heal, well, that pain and torment has to be placed somewhere else. devon welcomes it with a firm clench of her jaw and an unwavering in her incantations. by the end of it (the entire process feels longer than it usually does) devon's breathing is ragged and sweat pours down her face.

her eyes blink open and she withdraws. the tear in sara's shirt is still there, as is the blood. but the others skin is unmarred. devon sits back on her heels and drops her head. braces a hand against the floor to steady herself. her shirt is soaked. a strand of hair sticks to her face. she tastes blood in her mouth. "see?" devon says, voice grating against her throat but she offers a weak smile regardless of the clench in her gut and the spinning in her head. "told you it'd be okay."

Sara Min:

From the moment Devon started working on her, Sara couldn't feel much. The numbness on her wound also being good enough to calm her down, thus making her loosen her grip on Adrian's arm. She blinked the tears that were clouding up her eyes, breathing in and out just like she had been instructed--like she was still being instructed. There was something different about this whole thing--like... like a connection with Devon somehow. Although she couldn't see or hear anything about the other woman's life, she could definitely feel things. Emotions.

One last breath left her lips and that was it. No pain, no agony, no stress--it was almost like nothing had happened, which made Sara feel silly for being so nervous and desperate about not wanting to die. "I--" She smiled, easing herself up to a sitting position. "Thank you." Again, the tears welling up her eyes. That had been Sara's first and probably only contact with magic. It sucked that it had been in such odd terms. She noticed how Devon seemed a little out, so she reached forward, brushing the blonde's hair away from her face. "Hey, are you okay? Adrian, go get her some water." She said, before tugging Devon closer. "Do you need to lay down?"

Adrian Gwon:

The amount of relief Adrian felt as the color returned to Sara's face and she managed to sit back up was immense. He had only watched the effects take place, but there was still a sense of awe in its aftereffects. "And you're okay? Everything's okay now?" he asked, eyeing both of the women. But as his gaze landed on Devon, he noticed what Sara had.

He shuffled to his feet at the request, nodding, before heading behind one of the library counters. He quickly headed towards the staff room, hoping to find some leftover water bottles still in the fridge. Fortunately he managed to find a few and grabbed them before heading back. "Here," he said, offering one to Devon and then to Sara. He crouched back down beside them. "Are you okay? Should I try to get something else for you?"

Devon Belmont:

“everything’s okay now,” she confirms. or, rather, it would be. the toll it took to heal varied with the injury and it had been a long time since devon had healed something so sever. in a way she’d almost forgotten the sledgehammer headache and the phantom pain of sharing such a wound. but that seems to be the irony of her powers. she’d be reminded one way or another.

when adrian leaves to fetch water devon turns her head, tries to discreetly hide the blood she spits from her mouth. “I’ll be okay,” she nods, small smile creasing her lips out of reflex. “just need to sleep it off.” she takes the water offered to her, drinking half the bottle in four large gulps. the blondes jaw clenches a few moments later, hand shifting to her side. she knows there’s no physical injury, but her mind tells her that there should be. it hurts like lightening.

Sara Min:

When Adrian left, Sara moved closer to the blonde, feeling bad for having put her through something like that. Her mother instincts finally kicked in, so all she wanted to do was take care of Devon, make sure she'd get home okay after this storm had died down a little. She did not look fine... "Hey, look at me." Sara furrowed her brows, watching as Devon's hand moved to the same spot that the letter opened had been a few moments ago. Her brows shot up, quickly moving her own hand there in search for blood. "Devon, I--" No blood. Not on her shirt at least. "Was this your first time doing that?"

Sara motioned her head towards the nearest wall, looking at Adrian. "Help me with her..." She moved so she had her back resting against that wall, then patted on her thighs, inviting Devon to come closer. "Come here. We'll wait until the storm dies down a little and then we'll take you to a hospital, okay? Are you sure you just need sleep?" Again, Sara averted her attention to Adrian. "Do you have your car? And can you check if the wifi is working to see if there are news of the storm and when to expect it to end?"

Adrian Gwon:

He wanted nothing more than for the both of them to be alright. This wasn't the way he thought his day would go and this was the last time he wanted it to happen while he was working. Doing what Sara asked, Adrian helped with getting Devon situated against the wall. Trying to ease the tense situation they'd been in, he said to Devon, "Remind me to ask you to explain to me what you just did when we get out of here."

"Yeah, I do," he replied. Adrian patted his pockets until he found his phone. Unlocking it, he searched for any news reports on Astoria's storm status. Most of it were more reminders to stay inside, a few others being some incidents that had been reported since the storm's arrival. "No there isn't.. What should we do? Wait for a break and head to a hospital? Or chance it now?" He didn't want them to be in any more danger than they had already been through, but their safety was more of a concern now.

Devon Belmont:

"nah, not the first," she shakes her head. "just haven't healed something that serious in a little bit, is all. i'll be okay, though. it's fine." there's a strong urge to insist that she's okay. to graciously refuse the help and handle it herself. and she almost does. at least marginally so. devon does concede, taking a spot against the wall. there's a moment where she turns internal --- focuses on her breathing, steadies her heart, regains her composure. pain isn't anything new to her, which just means she can deal with it easier than most.

"honestly," she pips up, lifting her head. "it's not a big deal. like i said, i just need to sleep it off. there's... no point in taking me to a hospital. it'll work itself out." the storm still wailed outside, rain rapping against the glass windows of the library. "i can text my brother once the storm dies down a bit. he'll come and get me." the blonde turns to sara, "so you can go see your son."

Sara Min:

Sara nodded slowly, still trying to figure out if she should trust Devon's words or simply go with her gut, but, given the fact that the blonde probably knew what she was doing--and way better than Sara did, so she let it go. "Hey..." She turned her head to look at Devon. "Thank you." She paused, reaching for the blonde's hand and gently squeezing it. "I mean it. You saved my life. You're a hero, kid. Thank you." She swallowed hard, before looking at Adrian. 

"Let's wait it out. I don't think we're safe out there... we'll just look out of each other, other? Make sure nothing happens to us."

Adrian Gwon:

He had to take Devon's word on it that she was going to be okay. Even with his underlying concerns, telling her otherwise wasn't exactly his place, nor could he say he understood her capabilities as a witch. He was just glad she had been able to save Sara from bleeding out.

It was the only solid plan they had that didn't involve putting them in further harms way. Returning the nod, he agreed. "Okay." He settled beside them against the wall, letting out a sigh as he leaned back. "Yeah, we can do that."

[fairytsuk1]

melancholic love | 01

• pairing: min yoongi x reader ft other members

• genre: fluff, angst, GuardianAngel!AU

• words: 1,437

• summary: Being a guardian angel is hard, both four year olds and twenty one year olds are quite stupid. Being min yoongi’s angel? That’s easy. It’s as easy to fall in love with him as it is to take care of him. Now, you’re on the same plane to help him achieve his goals of debuting, that is if you can manage when all he wants to do is to kiss you.

a/n: hi, new series! please enjoy, it’ll be three parts and i hope to leave everyone satisfied (but waiting for more!) thank you and i’ll see you soon. also i’m still working on avarice so don’t worry! <3

     Wow, things are way different on the ground than from above, taking a left you wondered how humans could remember where to go for everything. When flying above someone, it’s so much easier to find reference points! Man...you could kill to be flying right now. Your leg muscles are definitely under developed.

     Looking at your notepad, you smile at the familiar name and address.

Min Yoongi.

Born on March 9th, 1993

In Buk-gu, Daegu.

     Your baby! Well, not exactly but you’ve been with him since birth! You were assigned to him and essentially grew up with him. You stayed in the same body of course, angels don’t age. But in all honesty, you loved this man. He was blossoming into a great guy.

     Especially with your help, he’s quite dense with ladies and their affection.

     Giggling to yourself, you noted that you were close to the building where he worked. Big Hit Ent. You were proud of him, he was writing his own lyrics and overall being successful. Pain grew in your chest when you reminded yourself that you were just here for a mission.

     You’re not his friend nor his girlfriend. He doesn’t even know you exist, though you’ve been there all along. Looking back at his file, you clenched your jaw.

Help Yoongi debut with his group BTS, then promptly leave for your next assignment.

     How could you just leave him? You loved him, you swore every night that the Gods were cruel for putting you two together. But you wouldn’t have asked for anyone different had you been given the choice.

     Now standing in front of the building, you put on a smile that’s been perfected over years of training. Let’s get Yoongi where he belongs, on that big stage!

June 11th, 2000.

Dalseong Park.

     Yoongi had been running around all day, the different sights of cute animals gave him more and more energy to see the next ones.

     You trailed behind him, enjoying the warm air and slight breeze on your skin. It was a nice day to have a fun outing, especially for the zoo. You supposed he shouldn’t have eaten all the cotton candy. And you definitely shouldn’t have pretended to be the air and moved it within view. Especially now that he was running around like a maniac. But it wouldn’t happen again! You swore. (You were lying, he was too cute).

     Running to the next exhibit, you were thankful you had sharp senses. The pebble was big enough to would make him fall!

     You sprinted and quickly leashed your arms around his waist so if he fell, it’d be particularly gentle on his body. Letting out a breath of relief, you waved away any pain he may have felt before helping him up. Of course, things had to seem natural so you couldn’t just pick him up, much to your chagrin.

     Looking up, Yoongi glanced around his surroundings before staring down at the offending object. It felt like someone or something was there, it really did! Like something protected him or at least helped him to not injure himself. But...there was nothing there.

     He couldn’t see you, you knew that already. But seeing him smile at the sky warmed your heart.

     Bowing in front of the soon to be group, BTS, you smiled and waved a little.

     They’re so cute.

“I’m Y/N! Please take care of me!”

     You couldn’t have been prettier. Yoongi stared at you. It felt...weird. Like he was looking at someone familiar but when trying to recall seeing you anywhere, he came up with blurs of nothingness. If you were truly a stranger, why did he feel like you were his best friend or even something more?

     Odd. Yoongi bowed as well.

     “I’m Min Yoongi, Bangtan’s rapper, songwriter, and record producer,” he spoke smoothly, no stutter in sight, “nice to meet you.”

“Oh! I assume I will be working with you a lot then. I’m here to help with songwriting and producing too! I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”

     “I hope so.”

     The rest of BTS gave each-other side glances and smirks before introducing themselves as well.

     “I’m V. But my real name is Taehyung, you can call me that if you like. Maybe if you’re real good you could be apart of the background vocals!”

     You laughed a little and covered your mouth. You? A singer? Well, maybe you were a little good at singing hymns during service. Ah right, stay focused Y/N!

“Well, if you’ll have me. I’d love to work on a song with you all! I’m excited to be working here.”

     Bang PD seemed pleased at the interactions. You’re an angel, so it was real easy to impress your new boss. He clapped his hands and you met some more staff members. It was small, the studio and everything. Hopefully your mission wouldn’t fail.

“Which would I like to work with first? Hmm, I have no doubt you both are great. But i’d like to work with Yoongi first if that’s okay with you, Namjoon.”

     “Yeah! Don’t worry about it, Yoongi will show you around I’m assuming?”

     He nodded and you walked over to his side, watching everyone dismiss themselves.

     It was a little awkward walking next to him. In the sky above, everyone kind of minds their own business. But with humans, you knew there should be just a little small talk.

     “Sorry but...have we met somewhere before? You feel familiar,” he rubbed his arm and smiled a tiny bit, a habit of his, “I feel like I would remember you if I had met you.”

     Yes.

“Ah, no. I think I would’ve recognized you as well. But I wouldn’t mind getting to know you, if that’s alright. We’ll uh...work better like that.”

     Since when had you become so bold? You bit your lip and fretted. Was that was the right thing to say or was that even appropriate to say in the workplace at all?!

     “I’d like that too. Er, this is my studio, it’s small but you can pull up a chair and I can show you what I have so far.”

     Smooth, he can recover quickly. You pulled a small barstool over before sitting in front of his monitor.

“Let’s see what you’ve got!”

     Yoongi smiled and discreetly looked over. You were nice and sweet with a touch of excitement. Had an angel just walked into his life?

     You’d only seen that look a few time but you could recognize it anywhere. Anyone you knew he liked a whole lot got that look. Good thing you payed attention all those years, now you know how to give the same look back.

December 20th, 2008.

The Min Household.

     Heartbreaks were cruel, Yoongi mused. They also hurt a shit ton. Yoongi could’ve figured that out. He lied in bed and wrote endlessly, some of the lyrics were ripped up and trashed while others were stored in the box where he put all the “good ones”. They were all good to be honest.

     He hadn’t even noticed he had been crying till the stains appeared on the paper.Sitting up and wiping his nose with his sleeve, he clenched his fists. He shouldn’t be crying. It obviously didn’t mean that much to her if she broke it off over text.

     Your heart ached as you sat on his bed and watched him. I’m sorry Yoongi. Heartbreak is just one of those things you can’t solve or fix, no matter how much you wanted to try. Scooting over, you watched him settle into the covers and pull them over his head.

     No one should be so sad, especially just days before Christmas.

     You rubbed your hand over his figure and listened to him cry and watched his body shake with sobs. The more you stroked his form, the more he subsided.

     It felt like warmth you would receive from your mother. But a touch lighter and oh so soothing. Yoongi sniffed and shifted but it remained there to comfort him. It felt so comfortable and right, he’d felt it many times before and this time he just let it happen. He needed it.

“Thank you.”

     The rattle of wind against his blinds seemed to get a bit harsher at the mention of those words. He had no idea how or what but he knew that whoever was there cared for him a whole lot.

     That same warmth was the one Yoongi currently felt in the studio as your knees touched just the slightest.

     That comforting, full of love, warmth.

Who is she?

[faakeid]

About k*i and j*en*ie news

Honestly, I didn’t expect to write something like this today. For real. It’s the first day of the year and I personally have other projects to concentrate. But here I am. And I know some people know this blog to exploring kd dynamics and when that mess happened in 2016, this otp especifically was mentioned a lot. But, at least for now, the impressions related with jgin and jnne won’t involve kd. Actually, it will be more a collection of thoughts about k*i persona and how his “romantic affairs” publicized can fit an agenda. Before starting, I just wanted to say that I’m surprised (positively) by the fact that people aren’t freaking out about it like happened with kxk. Back then it was a huge mess, but now even outsiders see it with some doubt. Somehow, people are opening their eyes and it’s really good, so congratulations!

Okay, so, talking about k*i persona. I think I mentioned this many times before, but k*i is and always was a character. Since the beginning S*M gave him this role of being the “sexy dancer”, seductive and womanizer. It’s obvious when you watch Wolf’s drama, for example and a live performance of them of the same song.

This intro has a huge meaning pointing towards what i’m talking about. The other members are close with the girl, but he’s the only one who can have some sort of approach with the girl.

Never forget Choco Bank, the webdrama that showed the most lover boy side of him

The problem is that the face behind k*i, jgin, never fit this description. In interviews, variety shows and other appearances, he never showed himself as the kind of guy the agency was pushing him to be. He was quiet, even shy, wasn’t comfortable with people he wasn’t close to and he expressed it really well (but he always showed how much he cherish someone he loves), talked about subjects like books, favorite movies, life philosophy, motivation... In other words, he had K*i’s face, but inside he expressed himself as jngin.

Things were normal until kxk news blow up back in April 2016. The chaos was made by then with the pictures, the photoshopped pics of them kissing, the date Dispatch chose to reveal the news (doing it on April’s Fool doesn’t help the news crediblity, I’m sorry), the fake receipt of a bought condom and so on. That and other factors were more than enough to bring him down. It was visible his distraught in many occasions and how it affected him (even in terms of projects). So, it’s obvious to conclude how that year was bad for him.

In 2017, things started to change for him. In june of that year the couple was reported to have broken up. Around the time, his media appearance got bigger and bigger. He had roles in dramas and covering The Big Issue magazine (which sold 80.000 copies, proving his popularity was getting stronger). 

In June 2018 he got strong on Instagram activities and had the opportunity of showing different sides of himself there (and a lot of other projects as being on another magazines, going to “Gucci Cruise 2019 Fashion Show” (and getting huge attention) and the list goes on.

Of course it’s good to see him getting the attention and recognition he deserves as an artist and dancer. But with all this activities, it’s easy to see that k*i’s persona blent better throught time. And with all this focus on his past “public relationship”, roles he gets, it’s easier to visualize him as the person he was projected to be from the start.

And now we go back to where we started: k*i and jnne dating scandal. 

This time, Dispatch didn’t commit the same mistakes she did with kxk. And at least ex0 doesnt have activites like they had right after the news blowed up (Lotte, jgin crying, never forget). SM waited a little longer to confirm (while YG was super wtf with all of it, as usual). Is there chances to see their rs as real? Only time will tell. But the point here is that SM always benefits from k*i “indiscretions” (if it wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t be willing to confirm everything). Dispatch too, considering that their goal is to spread news and make people interested in it. 

While readin The Korea Herald’s article about the subject, they posted a fan comment that was amusing to me. In the comment the fan said:  “If the rumor is true, be happy with each other.”. But why say that if the company confirmed it? And in a comment made in Allkpop website, the person talked about the affair and said at the end “unless SM wants to distract y’all from something happening in EXO again, hence the dating ‘scandal’”. It’s not the first time this tatic was used.

So, like someone asked: why is always jgin the one who’s caught up on rs scandals? Because it fits his image. Every group has someone with a specific role: the funny one, the quiet one, the sexy and so on. K*i’s actions just matches the role that was given to him from the start (if it wasn’t the case it wouldn’t have anything talking kxk dating back in 2012). When someone does an action that goes distant from the image they want to show, it’s where the blacklash happens (Sun*min getting married, Hy*na rs and so on). For k*i, a guy like him, he just need to see him dating. So he appears more easily than other members that can be also dating.

I hope this text could explain my opinion and show my pov well. Like I said, I wouldn’t mention kd here because it’s not necessary, for now. Considering what happened in 2016, things can be a little awkward for jgin, but he will get better stronger than ever in a few months. And, again, if this couple is not a stunt, don’t worry. Time will tell.

[sunyoonandstars]

BTS Reaction 12: They propose to you || HYUNG LINE

So, this incredibly sweet, fluffy and almost cringe-worthy request, unfortunately, took me a while to get to. 🙃 Nonetheless, I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. ☺️💖

A/N: Since these turned out to be a little longer, I split them up into Hyung Line and Maknae Line again. The Maknae Line Edition will follow shortly. 

FLUFF, just a whole lot of FLUFF

Word Count 4.710

1. Kim Seokjin / Jin

Tonight was supposed to be special, Jin had announced when he called to ask you to put on something nice before he arrived to pick you up. Naturally, you assumed he was merely referencing the restaurant he had chosen for tonight's date. He had made the reservation months ahead, as he let you know in the car. 

"It's one of Seoul's most excellent restaurants. They're especially famous for their masterly truffle pasta and their divine collection of the finest desserts."

Now that you finished the first two courses, you can undoubtedly agree. 

"This pasta was the best I ever head, Jinnie. Thank you for bringing me here. Tonight is just perfect," you sigh as your gaze wanders, getting lost in the marvelous view of Seoul's glittering nightlife a good fifty stories beneath your feet. 

"I'm glad you think so," Jin says, his hand reaching out across the table to hold yours. "I got us a window seat because I know how much you love this view."

"I do. Thank you so much, Jin. I don't even know what to say." You look over at him, smiling fondly, your glance being met with nothing but affection. "You always put so much thought into our little getaways from reality. You have no idea how much that means to me. Spending time with you like this, just the two of us, unbothered by your hectic lifestyle and my responsibilities. It's as if time stands still when I'm with you. Everything is better when you're around. Have I ever told you that?" 

"Yes, you have," he smiles, his grip on your hand getting a little stronger, reassuring. “On more occasion than one. And I feel the same, y/n. I love you and every single second I get to spend with you. That's why I'm always trying to make the most of our time together. Besides, you deserve nothing but the best." 

"Stop it, or I'm gonna cry," you whisper, only half joking. 

Right that second, the waiter arrives to present each of you with an exceptionally artistic and mouthwatering dessert in the form of a small strawberry mousse cake, sprinkled with edible flowers and confectioners sugar and completed by an arrangement of incredibly delicate chocolate ornaments. 

"Wow," you gasp. "This looks amazing. I love strawberries and chocolate. They're my favorite foods! How did they know?" 

"I may have tipped them off," Seokjin winks at you, now letting go of your hand to grab a silver fork. "But I'd treat this masterpiece with caution if I were you. Really savor it. One tiny little bite at a time."

"Of course I will," you shake your head with feigned indignation. "I do have some self-control, after all. And when have I ever not known how to appreciate the fine things in life?"

"Just saying," Jin shrugs his broad shoulders, eying you intently as you take the first forkful of the stunningly light strawberry mousse. 

"This is magic," you burst out after you have tasted another bite. "It feels like I'm eating a strawberry cloud. How is it so light and subtle and –" You pause. "What is this?" 

With eyes as big as dinner plates you stare at the shiny silver ring dangling from your fork. 

"Jin?" 

You can feel your heart beat faster, pound so heavily you're sure even Seokjin can hear from where he's sitting. 

"What –? How –?"

Breathless with excitement, you look over at your boyfriend who flashes you a radiant smile before he slowly takes a napkin and gets up to make his way to you, picking the ring off your fork with a telling grin. 

"Kim Seokjin, what the hell is going on?" you ask, your voice trembling. 

"Just wait and see," he calmly says, focused on cleaning the ring of any remains of light pink cream and bits sponge cake. Once he's done, he gets down on one knee before you, eyes locked with yours, his gaze unwavering and full of love and expectations as he holds out the ring and takes your left hand into his. 

"Y/n, I can imagine no other than you to spend the rest of my life with. You are the one with whom I want to keep on relishing the pleasures it has to offer just as well as overcome the obstacles it may send our way. You are the one for me. Sweeter than any dessert I ever tasted. Kinder than any person I ever met. Strong, beautiful and loving. Never too busy to take care of me and shower me with love and affection. You helped me become the person I am today and persevere even in moments when I had lost all confidence in myself and my abilities. You make me want to be a better man. You make me want to be your man and your man only. So, Y/l/n Y/n, will you make me the happiest man on earth and do me the honor of being my wife?" 

"Yes!" you soundlessly gasp, shaken by stifled laughter and tears of happiness. "Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!" 

"Good," he sighs, theatrically rolling his eyes, Jin's voice almost being drowned out by the applause echoing throughout the luxurious dining hall. "Because it took me ages to convince my mother that you are more than good enough for me."

“Oh?" 

"I'm joking," Jin chuckles, stretching to place a quick peck on your lips. "She loves you. As do I. More than anything." 

With these words, he carefully puts the ring on your finger. Mouth agape, you marvel at its beauty. The elegant silver band carries the largest and most brilliant diamond you have ever seen in real life. 

"Wow, Jin. It's – I don't know what to say. It's –"

"Stunning. Just like you. And, as I said, you only deserve the best." 

2. Min Yoongi / Suga 

"So, next year there's a gap in June, apparently. It says 'Recovery'. Does that mean you get two whole weeks off? All to yourself this time?" you ask as you slowly spin around in Yoongi's office chair, holding up his schedule and curiously eying the back of his head, waiting for any kind of reaction. Your boyfriend, however, doesn't pay you much attention and, instead, stays focused on the computer screen before him, still wearing one earphone. A mumbled "Hmm-hmm" is all you get in response. 

"Sooo ..." you continue. "How about I book us a flight to Hawaii already? You always wanted to go there again, with me, right?"

"I do. Want to go there with you. Someday. Not this June, though." 

"But why not?" you whine, flaunting your best pout despite the fact that he isn't looking. "If we book everything now, six months ahead, it's even gonna be affordable."

"Money isn't an issue, y/n," Yoongi sighs, his annoyance slowly starting to show. "But we can't go. Period." 

"Why, though? Give me one good reason and I'll shut up."

"Because we're gonna get married that week." 

"Ah, yeah, right ––" Only now, a few seconds after they have reached your brain, do Yoongi's words really sink in, causing you to choke on air. 

"We – What? Wait. What?" you stammer, almost falling out of your chair. 

"Ah, shit," Yoongi curses under his breath as he reaches for his desk's top right drawer, his back still turned on you. "I forgot something." 

Frozen in place, holding your breath, you watch as Yoongi takes out a small box and eventually turns around to face you. 

"Guess I should've proposed first," he mutters, not yet meeting your eye, utterly nervous if you aren't mistaken. 

"Sooo." Yoongi stretches out the syllable before he inhales deeply, straightening his posture as he rises to his feet and torturously slowly makes his way towards you. 

Cheeks tinted with a faint blush, he comes to a halt before you, his lean, pale fingers anxiously fiddling with a small black velvet box. 

"Oh. No way!" you gasp, bursting into incredulous laughter, one hand covering your mouth that you can't seem to close again. 

"Don't laugh at me," Yoongi grumbles, hiding his eyes behind a layer of shiny ebony hair. "This is bad enough as it is." 

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry, babe. I'm just – This isn't bad at all. I'm just surprised, that's all," you explain while you try to get up as gracefully as possible, an effort made all the more difficult by the fact that your legs have turned into jelly at this point. 

"Okay. Well, that was pretty much the point. So –" You can't believe your own eyes as you witness Min Yoongi actually get down on one knee. 

"Y/l/n Y/n, will you marry me?" he asks, looking up at you hopefully, Yoongi's eyes overflowing with fondness and fear at once and his hands, that now hold up the most beautiful diamond ring you have ever seen, trembling so violently, you're afraid he'll drop the priceless jewelry any second now. 

"Why are you even asking?" you laugh through tears of joy. "Yes! Yes! Of course, yes!" 

"Wha – What? Really?" he stutters, by the looks of it genuinely surprised. 

"Of course, idiot," you shake your head, smiling so broadly your cheeks hurt as you cup Yoongi's face with your palms and bend down to kiss his lips. "I love you like crazy."

"And I was almost sure you'd say no," he chuckles, Yoongi's previous anxiety visibly melting away from him as he now gets up on his feet again, still slightly week at the knees, it seems. 

"Your finger, please, Mrs. Min to be.” 

"Oh, of course," you giggle, the sound of that sending a hot and cold shiver of excitement down your spine as you hold out your left ring finger for Yoongi to place the ring on it. It fits perfectly. 

"How did you know my ring size?"

"Tae told me," he admits with a crooked grin. "You go shopping with him all the time, so …” 

"Ha. So this was a whole conspiracy, huh?" 

"Sort of." 

"But you picked the ring?" 

"That I did," Yoongi proudly nods, still holding onto your hand, his thumb tenderly caressing the back of it. "Do you like it?" 

"If I like it? I love it. It's perfect. Not too big, not too small, not too swanky but still incredibly beautiful. It must have cost you a fortune."

"It was nothing, really,” Yoongi nonchalantly shrugs, his eyes getting lost in yours as you look up from your ring to meet his glance. 

"You know this wasn't necessary, though, right? A fancy ring and all? I would've said yes even if you had put a piece of wire on my finger, Yoongi."

"I know," he smiles. "And that's why I love you." 

3. Jung Hoseok / J-Hope

"Thank you guys for coming today and making this possible. Like, I know how busy your schedules are, but, nonetheless, you made time to celebrate my birthday with me, and that means a lot," you announce, teary-eyed, before you go on to blow out the candles on top of the state-of-the-art birthday cake the guys had bought for you. 

After you have made your wish in silence, you take a look around into the seven beaming faces surrounding you, giggly boys watching with bright eyes as Hoseok dips his finger in the cake's creamy frosting and spreads it across your lips, just to kiss it off them again a few seconds later. Quickly, Jimin whips out his Polaroid camera and captures the moment on film before Hoseok can stop him. 

"Yah!" your boyfriend playfully scolds the younger one. "This was a private moment! Where's the respect?"

"Leave him be," you laugh, wiping off the remains of the frosting and observing the slowly developing photograph Jimin has handed you. "Thank you, Jiminie." 

He acknowledges your gratitude with a nod of his head, a proud grin curving his full lips.

"I'm glad we were able to preserve this memory," you continue, snuggling into Hoseok's side, your arm wrapped around his waist. "It's cute. See for yourself. You look so handsome." 

"Nah, you're the handsome one, jagi," Hoseok fondly smiles before he leans down to place a gentle kiss on your hair, his gleaming eyes flooded with affection. 

"And now –" Seokjin disrupts the silence that has, for some reason, started to occupy the candlelit room. "– we will all step out for a bit to get some more drinks and some food for dinner. It's getting late, after all. And we can't very well all live off of this tiny cake for tonight, can we now? We have seven hungry men here, just out of the practice room. We're gonna need some real food, am I right? Some meat, maybe, to mark the occasion?" 

"But, Hyung, you don't need all of us to buy food, right? That's not usually a seven-person job," Jungkook objects, pouty, nestling up to Taehyung on the sofa even more closely in order to demonstrate his unwillingness to leave the cozy spot that he managed to secure for himself. 

"It is today," Jin stresses, expressively wiggling his eyebrows. 

"Exactly," Yoongi comes to the aid, darting the youngest one an urgent gaze. 

"Ah. Oh. Right," Jungkook gasps, one hand wandering up to cover his parted lips, his doe eyes suddenly twice their usual size. "Of course. Yes." 

“Umm. What's going on?" you wonder aloud, by now clearly sensing the palpable tension having gotten a hold of the seven members, including your boyfriend. 

"Oh, nothing," Taehyung nonchalantly shrugs, giving you his sweetest smile. "We just thought, since it's your birthday and all, that you shouldn't be bothered with doing chores today. So, we're gonna prepare dinner for everybody. You always work so hard for us, cooking healthy meals, baking treats. Today it's our turn to treat you, y/n. And since it's your big day, we can hardly steal your precious boyfriend from your side. So you can keep him. I think the six of us can manage." 

"How very generous of you," Hoseok snickers, suddenly turning stiff in your embrace. His hands, interlocked with yours, are getting sweaty if you aren't mistaken. 

"Hey, guys!?" he calls after them as they are just about to leave the room, his voice oddly strained and strangely high-pitched. "Don't you think you could stay maybe just five more minutes? It's not even six yet. There's still time till dinner." 

"Nah-ah," Seokjin shakes his head, peering back over his shoulder with an ambiguous grin. "I'm sure you'll do just fine without us, Hope-ah." 

"Hobi?" you look up at him, brows raised questioningly. ”What's going on? Why the sudden awkwardness?" 

"Oooh," he mumbles, more to himself, it seems, as he gently frees himself from your embrace and starts pacing the floor of the living room, one hand buried in the pocket of his wide Jeans. "I don't know if I can do this. It was supposed to be perfect." 

"Hoseok, what's happening?" you ask as you make your way over to him, grabbing him by his shoulders to stop him from running in literal circles. 

"What was supposed to be perfect? My party? It is! It is perfect!" you assure him. "Everything is just right. The gifts, the cake, the company. Having you by my side all night long. This is more than any girl could ever wish for." 

"Yes. No. It's not that. Not the party," he mutters absentmindedly, avoiding your gaze. 

"Hobi, you're starting to scare me here. What's wrong?"

"Okay, I'm gonna do this." With these words, Hoseok takes a deep breath and gently shakes off your grasp to take a step back. He then goes on to briefly close his eyes and run a hand across his face before he gives you one of his blindingly bright smiles as if his little meltdown never even took place, in a matter of seconds miraculously having regained composure.

"This is a special day," Hoseok starts out. "Not only because it's the day the love of my life was born, my sun, my moon, my everything. The one person I fully trust in. The one who has proven to love me, all sides of me, the pretty and the ugly ones." He pauses, just looking at you, his eyes filling with tears. "I never thought I'd find you. But here we are. And that's why I want to make this day even more special. For the both of us. I've been waiting to do this for a while now. I bought the ring almost a year ago. Ask Tae. He was with me." 

You won't trust your own ears. 

"Hobi. Are you –"

Before you can finish your sentence, Hoseok falls down onto one knee, holding up an open ring box containing one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry you have ever laid eyes on. 

"Y/l/n Y/n, will you marry me?" 

At first, you can't seem to find your voice. All that leaves your lips at first is a soundless gasp, a mixture of a stifled sob and a hysteric laugh. Before you, eventually, manage to string together a whole sentence. 

"Yes, I will. I will! Definitely! Oh my god, I can't – I can't believe it. Did you plan this? Were all the guys in on this?" 

"Yes. Yes, they were. They basically made me do it. I was so scared," Hoseok laughs, clearly relieved, struggling to get up on his feet, his legs trembling. His hands shake so violently, he barely manages to put the ring on your finger. 

"Wow, it fits perfectly," he remarks with surprise. 

"It does. And it's so, so beautiful, Hobi."

"An emerald. Green. The color that brought us together. Do you remember? When we reached for the same pair of socks?" 

"Yes. Yes, I remember," you sob as you throw your arms around his neck, burying your now tear-streaked face in the fabric of Hoseok's sweater. "It's perfect." 

"I'm so glad you think so," he whispers, rubbing your back in soothing circles. 

"Shit," you snivel. "I can't stop crying. I'm a mess now. Look what you've done to me!"

Half laughing, half crying, you lean back so Hoseok can get a good look at your red-rimmed eyes and runny makeup. 

"Aww, my beautiful jagi," he fondly smiles, softly brushing away your tears with the tip of his thumb. "As pretty as ever." 

After having taken in the sight of you for a few more seconds, Hoseok goes on to cup your cheeks with both his slender hand before he leans down to place a tender kiss on your lips. 

"Come on, future Mrs. Jung. Let's go and let the others know that I didn't mess up. I'm sure Jungkook will be sad to hear that he lost this bet."

4. Kim Namjoon / RM 

"Wow. An observatory?" you nod in approvement, craning to get a better look at the towering building rising into the starry night sky right in front of you. "Nice choice, Kim Namjoon. You never cease to amaze me." 

Smiling, you turn around to find your boyfriend's gaze. He seems genuinely relieved.

"Good," he sighs. "I was afraid you'd think it's a lame idea for our anniversary."

"Anniversary?" you repeat, questioningly raising a brow as you link arms with Namjoon and allow him to lead you inside. "But our anniversary isn’t due for another two months." 

"Well, that's our official anniversary. But three years ago today was the day we first met. Around this time, too.”

"Wow, really? I had no idea, to be honest," you admit, blushing slightly. 

"It's okay. I wouldn't have remembered, either, if I hadn't come across the picture in my phone's gallery by chance. You know, the one we took that night." 

"Yeah, I remember. And I kept whining about how I hated selcas. But you just took it anyway. And you said –" 

"The point of this is to preserve a meaningful moment, not to look like a model."

"Yeah," you chuckle. "And, all night long, I kept thinking 'Why does this guy talk like he's 50-something?'. At first, I thought it was an act, or whatever, the whole wise-beyond-your-age thing you had going on, especially once you got tipsy and started digging out the deep stuff. Didn't take me long, though, to realize that you just have an incredibly beautiful mind." 

You halt on your way upstairs to get on your tiptoes and plant a kiss on Namjoon's cheek. For a few seconds, you get lost in each other's eyes, his chocolate brown orbs reflecting nothing but the warmth and affection you, too, feel as you look at him, still unable to fathom the fact that this man is indeed yours. 

"I think you already had me at 'Mind if I join you in the reading corner', though," you muse as the two of you continue your way up, headed for the telescope. "Like, it was a party. And, judging by the kind of people present, I thought I'd surely be the only one taking the opportunity to ravage that incredibly well-stocked bookshelf. But there you were."

"Yeah. I'm really glad I decided to go to that birthday party, even though I didn't actually like the guy. And when those red Converses of yours first caught my eye, I couldn't help but think 'How ironic'. Because you looked so gorgeous, perfect even, just sitting there, literally the woman of my dreams – so beautiful, I was almost sure you were already spoken for."

"And I remember that you weren't all that subtle when you tried to find out if I indeed was," you laugh. 

"Yeah. It got kinda awkward for a second there," Namjoon grins to himself, dimpled cheeks turning a lively shade of pink. "I was never really good at talking to girls." 

"I didn't even notice," you lie, clinging onto his strong arm a little more tightly. 

"We're there," Namjoon then announces, slightly short of breath, when the two of you have finally reached the top of the stairway where you are being greeted by a patiently smiling elderly man in a blue laboratory coat. 

"This way, please," he points you in the direction of the Kepler telescope that takes up a large portion of the observatory dome. Namjoon grabs your hand, his fingers naturally interlocking with yours, and leads the way, positioning you right in front of the telescope. The astronomer briefly explains the essentials of its workings and adjusts it to your height before he excuses himself with a polite bow and swiftly leaves the room, not without darting Namjoon one last conspiratorial glance, though. 

"What's going on, Joonie? Shouldn't he stay here, so we don't, I don't know, break anything? Especially with you here?" you joke. 

"Very funny," he playfully pinches your side. "No, I think we'll be perfectly fine on our own from here on out. I've actually been here before a couple of times, so I have a pretty good idea of what is safe to touch. Besides, all you have to do is look through that lens." 

"And see what?" 

"Just look, and I'll explain."

"All right," you shrug, unable to notice a subtle shift in Namjoon's expression. Hesitantly, after giving your boyfriend one last scrutinizing glance, you do as you're told. And what you see takes your breath away. 

"Wow, Joon. The stars. I – They're so beautiful. And they look so close. So much brighter." 

"Yeah. We're fortunate the sky is clear tonight. Just as it was that night. Which means that these are, more or less, the exact same stars we saw when we looked up there three years ago, huddled together to keep ourselves warm while we waited for your bus to arrive.” 

"Wow. I – I don't know what to say, Namjoon. This – This is so beautiful. And thoughtful. I –” 

You can't take your eyes off of the galaxy spread out before you in all its beauty, trying to take in as much as of the view as possible.  

"I mean, I've always loved the stars –"

"I know." 

"But this – This is next level. This is unbelievable. Thank you so much for showing me this, Joon, and for creating yet another memory.” 

Reluctantly, you step back from the telescope and turn to face Namjoon whose full lips are curved by a fond smile. 

"I love this. It's perfect, Joon. It really is. I don't know how you come up with all these ideas." 

"You're my inspiration," he just says, those simple words causing your eyes to well up.

"I love you, Kim Namjoon. You know that, right?" you snivel, stretching so you can put your arms around his neck. 

"Yes, I know," he grins, his dimples making another glorious appearance. "But I never tire of hearing you say it. That's why I'm hoping I'm gonna get to hear you say these words for the rest of my life." 

You are just about to give a cheesy response, when, all of a sudden, as if he just remembered something important, Namjoon's expression turns distant and he starts frantically searching the pockets of his bulky coat. This little spell of anxiety go his is followed by a sigh of relief once he apparently finds what he was looking for. 

"Excuse me," Namjoon gives you a quick smile before he goes on to remove your arms from his neck and steps back, leaving you puzzled. 

"Come on, y/n. Let's go outside," he then suggests, already getting a hold of your hand.

"Outside? You mean, to the viewing platform? But isn't it freezing out there?"

"It's only gonna be for a little while. Please?" 

"Of course, if it makes you happy." 

"Very," he nods, virtually dragging you outside now. 

"Okay. You're weirding me out, Joonie. Is everything all right?" 

"I should hope so." 

"That doesn't sound very reassuring," you mumble, resisting his pull.  

"I know you're always so curious and impatient, y/n." Namjoon looks back at you, his smile wry. "But, please, just wait and see. You'll understand. I promise." 

"Okay ..." 

Eventually, you give in and allow Namjoon to lead you out onto the platform where he comes to a halt as soon as he seems to have determined the perfect spot for whatever he is planning to do. At this point, a million ideas of what that might be are racing through your mind, none of them reasonable. 

"What's going on, Joonie? Because something is.” 

With a gesture of his hand, Namjoon indicates you to keep quiet while he backs off by two steps and, the whole time maintaining eye contact, finally drops down on one knee, causing you to gasp in surprise. 

"Joon, I –"

"Shh," he cautions you jokingly. 

Half laughing half crying, you put a hand to your lips to keep them from blurting out further comments. 

Impatiently you watch him as Namjoon reaches for his right coat pocket, the movement leading him to lose his balance and, in an effort to regain it, hit his hand on the platform's banister. Cursing under his breath, he inspects the damage done to his reddening knuckles. 

"Shit, babe. Are you all right?" you inquire, struggling to hold in a laugh, as you grab your boyfriend's arm in order to steady him. 

"Yeah. It's nothing."

"Good. Go on then," you grin, stepping back again. 

"All right. This is not exactly going as planned," Namjoon commences with an apologetic grin, now breaking out a small velvet ring box holding a stunningly beautiful silver band, studded with numerous small yet scintillating diamonds. "But if you, Y/l/n Y/n, would take me as your husband, this shall be a moment I will forever treasure, despite its obvious shortcomings." 

"Shush. It's perfect," you chuckle through tears. "And it would be my honor to be your woman for life, Kim Namjoon." 

Smiling, he struggles to steady his trembling hands to place the ring on your finger, succeeding at the second try. 

”Hearing that, Y/n –,” Namjoon says in getting up and placing his hand on the back of your neck to gently pull you in for a kiss. “– makes me the happiest and proudest man on earth." 

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed them. ☺️

The Maknae Line Edition will follow shortly.

And here you can find my Masterlist if you feel like checking out more of my BTS fiction.

Take care and have a great day! 💖

NONE of the GIFs used are mine. Credit goes to the initial creators. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

[mrsandok]

Remembering the Quarantine and Quarantine Fridays <3

I’ve been meaning to write about how special Quarantine Fridays were to me for a while.  I think I was holding off because I thought writing it would make me sad.  I mean--when will an opportunity to connect with friends and strangers in that particular manner happen? what up, delta?

But I think I’m in a better place to reflect on it now.  In fact, I really like reflecting on the quarantine knowing I survived it in a somewhat productive manner knowing many other people weren’t as lucky.

I’m blessed.

This is going to be a two-part post knowing that finishing school with the class of 2020 and 2021 (my juniors) really helped me make sense of my worth during those trying-ass-times.

Part One: Teacher Lyfe

March 2020

The Coronavirus was in the news since December ‘19.  However, just because the world is the way that it is, our news centered around that orange dude and whatever he said.  In fact, he continued to dominate the news until that silly little insurrection he started.

this all sounds like the old-me festering on shit that’s beyond my control that would affect my happiness and being reactive of it.  

I’m not sure when I changed but I definitely changed during the quarantine.  I honestly don’t feel the need to voice or be reactive in any way that involves people’s different values.

I think this post is an attempt to try and make sense of how and why I changed

I have so many odd memories of early quarantine.

I remember that strange feeling of turning off my alarm to wake up at 6 AM knowing that school is indefinitely suspended.  

Haha--I remember when it was a ~3-week pause in an attempt to ~flatten the curve~.

I remember feeling weird sleeping in on a Wednesday--a school night.  

It felt like Spring Break but we couldn’t really do anything so there wasn’t really anything to celebrate?   

It was somewhat exciting to not have work (and thankfully being paid when millions of people were out of jobs 🙏) those first few weeks.  

Making sense of not being able to visit my family, my best friend that lives 20 min away, or even go out to my favorite restaurants was hard for me to grasp but I learned to enjoy my solitude while keeping in contact with people via technology.

Remember Zoom happy hours and group face times?  Haha.

April 2020 I can’t imagine what it was like to have children during the early days of the pandemic.  

I can’t imagine what it was like to teach 9th grade and below during the pandemic.

How do you help kids understand the world during those trying-ass-times?

Props that all of ya’ll that did it.

I was blessed to be in the middle of teaching my juniors and seniors how to understand the world on their own terms when the quarantine began.  AP11 is a class centered around language and writing so there was always a focus on current events and making sense of it together.  The American Literature curriculum was always easy to relate to current events because, well, we’ve always been broken.  My teaching just became that much more real when we were experiencing this pandemic together.

I forget the actual logistics of how distance teaching/learning was but essentially these were the guidelines:

You can give opportunities for students to raise their grades.

You can’t diminish students’ grades for any work they do over the pandemic

There was no “set” schedule but you have to make an effort to reach out to them.

I had 3 preps for about an hour each.

1 AP11 section

1 CP11 section

1 CP12: Search for Human Potential section

AP11 was more concerned with the rhetorical analysis essay.   That was easy enough to teach.  People understood rhetoric and how to write about it pretty quickly.

Barely anyone showed up for the CP11 sections

CP12 was beautiful knowing that people that showed up genuinely wanted to make sense of the pandemic together through the existential unit I always teach.

We read Notes from Underground and The Stranger.  

It was a legit book club.

The problem was...we had weeks left before the contractual end of school.  I was out of material.

May 2020 Existentialism is related to postmodernism, the movement I was teaching to my juniors, what better opportunity to teach one of my favorite postmodern books?  White Noise.

Though that was my second to last year teaching English, it was definitely my most memorable because I was able to teach something for the sake of understanding the current climate of the world.

Mind you, this was before the vaccine, this was when we were trying our utmost best to understand how the virus operates, this was still very, very early in the pandemic.

For those unfamiliar with White Noise, it’s about a College professor who suffers from imposter syndrome and has a crippling fear of death and the unknown. All this gets accentuated when there’s a airborne toxic event that occurs in the middle of the book.   It hit home for a lot of people.  It hit home with me with imposter syndrom during my 6th year in my third English department 💃.  

There were plenty of moments where I no longer felt like their teacher but a peer trying my best to make sense of the world through this book written in the ‘80s.

We found solace in the fact that people have feared death since the beginning of time.  

We found solace that all the political rhetoric concerning who’s to blame for the virus or how people are handling it may be a projection of their uncomfortabilty of the unknown or their own fear of death.  It’s easier to blame ____ than confront whatever is making us feel negative emotions.

It was liberating getting to the end of that book knowing that the pandemic still exists (in the book and in real life) but all is well.  

All is well simply because there are other things in this world to care about versus worry about.

It’s a lesson of being proactive of what you can control versus reactive of what you can’t control.

It’s a lesson that took me months to practice in my own life.

Early June 2020 I tell my students how much they mean to me in a genuine way at the end of the year.  Understanding the pandemic together was definitely something I needed in my life.

All my lessons somehow tie into the idea that school is only important if you make it important.  Sometimes that includes getting good grades and letters of recommendation to get to where you want to be.  Sometimes it means simply knowing how to interact with others to finish a group project.  Sometimes it’s getting close with a teacher knowing that he’s going through the same shit you’re going through, too.

That’s what made these students so special.  They saw I genuinely cared and genuinely gave it back through these optional class meetings we had.  

This meant the world to me when the world was standing still.  I had an alarm to wake up (10:00 AM?) so we could discuss the next chapters and it was something I genuinely looked forward to.

I learned so much from them from that silly little book I read when I was 18/19 at Orange Coast College.  Mind you, I definitely wasn’t as mature as they were at that age.  But again, we weren’t literally living a pandemic, too.

I felt like my AP11 students graduated with my CP12 students.  So much, in fact, I was pretty confused to see them on campus when we returned.  I thought they were already off doing big thangz.  

I’m proud of you all.  I’m thankful for ya’ll experiencing that with me.

Signed--from the bottom of my heart, Mr. Sandok

---

I think this is an appropriate transition to talk about how special quarantine fridays were to me during trying-ass-times now that I was able to collect my thoughts on why teaching was so important during the early quarantine stages.

I don’t actually remember the actual day I attempted to livestream.  I attempted it on Instagram Live and Twitch and it was so fucking awkward.  I remember anxiously walking out in my patio to shake off the rust I had from DJ’ing.  

Damn--I simultaneously wish and not wish I recorded that set.  What on earth did I play?  Was it bad?  Or was I just nervous at randoms tuning in?  Because I remember that was definitely nervewracking

April 17, 2021: The Birth of The Quarantine Series

I only know this date simply from my first Quarantine Series Flyer on Instagram.  It correlates with my first instagram highlight of the initial days of the series.  

It’s wild at how bare this production looks revisiting it.  

Still got that red light, thoooooo 💃

-- 

It’s hard for me to remember how I got comfortable with DJ’ing in my living room for my friends and select strangers.  However, it was the biggest source of happiness during the quarantine--especially after the school year ended and my extroverted-ass didn’t have the means to connect with others through literature and bullshit about life with my students. 

I’ve had these turntables since I was 13.  I used to lug them with my Vestax 06 mixer (which I finally dropped off at good well when I moved into my new place) along with two crates of records and CD booklets of burned CDs during my early days DJ’ing.

I bought a new’ish mixer for the turntables but never really used it because I graduated from bedroom DJ a long time ago.  This was literally the first time I used the mixer heavily.

This was also the first time DJ”ing with in-ear-monitors. I’ve always been a diva about in-ear monitors.  I attempted to use them at Mesa once and hated it because I couldn't feel the music like a real DJ should when they’re catering to a crowd feeling your vibe. 💅

--

Slowly, I learned how to up the production of my twitch sets.  My visuals were due for an update.  I forget how long they were before #quarantinefridays but now they’re 2 hours long of just pure red thirst.  Hahaha

--

Quarantine Friday Highlights

Heavy Hip Hop Reflection Night

One of the special things about the Quarantine Series was knowing that I wasn’t getting paid for this and I was able to play for an audience of myself on some nights.  

I never get to play obscure 2000s hip hop anymore.  I dedicated an entire night to it when my mentor and my student’s father were reminiscing about their college days in the early 2000s.  

Here it is again for those of you that haven’t read it.

Realizing that I don’t want to be ‘90s DJ anymore

This has been a long time coming.  The first few years at Mesa were fun because I was able to bring a “classy ratchet” or “clatchet” vibes to Costa Mesa when the scene was flooded with house music.  

But damn...there came a point where I simply didn’t wanna play that shit anymore.  I avoid “Ain’t No Fun” and “Regulate” like the plague.  

This was especially true seeing other DJs on twitch playing that stuff.  As talented as they are--I feel like I outgrew that sound in the same sense I don’t listen to The Beatles or Led Zeppelin anymore.

Realizing that new hip hop isn’t that good

It was somewhere around the Future/Migos mumble rap era when I realized that this is this generation’s version of No Limit records.  Hot trash.

Then Drake, a dude that popularized being a fuckboy, became the face of hip hop.

No thanks

Realizing that the shit i fuck with now is R&B

I’ve embraced this for a while in my personal life but it’s definitely dictating the type of DJ I am--so much that someone at Mesa asked me politely to play some hip hop.  I smiled and realized, “wtf am i doing?”

YO JORJA, SZA, SUMMER, H.E.R., JHENE---KEEP THAT SHIT COMING.

Realizing that I want to continue to be a pioneer in this R&B trend that paak and mars are doing right now

Funk is alive and well.  There’s even a fire playlist on spotify called Retro Pop that captures the vibe I want to have in my sets.

I gotta practice that shit more.

Shoutouts:

Dknypinay: definitely my biggest fan.  Definitely my biggest influence.  Everything dope about me is attributed to her interest in music in the ‘90s.  She listened to KROQ, The Beat, Powe 106 and gave this 7 year old some flavor.  My first album was her tape of Snoop’s Doggystyle!!!

Bryan_black6: I helped this dude move from Dallas to Cali in December.  Pre-vaccine.  We had big plans of doing an “on-the-road” set for the quarantine series.  LITTLE DID WE KNOW WE’D ALMOST DIE IN THAT UHAUL MULTIPLE TIMES.  A lot of the R&B I’d play on twitch was reminiscent of the music we’d listen to when he’d tattoo me in his bedroom.  

Implicithero: One of the biggest compliments I got over #quarantinefridays came from Drew and Mel.  “Damn, EJ.  I knew you were good from Mesa, but I never knew your knowledge of music stretched that far.  You’re mad talented.”  I do it for ya’ll, boo 😘 Even that weird-ass-Morrissey-Emo night.  hahaha

Jonpham: I dj’d this dude’s wedding pretty recently.  Jon and I have similar mindsets where we try to stay humble but know our worth in regards to what we give back to the hip hop community.  I know I’m no scrub DJ and he knows he’s no whack bboy.  It was an honor to show you the ropes of DJ’ing and sharing some sets with you during the pandemic.  

Anditapandita: No idea how you find me but I’m glad you did!  It’s always a special feeling when I meet someone that can not only vibe to my music, but my generic silly lifestyle, too.  It was great meeting you at Mesa the other day!  I was definitely playing some #quarantinefridays hits for bits of nostalgia.

Fr4ncheesie: According to Bryan, Fr4ncheesie is my looper.  Parallel Filipino lives in different states.  It was tight getting to know you strictly through the twitch chats knowing Bryan has always wanted to link us up.  It was a pleasure dropping some classic John Legend for ya’ll.

Lordnik0n_: A former student’s father.  Prior to joining my Twitch sets, he let me know he listened to my mixtapes on Back to School Night.  It was the wildest thing ever to hear a parent listen to my ratchet/sleazy mixtapes.  I wrote an entire blog post about how special that hip hop night was so I’ll keep this brief.  Here it is once more.

Rubadubinatub: One of the only reasons I keep it real at Mesa is to please the bartending staff with what I drop.  Crabtree has always been a fan of my shit and I always try my best to throw in some Mobb Deep and Fleetwood Mac when I can.

Aimeegg: It was always fun seeing my sister and Aimee flood the chat with their own conversation.  I remember you appreciating hearing Alicia Keys’ A Woman’s Worth knowing it doesn’t get that much love these days.  but...THAT’S WHAT I DO.  I revive the forgotten but dope.

Ki55my6utth0l3/bbcwif34u: you fucking weirdo

Bkdthvn: Damn.  Many memories playing for my boy.  Some of those memories include my neighbors, both sets, asking, “what song was ____?” and it being a BKDTHVN song.  It’s wild how far you came with music.  It was an honor to bless the twitch radiowaves with your shit and it will continue to be an honor to bump Mesa with your shit.

Pbisharat11:  thanks for always tuning in.  particularly thanks for tuning in and sending this over.

Jspinsir: I will definitely enjoy the select nights where you would partake in Paola and I’s ludicrousness during #quarantinefridays

Itserica143: 😅 thanks for...that

Dj_redline: Damn...It was always a crazy honor for my DJ mentor to bless his presence in my channel.  I was able to have a respectable record collection from the stuff you gave me when I was in middle school.  I was able to learn the secrets of how to buy beat junkies and ISP skratch records knowing that shit isn’t obvious.  It was the foundation I needed before I was lucky enough to be taken in by Dwenz and join Foundation FunKollective.  DJ’ing and DJ’ing my way is literally part of me because you showed me the ropes and I’ll forever be grateful.

Jen_lu: My biggest fan on the east coast!  It was so humbling to know that during the pandemic her group of friends would look forward to my sets.  They even rocked space buns showing their support!  I remember the days I had to start early because of the time difference.  Love ya’ll to death.

Mylove3169: South Bay in the houuuuuse! Damn.  It was always fun to play some classic funk for you.  Even the G-Funk brought me back to my days spinning at your parents’ front yard.  I definitely wanted to keep my shit Westcoast when you were on.  Holla!

Disrupty: A later staple of the quarantine series in 2021.  Shit was always fun to see you and mayo reminisce about back in the day knowing I missed out being part of that crew.

Alejandrooo825: My literal neighbors.  Kayla heard my patio door open during the pandemic and struck up a conversation.  I invited them over to socially distance in my patio as a proper introduction and to talk about the pandemic.  They had a squat rack five feet away from where I taught so they heard many lectures as well as shared many ratchet nights on quarantine Fridays.  The quarantine was definitely a great way to get to know ya’ll.  Definitely loved playing Mac Miller for ya’ll any chance I got.  

Snookie23: Oh man--anytime I would be able to sneak in a Freestyle set was because you and Chris wanted to groove at your place and I was happy to oblige.  Always loved to shout out Monrovia as much as I could during those late nights.

Claraamontt17: A former student that would study for her APs listening to my rebroadcasts.  If it were any other person, I’d be nervous about the shit that I play on twitch--but your taste in music is as ratchet as mine soooo 💃

Sashaaa_i: One of the last quarantine sets consisted of maddd Doja Cat because sashita put me on to it.  She even got red lights at her place to match the quarantinefriday vibes 💃💃💃

Earthtovirgo: Always appreciative of strangers finding me and vibing with my set.  It really reminds me when I play somewhere in public and I see heads boppin’.  I remember you being stoked I played Monsune.

[hashtagfarrakhan]

‘Armed with this knowledge from the pens of Jewish scholars, Rabbis, and historians, we could now charge you with the most vehement anti-Black behavior in the annals of our history...’

Minister Louis Farrakhan's Letter to Jewish Leaders and An Open Letter to Black Leadership

Editor’s Note: In light of controversy on social media, traditional media and in the public regarding Jewish leadership, some Black elected officials, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, we are reprinting two important letters, on pages 20-23, issued by Min. Farrakhan in 2010 that contained words of guidance and offered a way to avoid the present situation. Unfortunately the guidance in the two letters, a letter to then Anti-Defamation League president Abe Foxman and the heads of major Jewish organizations and “An Open Letter to Black Leadership,” was not followed.

The first letter contains a message to the total Jewish community regarding two important books, “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews,” Volumes I and II. They contain truths unearthed from Jewish scholars that verified the involvement of Jewish people in the slave trade, and the control and exploitation of Black people. The books were inspired by false charges that the Minister was anti-Semitic. The books confirmed Min. Farrakhan was certainly not anti-Jewish but the thoughts and deeds of Jewish figures revealed they were anti-Black. Today Ethiopian Jews and African migrants suffer in Israel, are denied their rights, and as refugees are threatened with jail, if they refuse to leave Israel. These books were sent to influential members of the Jewish community and others.

The “Open Letter to Black Leadership,” in 2010, respectfully requested that Black leaders not allow themselves to be drawn into any conflict between influential Jews and the Nation of Islam. Black leaders were asked to allow Jewish leaders to speak for themselves. We urge you to read and study these letters and to provide thoughts, feedback and questions, which can be addressed to Min. Farrakhan via @louisfarrakhan on Twitter. We pray Allah (God) that you will take advantage of this important opportunity. —Richard B. Muhammad, Editor

Minister Louis Farrakhan

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD

AND

THE NATION OF ISLAM

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL. I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER

June 24, 2010

President Abraham Foxman Anti-Defamation League 605 Third Avenue New York, New York 10017

Dear Mr. Foxman,

Please accept these two books enclosed from our Historical Research Department.

The charge of anti-Semitism has been leveled against the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam for many years. For twenty-five of the thirty-three years of my rebuilding of the Nation of Islam, I and we, in the Nation of Islam have suffered under the charge of “anti-Semitism” because I have dared to be critical of what I and many others feel is Jewish behavior that has ill-affected Black people and others.

Our Nation of Islam Historical Research Team was motivated by these false charges to study the works of Jewish scholars, historians, and Rabbis, being very careful to omit any words written or spoken, no matter how truthful, by those who are considered “anti-Semitic.”

We can now present to our people and the world a true, undeniable record of the relationship between Blacks and Jews from their own mouths and pens. These scholars, Rabbis and historians have given to us an undeniable record of Jewish anti-Black behavior, starting with the horror of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, plantation slavery, Jim Crow, sharecropping, the labor movement of the North and South, the unions and the misuse of our people that continues to this very moment.

As you have constantly labeled me and done everything within your power to hinder me and us from the civilizing work that Allah (God) has given to The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and myself to do, I ask you to find one act committed by me or those who follow me that has injured one Jewish person, stopped Jews from doing business, hindered their education, injured their families, sullied or desecrated their synagogues. You will not find one. So, except for our willingness to tell the truth and our unwillingness to apologize to you for telling the truth, on what basis do you charge me and us as being “anti-Semitic”?

Armed with this knowledge from the pens of Jewish scholars, Rabbis, and historians, we could now charge you with the most vehement anti-Black behavior in the annals of our history in America and the world. We could charge you with being the most deceitful so-called friend, while your history with us shows you have been our worst enemy.

I do not write this with vitriol, hatred, bitterness, or a spirit of vengeance, because One greater than you and me has permitted this for His own wise purposes.

However, what is done is done. We cannot change the past. You and I, your children and mine, your people and mine are living in the present. Your present reality is sitting on top of the world in power, with riches and influence, while the masses of my people here in America, in the Caribbean, Central and South America and elsewhere in the world are in the worst condition of any member of the human family.

I have pleaded with you over the years for a sensible, intelligent dialogue. You have rejected me, and some Rabbis have given me terms for friendship that any self-respecting person could never accept. So with this truth in our hands and yours, and soon in the hands of tens of thousands, I again ask you for a dialogue.

You are in a position to help me in the civilizing work that The Honorable Elijah Muhammad was given to do by Allah (God), whose burden and Mission –Allah and He –has made me to share. With this historical research in your hands, you may either gather your forces for an all-out struggle against me, the Nation of Islam, and the truth that I and we speak and write, or as an intelligent and civilized people, we can sit down and carve out a way forward that can obliterate the stain of the past and render us, Jews and Blacks-before Allah (God) and the world-in a new, honorable, and mutually respectful relationship.

This is an offer asking you and the gentiles whom you influence to help me in the repair of my people from the damage that has been done by your ancestors to mine. This is a wonderful way of the present generation of Jews to escape the Judgment of Allah (God) by aiding in the repair of His people.

However, should you choose to make our struggle to civilize our people more difficult, then I respectfully warn you, in the Name of Allah (God) and His Messiah, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, that the more you fight and oppose me rather than help me to lift my people from their degraded state, Allah (God) and His Messiah will bring you and your people to disgrace and ruin and destroy your power and influence here and throughout the world.

I pray that you will make the wise and best choice.

Respectfully and Sincerely Submitted,

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Servant to the Lost-Found Nation of Islam in the West

Cc: Chairman Alan Solow, American Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations President William Hess, American Zionist Movement President Bob Elman, American Jewish Committee President Dennis W. Glick, B'Nai B'Rith International President Richard S. Gordon, American Jewish Congress President Rabbi Moshe Kletenik, Rabbinical Council of America President Rabbi Ellen Weinburg Dreyfus, Central Conference of American Rabbis Executive Director Jerry Silverman, Jewish Federation of North America President Stephen J. Savitsky, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Executive Director Martin Schwartz, Jewish Labor Committee President Lee Rosenberg, American Israel Public Affairs Committee President Wayne Firestone, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life National Executive Director Herb Rosenbleeth, Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America President Morton Klein, Zionist Organization of America Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street

* Click here to download PDF Version of Original Letter

[Editor’s note: The above letter was sent to Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish leaders by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan prior to his monumental lecture “Who Are the Real Children of Israel?” delivered June 26 in Atlanta, Ga. It refers to two books released in Atlanta, “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, Volume 2,” and “Jews Selling Blacks.” Click here for more coverage of his address and to order the historic lecture or these important books, visit http://store.finalcall.com]

Minister Louis Farrakhan

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD

AND

THE NATION OF ISLAM

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL. I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER

AN OPEN LETTER TO BLACK LEADERSHIP

July 19, 2010

To the Spiritual, Political, Educational, and Economic Leaders and to our Sports and Entertainment Giants:

May this open letter find you well and in good spirit as we search for a solution to the many problems that we face as a people.

Most of you have benefited in some way from a relationship that you have with members of the Jewish Community. Some of you have become very wealthy and are able to live in the best manner that you choose because of this friendship. However, have you ever noticed that no matter how rich and powerful some of us have become, we have never been shown how to network with the wealthy and learned of our people, pooling our resources that we may produce for our people that which would grow us from a begging position as little children to become masters of our own destiny?

The Jewish people have maximized their wealth by networking with their people and others in America and the World, thus they have become masters in banking, trade, commerce and have parlayed their wealth to become masters in every field of human endeavor. At the same time, we as their friends amass wealth for ourselves, our families and a few people who benefit from us but never have we done anything collectively to benefit the masses of our people.

It is not that we would not desire to do this; it is because we have not been shown how. Our distrust and disunity prohibits us from doing what the Jewish people have done.

These books that the Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam has published, “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews: How Jews Gained Control of the Black American Economy Volume 2” and “Jews Selling Blacks” are being shared with our people to show us how we were completely undone and how others have benefited from what has happened and continues to happen to us. We cannot deal effectively with our so-called friends as men and women without this vital knowledge.

Whenever the Light of Truth has been shone on them, they reach for you to defend them against the Truth that uncovers the horror that has been done to us. They have always been successful pitting us against each other thus keeping them from facing the Truth of their real relationship with us. As they call upon you to denounce me as an anti-Semite and, because of the favor you believe you owe them for what they have done to help make life comfortable for you; I am asking you to stand down. I am asking you to read this research and then discuss it with your Jewish friends. Would you condemn me as an anti-Semite for exposing the research that shows them as being anti-Black? I am asking you to stand down and let them come out to me to defend their record and history of their relationship with us that we compiled from that which was written by their own scholars, historians, and Rabbis.

If you become an apologist for them in this hour, you will be seen by the masses of our people as a modern day Uncle Tom who believes you owe more to them than to the masses of our suffering people. If you attack me at their insistence you will be seen as an enemy of the rise of our people as well as an enemy of your own rise; for you can never be free to rise above the limitations placed on you by them until you know the absolute Truth of your relationship with them. Being an apologist for them will be dangerous for you as the masses of our people are awakening and are increasingly angry at the reality of our condition. No matter how popular you may be and desirous you may be to defend your so-called friends, it is dangerous for any of us to defend those who are the architects of White supremacy and are the architects of the destruction of us as a people.

Most of you are afraid to face such a formidable and powerful enemy. So, I implore you to stand to the side and let them come out to defend themselves and argue against the Truth that I and we speak and write.

I will prove to you and them that Allah (God) is Present and He is with me. As David went out to Goliath and defeated him in the face of the fear of King Saul and the Children of Israel, likewise, I can assure you that I will be victorious over your and my enemies with the Help of Allah (God) and His Christ (Mahdi).

Thank you for reading these words.

I Am Your Brother and Servant,

Respectfully and Sincerely Submitted,

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Servant to the Lost-Found Nation of Islam in the West

HMLF/km

[irispublishersfashion]

Iris Publishers_Journal of Textile Science & Fashion Technology (JTSFT)

The Use of Mobile Apps for Health and Fashion Management in South Korea

Authored by Min Sun Lee

Abstract

The use of mobile apps for body and appearance management to promote health and well-being has grown rapidly in recent years. The objectives of this study are to define a relation between health care and appearance management and understand the objective of using mobile health apps and fashion styling apps for the design and development of new apps. This study was conducted on Koreans in their 20s and 30s, residing in Seoul and around, from April to June 2018. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25. A close affinity was discovered between the users of mobile apps for health and fashion styling. They used the apps for getting new information and checking their condition to plan future steps. It needs to move in a wormlike manner both health app and fashion styling apps for the efficiency revitalization of digitalization in well-being promotion.

Keywords: App; Well-being; Health care; Fashion styling

Abbreviations: App (Application)

Introduction

With the recent emphasis on balancing work and life, Warraval’s life, which stands for Work and Life Balance, has become a trend. This atmosphere shows that in modern times, people tired of materialism are taking health and happiness as their main values in life, paying attention to ways to improve their quality of life. Wellbeing in adults is a very complex and multidimensional element. Therefore, the improvement of quality in life is directly related to the improvement of satisfaction with life. For this reason, wellbeing starts from physical and psychological health and satisfaction with it.

McAuley et al. (2005) [1] suggest that physical activity is a pathway to improve self-esteem, which in turn leads to a successful and satisfying life and improves well-being. Physical activity and self-efficacy grow through a virtuous cycle of influence, which affects physical condition and physical esteem represented by the attractive body and physical strength. Thus, physical self-esteem affects overall self- esteem. Appearance management behavior through physical activity and fashion can be an effective alternative to well-being, improving overall self-esteem by increasing the satisfaction with not only physical condition and physical strength but also the attractiveness of the body [2-4].

In this trend, various digital media have recently provided ways to utilize and expand health and personal tastes. As a representative example, with the use of smartphones expanding to a nationwide level, there has been a growth of services provided in mobile applications or apps. According to a study by Stoyanov et al. [5], mobile apps have a social interest in health and well-being, and there are 440 million health-related apps worldwide, with a 5% annual growth rate. In addition, with the steady growth of the smartphone market, health information and various contents related to it play an effective role as a medium to check their health anytime and anywhere. In addition, various ways to make people look more attractive and beautiful, weight loss guides provided by fitness magazines, and how to build a healthy and beautiful body are constantly being developed as mobile apps [6

Fashion apps are no exception. The application of fashion apps has expanded into a full-fledged fashion styling function. Thus, fashion brands at home and abroad show fashion brand information through their apps; including the brand collections, catalogs and look books that change every season, and the types and quantities of fashion items that change in real time. This leads to fashion brand advertising and sales effects such as sales growth, brand awareness, and customer management. As mentioned above, this positive effect of fashion apps is expected. Existing studies of fashion apps have been mainly focused on classifying types according to the function of fashion apps. It is necessary for new research to define the elements of the fashion app to improve various services and the purpose of using the fashion app user rather than only classifying the types of apps by the functions.

In addition, it is meaningful to examine the correlation between fashion and health- which is more closely related to the body-together with the positive outlook for the digital fashion and healthcare industry. Therefore, in this study, we want to investigate the changes needed in fashion apps in order to activate the digital fashion industry and to expand the usefulness and utilization of the smart phone app that can be effectively accessed in terms of physical, health care and appearance management.

The objectives of this study are as follows:

1. First, to clarify the main purpose of using healthcare apps and fashion styling apps for young Koreans in their 20s and 30s.

2. Second, to identify the relationship between healthcare app and fashion styling app users.

3. Third, to provide the requirements for fashion app development in the future that can be effectively approached in relation to physical health care and appearance management through fashion.

Development and Status of Mobile App

App, in its dictionary form “application,” means “of a particular use.” The software term app echoes this, indicating a program that is designed for a particular use. The smartphone app is a mobile program capable of two- way communication, it is always portable and easy to update, so you can receive new information quickly and conveniently in real time [7]. Furthermore, according to the 2017 Korea Social Indicators released by the National Statistical Office, Korea’s smartphone subscription rate is 90.6%-the highest worldwide [8]. Along with the increase in the number of smartphone subscribers, the use of apps on smartphones is steadily increasing. Among them, the highest interest and utilization of smart phone users is in health-related apps. According to data released by market research firm Statista, the global digital health market is expected to reach $144 billion in 2018. The domestic digital healthcare market has also grown at an annual average of 12.5% from 3 trillion won in 2014 and is expected to grow to 14 trillion won by 2020. In particular, the mobile health sector recorded the highest growth rate among the average annual growth rate of the healthcare sector, with a growth rate of 41% [9]. Likewise, in the digital health field, the health app shows a high growth rate and a positive outlook for the future [10].

Regarding the use of such a health app, BinDhim, et al. [11] presented the efficiency of health management through the App. They explain that 93% of mobile health app users are more effective at losing weight than health care providers who use websites (55%) or pagers (53%). In addition, encouraging them to manage their own health through mobile apps can help reduce errors in following medical prescriptions. Therefore, the future development of the Health App should focus on a software solution that analyzes, processes and produces useful information by accumulating health information, collected either by the health device or through direct input by the user. Therefore, it is worth noting that the health app’s service consists of the core competency of the health care app to perform data, measurement, and analysis behavioral suggestion on the factors that may affect health in lifestyle behavior.

Healthcare App

In the case of the “S Health” App, the configuration allows users to check the recommended exercise amount according to a personal profile and select a goal suited to their preference. In addition, the S Health App provides tips for achieving the goal by recording activities such as diet, fitness, and exercise. In the main screen, you can check the exercise status and the recent health status according to the target. In addition to exercise activities, a variety of information such as nutritional balance scores can be recorded to set up a balanced lifestyle pattern [12]. LG Health also offers similar functions but is trying to differentiate itself with the “drinking water” function. In the case of “drinking water,” you set how much you want to drink per day in “Setting your daily health goal” and then set the interval to drink water in the “Notification” screen to induce health check. Google Health combines information from other apps such as OSWear OS by Google, Nike +, Runkeeper, Strava, MyFitnessPal, Lifesum, Basis, Sleep as Android, Withings, and Xiaomi Mi bands. It is supposed to be able to track. Google Health’s Google Fit is a kind of data central repository because it allows you to receive and share health information generated by various healthcare apps. You can send data generated by devices like Gear Fit and Nike Fuel band to Google Fit. The biggest difference from other health apps is that Google Fit makes use of integrated health data to its fullest and uses various fashion sports companies such as Nike and Adidas as partners.

As people’s desire to improve their health has increased with their growing interest in and expectation for quality of life, the App market has offered medical care, including exercise, diet control, chronic disease information and management, women’s health care, and personal health information management. It can be seen that various apps related to health and health are leading the digital market [13]. Providing user input and providing additional information through analysis of results. The data industry essentially determines the profitability of the entire industry because the amount and size of data determines the profitability of the entire industry [14]. As Nike and Adidas are already trying to make fashion a part of entertainment, the integration of health and fashion apps can be a very effective strategy, following this trend.

Fashion Styling App

Recently, as the interest in smartphones is increasing worldwide, including in Korea, fashion companies are participating in app development. With the expansion of digital fashion, the spread of fashion apps is preparing for the popularization of fashion beyond access to fashion information, sales, and fashion shows. This gives the public a chance to find their style more easily. Park, et al. [7] summarized the functions of the Fashion Styling App into seven functions. First, a basic information function that provides brand information and information such as price, size, color, etc. Second, quick communication with customers through Facebook and Twitter accounts. Third, coordinating with an avatar or taking a picture of yourself and then putting clothes on your picture to coordinate AR functions (Augmented Reality). Fourth, outdoor fashion, is a LBS function (Location Based Service) that provides a function to leave. Fifth, additional entertainment features including music listening, weather information, and diet programs. Sixth, mobile shopping functions. And finally, live streaming, which provides scarcity value by providing fashion show videos.

For More Open Access Journals in Iris Publishers Please click on: https://irispublishers.com/   For More Articles in Journal of Textile Science & Fashion Technology https://irispublishers.com/jtsft/

For More Information:https://irispublishers.com/jtsft/fulltext/the-use-of-mobile-apps-for-health-and-fashion-management-in-south-korea.ID.000571.php

[riichardwilson]

3 Reasons to Invest in Real Estate Right Now

In the face of a global crisis, real estate continues to be a vehicle for generating wealth.

August 21, 2020 3 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

My good friends Paul and Kelsey are known as The Flippin Experts. They’re my go-to for questions regarding real estate and house flipping. I went to Paul and Kelsey with one question, “How has the pandemic affected real estate?” and was pleasantly surprised with the tips they provided, which I have shared with you below.

It is no secret that real estate is used as a vehicle to generate wealth and create jobs across America. Studies show that the real estate industry — encompassing real estate finance, insurance, rentals, and leasing — added the most value to the Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) of the United States in 2019, adding 4.49 trillion U.S. dollars to the national GDP.

Related: Is Passive Income Truly Achievable Through Real Estate?

The Flippin Experts forecast that real estate will continue to be a portfolio and profit builder for entrepreneurs, contrary to some skeptics citing that the global pandemic and recent national events could negatively have an impact on the real estate industry.

Here are three reasons why you should think about investing in real estate:

1. Supply and demand

Now, more than ever, people recognize the need for a safe place to call home. Home is no longer just the place you sleep. The recent pandemic may be forever changing the way business, school, shopping, social relations and life, in general, is done! As a result, the home space is now also becoming the office, classroom, restaurant, and place of entertainment. As the demand for housing is continuing to rise, so are the prices as inventory is decreasing. As a result of the low inventory coupled with an increasing demand, real estate investors will have the opportunity to sell their properties at the highest rate with less competition.

Related: Want to Start a Side Hustle Investing in Real Estate? Here’s How to Start with $500.

2. Low interest rates

Mortgage interest rates hit an all-time low this June. Making it the time for homeowners to purchase the home they have been longing to buy. This will also help investors by lowering lending and private lending rates. This will assist the housing market and benefit both buyers and sellers.

3. Economic uncertainty

There are companies who closed their doors for social distancing which are now announcing that they will not re-open. The future of businesses and careers are in question. Uncertainty and fear paralyze, but things will not stand still forever. Many people long to be safe, and as a result, they will look to the comfort of liquidating that second home or selling that short-term rental property that they were dabbling in, etc. While everyone else is waiting, saving, and eventually selling, it is the entrepreneurs who are going to take the risk, invest, and watch their profits soar.

Related: Thinking of Investing in Real Estate?

Government evictions and foreclosure sales have been on hold, but as soon as the green light is given, a flood of distressed properties will become available for sale, and in need of the perfect cash buyer/investors to buy, renovate, and resell.

The combination of these reasons above creates the perfect time. Invest in real estate now.

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Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/3-reasons-to-invest-in-real-estate-right-now/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/627140547886383104

[scpie]

3 Reasons to Invest in Real Estate Right Now

In the face of a global crisis, real estate continues to be a vehicle for generating wealth.

August 21, 2020 3 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

My good friends Paul and Kelsey are known as The Flippin Experts. They’re my go-to for questions regarding real estate and house flipping. I went to Paul and Kelsey with one question, “How has the pandemic affected real estate?” and was pleasantly surprised with the tips they provided, which I have shared with you below.

It is no secret that real estate is used as a vehicle to generate wealth and create jobs across America. Studies show that the real estate industry — encompassing real estate finance, insurance, rentals, and leasing — added the most value to the Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) of the United States in 2019, adding 4.49 trillion U.S. dollars to the national GDP.

Related: Is Passive Income Truly Achievable Through Real Estate?

The Flippin Experts forecast that real estate will continue to be a portfolio and profit builder for entrepreneurs, contrary to some skeptics citing that the global pandemic and recent national events could negatively have an impact on the real estate industry.

Here are three reasons why you should think about investing in real estate:

1. Supply and demand

Now, more than ever, people recognize the need for a safe place to call home. Home is no longer just the place you sleep. The recent pandemic may be forever changing the way business, school, shopping, social relations and life, in general, is done! As a result, the home space is now also becoming the office, classroom, restaurant, and place of entertainment. As the demand for housing is continuing to rise, so are the prices as inventory is decreasing. As a result of the low inventory coupled with an increasing demand, real estate investors will have the opportunity to sell their properties at the highest rate with less competition.

Related: Want to Start a Side Hustle Investing in Real Estate? Here’s How to Start with $500.

2. Low interest rates

Mortgage interest rates hit an all-time low this June. Making it the time for homeowners to purchase the home they have been longing to buy. This will also help investors by lowering lending and private lending rates. This will assist the housing market and benefit both buyers and sellers.

3. Economic uncertainty

There are companies who closed their doors for social distancing which are now announcing that they will not re-open. The future of businesses and careers are in question. Uncertainty and fear paralyze, but things will not stand still forever. Many people long to be safe, and as a result, they will look to the comfort of liquidating that second home or selling that short-term rental property that they were dabbling in, etc. While everyone else is waiting, saving, and eventually selling, it is the entrepreneurs who are going to take the risk, invest, and watch their profits soar.

Related: Thinking of Investing in Real Estate?

Government evictions and foreclosure sales have been on hold, but as soon as the green light is given, a flood of distressed properties will become available for sale, and in need of the perfect cash buyer/investors to buy, renovate, and resell.

The combination of these reasons above creates the perfect time. Invest in real estate now.

loading…

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/3-reasons-to-invest-in-real-estate-right-now/

[laurelkrugerr]

3 Reasons to Invest in Real Estate Right Now

In the face of a global crisis, real estate continues to be a vehicle for generating wealth.

August 21, 2020 3 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

My good friends Paul and Kelsey are known as The Flippin Experts. They’re my go-to for questions regarding real estate and house flipping. I went to Paul and Kelsey with one question, “How has the pandemic affected real estate?” and was pleasantly surprised with the tips they provided, which I have shared with you below.

It is no secret that real estate is used as a vehicle to generate wealth and create jobs across America. Studies show that the real estate industry — encompassing real estate finance, insurance, rentals, and leasing — added the most value to the Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) of the United States in 2019, adding 4.49 trillion U.S. dollars to the national GDP.

Related: Is Passive Income Truly Achievable Through Real Estate?

The Flippin Experts forecast that real estate will continue to be a portfolio and profit builder for entrepreneurs, contrary to some skeptics citing that the global pandemic and recent national events could negatively have an impact on the real estate industry.

Here are three reasons why you should think about investing in real estate:

1. Supply and demand

Now, more than ever, people recognize the need for a safe place to call home. Home is no longer just the place you sleep. The recent pandemic may be forever changing the way business, school, shopping, social relations and life, in general, is done! As a result, the home space is now also becoming the office, classroom, restaurant, and place of entertainment. As the demand for housing is continuing to rise, so are the prices as inventory is decreasing. As a result of the low inventory coupled with an increasing demand, real estate investors will have the opportunity to sell their properties at the highest rate with less competition.

Related: Want to Start a Side Hustle Investing in Real Estate? Here’s How to Start with $500.

2. Low interest rates

Mortgage interest rates hit an all-time low this June. Making it the time for homeowners to purchase the home they have been longing to buy. This will also help investors by lowering lending and private lending rates. This will assist the housing market and benefit both buyers and sellers.

3. Economic uncertainty

There are companies who closed their doors for social distancing which are now announcing that they will not re-open. The future of businesses and careers are in question. Uncertainty and fear paralyze, but things will not stand still forever. Many people long to be safe, and as a result, they will look to the comfort of liquidating that second home or selling that short-term rental property that they were dabbling in, etc. While everyone else is waiting, saving, and eventually selling, it is the entrepreneurs who are going to take the risk, invest, and watch their profits soar.

Related: Thinking of Investing in Real Estate?

Government evictions and foreclosure sales have been on hold, but as soon as the green light is given, a flood of distressed properties will become available for sale, and in need of the perfect cash buyer/investors to buy, renovate, and resell.

The combination of these reasons above creates the perfect time. Invest in real estate now.

loading…

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/3-reasons-to-invest-in-real-estate-right-now/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/08/3-reasons-to-invest-in-real-estate.html

[jt--z]

5 interview subjects

KARL LAGERFELD

• He was one of the most acclaimed fashion designers in the world, known for his bold designs and constant reinvention. Hailed in Vogue as “unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the movement”

• In the early 1980’s he did the impossible of bringing what was perceived to be a near dead brand back to life – Chanel – with a revamped ready-to-wear fashion line

• “He inspired the idea of life inside fashion. He lived fashion with his persona” – Alessandro Michele, Creative Director of Gucci

• “I design like I breathe, you don’t ask to breathe, it just happens” – Karl

• “Photography is part of my life. It completes the circle between my artistic and professional restlessness” – Karl

• “I love to be creative all the time. If not I would be bored and boredom is a crime” – Karl

• While he excelled at capturing others, he was also a master of self portraits. He photographed, pained and few countless portraits of his own iconic look

https://www.biography.com/fashion-designer/karl-lagerfeld

https://www.karl.com/au/subhome/the-real-karl_section

YAYOI KUSAMA’S infinity mirrors

- Yayoi Kusama created the “Infinity Mirror Room – Phalli’s Field” in 1965 using mirrors, transforming the intense repetition of her earlier paintings and works on paper into a perceptual experience. More than 20 distinct Infinity Mirror Rooms were created with each offering the change to step into an illusion of infinite space. The rooms also provide an opportunity to examine the artists central themes such as the celebration of life and its aftermath.

https://hirshhorn.si.edu/kusama/infinity-rooms/

René Magritte

- He was a Belgian surrealist artist who is best known for his witty and thought provoking images with his use of simple graphics. By placing mundane objects such as bowler hats, pipes and rocks in unusual contexts, Magritte evokes themes of mystery and challenges the assumptions of the human perception.

- “The Lost Jockey” “The Menaced Assassin”

- His work is proved to be a primary influence on pop artists such as Andy Warhol. https://www.biography.com/artist/rene-magritte?li_source=LI&li_medium=bio-mid-article&li_pl=208&li_tr=bio-mid-article

SALVADOR DALI

- Spanish artists and Surrealist icon

- Melting clock, The Persistence of Memory

- “Don’t bother about being modern. Unfortunately it is the one thing that, whatever you do, you cannot avoid” – Salvador Dali

- His work employed a classical technique which was influenced by Renaissance artists that contradicted with the “unreal dream” space that he created with strange hallucinatory characters. He created a reality from his dreams and subconscious thoughts.

- Before researching about Dali, I knew little information about him though I really did like his work “The Persistence of Memory”. However after I learned more about his way of thought and his special relationship with dreams I found him to be a very intriguing artist. I think I will look more into his works in the future and maybe as inspiration for my own works

https://www.biography.com/artist/salvador-dali

Cai Guo Qiang’s Sky Ladder / explosives (gunpowder)?

About artist (Cai Guo Qiang):

- History of gunpowder, one of China’s most significant contributions to the world “they were actually looking for an elixir to make themselves immortal”

- “Colours kind of distracted me” “Black is more pure and spiritual, very emotional, but also dangerous” – Cai

- His large scale explosion events and firework shows on the global stage garnered international attention

- Invited to serve Chinese government as director of visual and special effects for opening and closing ceremonies of 2008 summer olympics in Beijing

- Uses fireworks as an art form

- “My work is like a dialogue between me and unseen powers, like alchemy” - Cai

Sky ladder:

• 1650 foot tall ladder, held aloft by a giant balloon and rigged with explosives

• 2 decade long process

• Taken place at Huiyu Island Harbour, Quanzhou, Fujian in June 15, 2015 at 4.49am, approx 2 min and 30 sec

• Project dedicated to his 100 year old grandmother – whom fell ill when she was 98

• He first imagined a ladder of fire as a child and pursued the idea for 21 years

• “Sky ladder is tender and touches my heart deeply: it caries affection for my hometown, my relatives and my friends” “In contrast to my other attempts…the ladder rose toward the morning sun, carrying hope. For me, this not only means a return but also the start of a new journey”

• “I want to make a ladder to connect the Earth to the universe” said Cai in 1994

• “This is the ladder in my heart, maybe this is a ladder that reaches into infinity yet close at the same time, and is always communicating with the universe”

• His grandma too ill to attend in person, she had to watch via cell phone, dying a month later

• Cai attempts to commune with the unseen world, a parting gift

• A huge white balloon filled with helium ascended into the sky with a 500 meter long ladder coated with quick burning fuses. Gold fireworks ignited.

• Using a media that has extreme damaging effects to create and express art

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/cai-guo-qiang-sky-ladder-netflix-652061

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/08/sky-ladder-cai-guo-qiang/

http://influencefilmclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Sky-Ladder-Discussion-Guide.pdf

[showbizprofiling]

20 Best Korean War Movies of All Time

While most of us choose tarnished war movies that distort real-life events slightly and invoke a spirit of nationalism in us, others are more likely to see the battlefield more accurately depicted. Whatever one's choice may be, it cannot be ignored that some of the popular films in cinema's history have been offered to us by the war movie genre. We are all very much aware of all the standard English war movies which have been released for over the years, but we do not know that several high-quality films presenting the Korean War have been made even by the South Korean film industry. This means that Korean war movies about such conflicts still exist. So are you interested in Korean War movies or movies about Korean war? You are lucky! We cover all these categories, which have a wide overlap, with this list of the Best Korean War Movies. So here's our list of all the Korean movies that are going to give you an insight into the Korean War.

Best Korean War Movies Ever Made

20- Northern Limit Line

Korean title:       연평해전 (Battle of Yeonpyeong) Directed by:        Kim Hak-soon Produced by:      Jung Moon-goo Cast:                   Jin Goo, Kim Mu-yeol, Lee Hyun-woo Release date:     June 24, 2015 Running time:    130 minutes Box office:          US$38.9 million With a Budget of  US$6 million Ratings:             IMDb (6.6), Rotten Tomatoes (71%) Why: I thoroughly fell in love with the characters and how they interacted with one another. The film was a little slow-moving initially as we get to know the names, but it was all right. The climactic battle scene was hard-hitting and quite emotional. A maritime Korean war movie, well done!

Plot: PKM 357 perceives the trawlers and their crew, allowing the spies to become acquainted with the superstructure of the ship. Because of the government's Sunshine Strategy, the North Koreans are finally released upon orders from the South Korean higher command. North Korea's Navy will regularly reach South Korean waters over the next month to identify and survey the patrolling strategies and protective steps of the ROK Navy. The South Korean Ministries of Defense is informed of this but the Blue House is again told not to engage first. The Second Battle of Yeonpyeong began with a surprise assault by a North Korean patrol vessel on PKM 357. Until reinforcements from the South arrive, the coming war badly cripples all ships and forces the North's patrol ship to withdraw. Nineteen wounded and four deaths from uncontrollable fires are reported before PKM 357 sinks. In the Republic of Korea Navy, whose bravery and comradeship the film brings front and center, you'll also develop a new appreciation for sailors.

19- White Badge

Directed by:        Chung Ji-young Produced by:      Chong Nam-gook Cast:                   Lee Geung-young, Ahn Sung-ki, Shim Hye-jin Release date:      1992 Running time:     124 minutes Box office:           Unknown Ratings:              IMDb (6.7), Letterboxd (3.3/5) Why: The film gives hints of how the war in Korea was depicted (a lot of gov't censorship), the grievances of the "poor" Koreans competing for the "rich" Americans as proxies, and the reality that several of these Koreans turned to their own country where there is a constant presence of US troops. Even, I suppose it's worth your time watching this Korean war movie to get an insight into the experience of Vietnam that you may not be able to get anywhere else.

Plot: WHITE BADGE, based on a book, deals more with the consequences of human massacres in battle than with war itself. This gives a seldom-seen view of the Vietnam War from the participation of Korean soldiers in that unjustifiable proxy war; it juxtaposes the misery of the Vietnamese with the exploitative relationship between South Korea and America. At one point, the main hero, who is a novelist, recalls the involvement of the American army during his childhood in the Korean War. Otherwise, the top Korean war movies mostly switches between two periods of time, the horrific scenes in the late 1960s Vietnam War and the turbulent present with the uprising against martial law in late 1979 and early 1980. He had PTSD, an attempt at writing a serialized Vietnam War novel. Han receives several calls from his old friends during the war, despondent and living in isolation. The film gradually exposes their experience of war and shows the degree to which these two men are affected. In the first half, the film has some pacing problems, and the message is open and often artificial, but clear and evident. Even for watching this under-seen south Korean war movies , the cathartic end alone is worthwhile.

18- Ode to My Father

Korean title:       국제시장 (Gukjesijang) Directed by:       Yoon Je-kyoon Produced by:      Park Ji-seong Cast:                   Yunjin Kim, Hwang Jung-min Release date:     17 December 2014 Running time:    130 minutes Box office:          US$125 million With a Budget of  US$30 million Ratings:             IMDb (7.8), Rotten Tomatoes (71%) Why: Realistic portrayal of a common man who thrived for all miseries to keep the promise he gave to his father. This Korean war movie walks you through the history, life, love, and sacrifices of forgotten people in this present. The actors, the cinematography, story all give us a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I encourage others to watch this movie when you feel life is hard and you are lost. If you watch this with your heart open, you will get to know many lessons.

Plot: During the Korean War of 1950, when a lot of refugees were brought to the south by the U.S. A boy lost his sister, and his father keeps behind to look for her, advising his son to take his two younger siblings with his mother to the port town of Busan, where his aunt operates an imported goods shop. The father vows him to be the caretaker of his place before leaving the family. He becomes his family's breadwinner from an early age, doing all sorts of odd jobs to support the family. In 1960, he traveled to Europe with his best friend, where they find dangerous work in German coal mines to pay for his brother's University Fee. He falls in love with a fellow, survives a mining accident, and leaves Germany after his visa expires. They have a modest wedding, begin a life together, and eventually have two sons. Find the remaining story after watching these Korean war films.

17- My Way

Korean title:      마이 웨이 (Mai Wei) Directed by:      Kang Je-gyu Produced by:     James Cho Cast:                  Joe Odagiri, Jang Dong-gun Release date:     December 21, 2011 Running time:    119 minutes Box office:          US$16.5 million Ratings:              IMDb (7.7) Why: I found this in Korean war movies list as entertaining for a Korean audience and focused on the Korean people's pain and suffering. If that was its primary target, it was successful, but An international audience also enjoyed the movie. There were plenty of characters that could have been grown more through the film and had their direction. It is really the best war movie to be enjoyed.

Plot: Young Kim (main Character), along with his father and sister, worked on the Hasegawa family farm in Japanese-occupied Korea in 1928. Both brothers are skilled in running and become strong competitors by the age they are teens. In a bomb attack, a Korean war criminal kills his grandfather, and a Korean runner then wins a full marathon against Japanese competitors. He later began working as a rickshaw driver, and Koreans were barred from engaging in sports at that time. Even though he has been admitted by a medical college in Berlin, Tatsuo chooses to stay in Korea to run a marathon in an All Japan Trials. As punishment, they were drafted into the Japanese army. With 100 other Koreans, they fought in the battle on the Mongolian border, where a Chinese sniper—this film itself a war mystery and a must watch movies about the Korean war.

16- The Bridges at Toko-Ri

Directed by:       Mark Robson Produced by:     William Perlberg Cast:                  Mickey Rooney, William Holden Release date:     December 1954 (U.S.) Running time:   102 minutes Box office:         $4.7 million With Unknown Budget Ratings:             IMDb (6.7), Rotten Tomatoes (80%) Why: This Korean war movie is about fear and the potential loss of life, liberty, and family. Fact is often stranger than fiction, and characters similar to some shown here exist; the bowler hat is no stranger to war zones. This film shows carrier ops in some detail, which adds to the realism, and the flying sequences are good. I am surprised by the storyline in some areas; that's why it makes up for an outstanding war movie.

Plot: The Bridges of Toko-Ri is a weighty drama that unveils the grotesque underbelly of war. "Forney" had also been in trouble brawling and wearing a green top hat and scarf that was non-regulatory when flying his helicopter as an aid to downed water pilots. The Carrier commander took an interest in him, back on board his ship as he remembers a Navy pilot murdered in World War II. The Savo Island heads to Japan's port, where Brubaker and his family are granted three-day shore leave in Tokyo. Whenever anyone comes to him looking for his assistance in bailing Forney out of the brig after a brawl, the reunion is disrupted. When his wife hears that he had to drop his jet at sea, Nancy gets angry and threatens her when we return to Korea. The Bridges at Toko-Ri are brilliantly filmed, and the once-taboo subjects of fear and tension in battle are confidently discussed.

15- Sayonara (1957)

Directed by:       Joshua Logan Produced by:     William Goetz Cast:                  Patricia Owens, Marlon Brando Release date:     December 5, 1957 Running time:   147 minutes Box office:         $26.3 million With Unknown Budget Ratings:             IMDb (7.1), Rotten Tomatoes (93%) Why: I enjoyed Korean war movies as I thought the main character did an excellent job and showed a kinder, softer side of his acting ability. The Japanese actresses performed well, and the costumes, choreography, and scenery as breathtaking. I watch this movie a lot and enjoy it every time as the plot seemed contrived. This movie portrayed the contrast clearly between the Japanese and American cultures and compellingly. To me, the film Sayonara meant "sad" rather than "goodbye."

Plot: The main character, "Ace," is a U.S. Air Force Fighter, the son of a U.S. Army General who is stationed at Itami Air Force Base, near Kobe, Japan, and has been rehired from combat assignments in Korea. Despite the opposition of the United States military establishment, another soldier, the enlisted crew chief of Ace, is about to marry a Japanese woman, who would not accept interracial marriage because it is usually illegal under American law. The Air Force is against the marriage, so Both Air fighters argue, but later Ace apologizes and becomes his best man at the wedding. Ace falls in love with a Japanese entertainer who works in a theater company. She suspects that Ace is in trouble and heads towards him to warn, but when she learns that Joe's house has been under Army surveillance, where she discovers that he has been seeing a local woman. These types of movies about Korean war story is exceptional, and hard to find any unrealistic scene.

14- Men in War (1957)

Directed by:       Anthony Mann Produced by:     Sidney Harmon Cast:                  Aldo Ray , Robert Ryan Release date:     January 26, 1957 Running time:   102 minutes Box office:         $1.5 million With Unknown Budget Ratings:             IMDb (7.2), Rotten Tomatoes (89%) Why: It is one of the Best directed or the imaginary best Korean war movies; it seemed as though you were in the scene yourself watching from a tree. The movie is relaxed, quite soulful, so even though you might argue that the soldiers were stereotypical, they were so credible, and that they behaved so well, they also seemed to be part of that world. The actors are superb, totally reasonable, and the scenes are heart-breaking. I recommend this film to anyone; it's merely the best largely unknown war film ever.

Plot: Because of losing radio communication, an isolated and tired platoon is cut off and harassed by unidentified North Korean snipers who secretly kill the American soldiers and take their weapons. There are just unclear directions for the platoon leader to hit a specific hill to meet up with American forces. The patrol stops a jeep with shell-shocked passenger "the Colonel," who cannot speak and is tied to his seat. The squad is on its way to the mountain. Montana shoots a surrendering North Korean sniper, who points out to have a hidden weapon inside his cap. Montana turns the platoon back into a combat unit and proceeds successfully through sniper assault, artillery fire, and minefields, during which Sergeant Lewis is killed. As all the deaths are depicted as essentially meaningless, it is a classic example of the meaningless cruelty of war. Another well-made feature of the south Korean war movies is the scenery, whose dullness and peace contrast with the anticipation and suspense that war brings.

13- Wolmido

Known as:          Wolmi Island Directed by:       Gyong-sun Cho Written by:        Lee Jin-woo Cast:                  Gyong-sun Cho, Hyun Chang-Gyeol Release date:     1982 Running time:    92 minutes Box office:         Unknown Ratings:             IMDb (5.4) Why: Naturally, it is an exciting film as it gives the impression of the Korean War from the side of the North Koreans for a change. This is a comparatively small-scale movie in which the plot focuses on the efforts of North Korean soldiers to protect their island territories from the colonial villains' overwhelming power, the USA. I went into this not knowing what to expect, except maybe some funny cheesiness. Well, I got what I expected from top Korean war movies but also a lot more.

Plot: To spice up this list, we've added Wolmido—one of North Korea's most popular war movies. This North Korean vividly represents the tragic fate of the coastal battery unit that fought to the last man protecting the Wolmi Island in September 1950. The North Korean commander and his team men tested the UN landing activity for three days by showing remarkable courage and a more fantastic standard of self-sacrificing faith, countering 50,000 soldiers and over 500 warships. This film also portrays the role of women in participating alongside men on the front line and to the rear in the Korean War.

 12- Fixed Bayonets! (1951)

Directed by:       Samuel Fuller Produced by:     Jules Buck Cast:                  Gene Evans, Richard Basehart Release date:    1951 Running time:    92 minutes Box office:          $1.45 million With Unknown Budget Ratings:             IMDb (6.9), Rotten Tomatoes (100%) Why: This is an exciting Korean war movie to watch on themes of responsibility and its inevitability. The role is to be the leader of a guerilla war in this film to prevent the North Koreans from shutting down in on a battalion to withdraw. The chain goes from the regimental officer, who we see as the film begins, a sort of one of the guys" with a wad of chewing tobacco, grouped in a tent with other men, to a younger lieutenant who is the group appointed to replace the guerilla war.

Plot: The Korean War was fought in one of the world's most unforgiving conditions. The story is set during the Red Chinese Invasion during the first winters of the Korean War. The tale follows the fate of a lone 48-man platoon left to protect a choke point as a rearguard, to cover the retreat of their division over an exposed bridge. The plotline alone shows what a crazy film this is, going where no film had gone before. Fixed Bayonets! is as thrilling as it is depressing, as most war movies tend to be; it's a grim reminder of what war does to men.

11- Operation Chromite

Korean title:       인천상륙작전 Directed by:       John H. Lee Jae-han Produced by:      Lee Kyu-chang Cast:                   Lee Beom-soo, Lee Jung-jae Release date:     27 July 2016 Running time:    111 minutes Box office:          US$50.9 million With a Budget of  US$50.9 million Ratings:              IMDb (6.2) Why: Patchy and half baked, but worth a onetime watch. These movies about Korean war does tell an important story that would otherwise fade away. The Korean War isn't something considered particularly pivotal in a global context. Read the full article

[themorningcatch]

Dana’s Korean Drama Favorites

Special thanks to the Bogum to my Taehyung, Jazzie Rivera, for ruining my life via KDramas

CHICAGO TYPEWRITER ( 시카고 타자기) From April to June 2017

Network: tvN

Number of episodes: 16

Cast: Yoo Ah In, Lim Soo Jung, Go Kyung Pyo, Kwak Si Yang, Joo Woo Jin, Yang Jin Sung

Kilig* Factor: Satisfactory. It’s there but not too in-your-face. Seju is just a total tsundere but it’s perfect because (spoiler?) it’s every fangirl’s dream to meet their idol and be able to peel back all their layers and see them for who they truly are. There’s just enough strain between them that makes you root for them but there’s also some solid, cute couple moments that I may or may not have re-watched because huhu when will I ever???

Drama Factor: SO. MUCH. ANGST. I LOVE IT. Since the plot revolves around a tragedy they can’t figure out, when more of the plot is revealed, there is so much upheaval of emotions on their part, which also affects the audience. Not too mention the main cast’s acting is no joke. Absolutely captivating. Every episode feels heavy loaded, especially the last parts. This drama made me tear up again and again because one, there’s just something about past lives that really get to me and two, the lines (thank Jin Soo Wan) and their delivery just hit home so hard. 

Love Triangle Factor: This triumvirate’s affection for each other is the only Kdrama love triangle I will recognize. Their friendship is so special and it LITERALLY transcended lifetimes. The main cast’s chemistry is endearing like they’re all going through so much but they still have each other’s backs. And you know what, I love how Seol didn’t have to pick. I mean, she sort of did, but she didn’t really. Those two boys were both hers and they knew it. Sigh, now I want to be their friend. 

Notes: it really isn’t a surprise that Chicago Typewriter is my favorite drama because the characters are writers/avid readers; there is a touch of supernatural in the plot which is always good in my books; there is amazing acting. I honestly couldn’t get over how well they did it (especially Ko Gyung Pyo who is now one of my favorites); there is a balance between sad and light scenes, all while letting the story progress; and there are really cute moments without it feeling like fan service. I just love this show. I finished it at 4 AM after no sleep and I was physically and emotionally exhausted but at the end, it made me want to sit down and write and work because that’s the kind of storytelling that I want the world to be filled; stories that make people want to claim their roles as heroes in their stories. And heroes they are, this unforgettable trio. The only thing unrealistic about this is that Seju lives in a mansion. Like, I get that he’s a writer and he’s famous, but a mansion? Really? That’s doubtful.

Rating: 10/10 (will watch again!!!)

*(The Filipino word “kilig” is untranslatable but the best description is “the feeling one gets when they experience something romantic” or “that heart fluttering feeling”; whichever suits your fancy.)

W: TWO WORLDS ( 더블유) From July to September 2016

Network: MBC

Number of episodes: 16

Cast: Lee Jong Suk, Han Hyo Joo, Jong Eu Gene, Lee Tae Hwan, Park Won Sang, Cha Kwang Soo, Kim Eui Sung

Kilig Factor: Hyo Joo and Jong Suk have impeccable chemistry and Song Jae Jung (bless her heart) doesn’t let that go to waste. There were times when I would pause the episode just to let what I saw sink in. I thought, “HOW CAN TWO PEOPLE LOOK THIS CUTE???” Some scenes were so kilig, I almost cried. Sure, it was defo fan service for all us thirsty, lonely hoes, however, it is duly appreciated. Many times I would finish an episode and just want a boyfriend because dammit, Lee Jong Suk. Some moments are a little cringe-y when you think long and hard about whether really people do that, but I’m not complaining. I’m perfectly fine with it. 

Drama Factor: Like all good dramas should, the endings that W episodes go through crush my heart. Ultimately, it was just begging for a happy ending. I didn’t think that a sci-fi/rom-com plot was capable of making me upset but I guess that’s the charm of W; that even with loss, confusion, mystery, yearning, and all those painful adjectives, you still sit tight and grip the seat to watch it all unfold. For me, W has one of the best endings ever, a satisfying close, like a sigh of relief. To be honest, when I think about W nowadays, there’s this phantom ache in my chest just because there were scenes when I just thought, “The writer did THAT.” So word of warning, watch with detachment and if not, just be careful.

Creativity Factor: In the span of 16 episodes, W managed to scissor multiple plots and be stitched together and still not confuse the hell out of me. I think that is a plus for creativity. More often than I expected, W’s story line felt different each time a problem began. It’s an absolute roller coaster with a bunch of tropes that sometimes it felt like watching a whole other show. I personally enjoy that. It felt like an adventure, although exhausting at that. But sometimes, it does do something ridiculous that reminds you, this isn’t real anyways but I forgive that for entertainment’s sake. 

Notes: Not entirely a stunning show, but a unique and imaginative one. No other drama has quite left the same impression W did with me. This was the drama I recommended the most to people. It was about creation and art as well so that appealed to me. I love the bits where Song Moo would be sketching and whatever he did started translating to reality. That must’ve been hard to shoot so I commend the director as well. W also felt quick to watch as the plot moved without dawdling too much. It was quite unrealistic and intense but still, incomparable. As for the romance, Yeon Joo and Chul = OTP. 

Rating: 9/10 (when will my life become a drama???)

GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD ( 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神-도깨비) From December 2016 - January 2017

Network: tvN

Number of episodes: 16

Cast: Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na, Yook Sung Jae

Kilig Factor: At first, I seriously didn’t like them because of the age difference and it was little weird that Eun Tak called him “ahjussi.” Later on, I got used to it and as their love story progressed, the more I got tangled with it. I absolutely can’t forget the part when it would rain and Eun Tak would cry hysterically and she had no clue why. That was such a powerful and poignant scene for me. Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun are incredible actors. They could convey such deep emotions from their characters and still retain parts of that when they become quirky. With the Sunny/Grim Reaper pairing, it felt a little dragging and draining by the end, to be honest. However, there’s this certain yearning I can’t remove that I want them to end up together. I think their relationship boosted Goblin/Eun Tak’s by showing a contrast. The kind of drama with romantic scenes that made me squeal out loud. 

Drama Factor: I think there were only a few episodes I didn’t shed a tear over. The writing has this fragrant poetry structure to it that just appeals so much to a hopeless romantic like me. I know people don’t talk that way in real life but there’s just a beauty with a good string of words that can support an otherwise mediocre scene. Also, a very, very good cast. There was a lot of crying but it didn’t feel overwhelming (for me) because of how it was delivered. I think Goblin is a show I would watch if I ever doubted the supreme lightness love can bring after a dreadful storm. 

OST Factor: Unforgettable. There’s a reason that Goblin’s is one of the most famous. The roster of performers in that OST is unbelievable. It’s so well chosen, especially once it’s edited as the background for a certain scene. There’s also so much to choose from that the songs post-Goblin binge watching don’t feel sickening; more nostalgic than anything. The OST by itself captures the sweet sadness of Goblin’s story and that’s a pretty good feat for a musical score to achieve. 

Notes: Goblin was the very first Korean drama that I’ve watched properly and voluntarily. I was just really curious at first but then the cinematography, the music, the acting of this show absolutely blew me away. I think I cried majority of the time because I couldn’t believe I was watching such a well written show with representation of people who looked like me! (Asians!!!) I think that like the show’s theme of first love for the 900 year old Goblin, this was the perfect drama to show me how great K-dramas have become, and maybe I’m being eye roll worthy but it felt a little like finding a first love. I have nothing but fondness over Goblin and its clever story full of fate and twists and childlike innocence amidst the dark past they all share. And loneliness is something that is so palpable to me and seeing it suited up like this, made my heart clench and have hope. It’s wonderful like that. 

Rating: 15/10. Just watch it. It’s worth your time. 

REPLY 1988 ( 응답하라 1988) From November 2015 - January 2016

Network: tvN

Number of episodes: 20

Cast: Hyeri, Ryoo Joon Yeol, Go Kyung Pyo, Park Bo Gum, Lee Dong Hwi, Sung Dong Il, Lee Il Hwa, Ryoo Hye Young, Choi Sung Won, Kim Sung Kyun, Ra Mi Ran, Ahn Jae Hong, Kim Sun Young, Yoo Jae Myung, Choi Moo Sung, Kim Sul, Lee Min Ji, Lee Se Young

Kilig Factor: Of course I know most people don’t fall in love with their neighbors that often but this one is an exception. Romantic love wasn’t the main theme for this show however it still came through. And yes, I may be super biased when it comes to Park Bo Gum and Go Kyung Pyo and yes, them just smiling can get me riled up already BUT the love triangle presented towards the end is pretty decent and the falling-back-in-love trope with two characters is realistic and enjoyable enough. I’ve never seen a character demonstrate that kind of attitude (fiercely and stubbornly choosing their career over a relationship) before so it was quite interesting for me. There were little moments where they would reveal that this character actually liked this character, or did this for this character that would just have me punching a pillow, kicking, and screaming because dammit, that’s cute. I think it could have been better though, but as Reply 1988 isn’t solely focused on that, it’s good enough. 

Drama Factor: Okay, compared to Reply 1988, my crying in Goblin was a dripping faucet. This show had me bursting like a waterfall. It was in all those moments that felt real, so, so real, I couldn’t help but weep. It was superb how Lee Woo Jeong wrote this show with tenderhearted conversations and the absolute unfairness of life that everybody can relate to and have such an awesome cast enact it in the messy times of the 80′s and translate into something a girl like me could deeply feel. Towards the end, I cried at every episode (there was always just something that hit me so much!) and it was the kind that would start as a sob and just progress then on. Inside Reply 1988 were lessons and experiences that everybody has felt or will feel or is trying to forget that universally is the same but in a different packaging. This show, to me, is the epitome of a Korean drama, unashamed and so emotional.

Food Factor: To be honest, there were far too many times Reply 1988 made me hungry. From clams to ramyun to kimchi pancakes to fish-shaped bread, they ate everything. I do appreciate it though because it exposed what Korean culture is like and how families have a good meal with each other as an act of love. I find the putting-meat/egg/vegetable/whatever-into-someone’s-bowl gesture as a unique and  simple way of saying you favor someone. I also saw how important food is with the plot because as they go through changes, their food changed! When they were poor, they complained about side dishes. When they got older, the food they ate became different. When something good happens, there’s a whole feast. When watching this show, beware of the scrumptious dishes. I’m still looking for tteokbokki these days. 

Notes: First of all, the set design team is amazing. I didn’t feel the whole Ssamundong late 80′s vibe at first but then it felt a little like home after so many hours of looking at it. There’s a lot of things I want to complain about this show, especially how it didn’t resolve properly. There were so many things left hanging! So many relationships unexplored! So many people’s endings swept aside! I didn’t feel like it got the ending it deserved. However, this was such a heartwarming drama. I haven’t seen such a raw presentation of this kind of suburban city life anywhere and it was familiar to me. I also loved how in an episode, things will happen and at the end, there was actually one unifying theme for all of that. I can say nothing more about Reply 1988 other than it did feel like I was growing up with these kids and I was part of their rag-tag bundle of troublemakers. That’s the most important part, I think, to have your audience feel like they were a part of it all. It means art has done its job well.

Rating: 7/10. A little disappointing but still great. 

(this took me forever to make but it was fun. i might make a part two. maybe...)