#who knew korea could snake the crown on this one?

[absolutebl]

BL's Best Kisses SO FAR in 2023

By request here's my top 10 kisses in BL 2023 so far...

The New Employee

2. La Pluie

3. Our Dating Sim

4. Never Let Me Go

5. A Boss and a Babe

6. Between Us

7. Make A Wish

8. Our Skyy 2 The Eclipse ep

9. The Promise

10. 609 Bedtime Story

Honorable mention, it's from last year but I didn't get around to watching it until this year.

2 Moons Ambassador (AKA 2 Moons 3)

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Black Heung Jin (Cleopas Kundiona) by Nansook Hong

excerpt from: ‘In The Shadow of The Moons’ pages 150-153 by Nansook Hong

Black Heung Jin

“If the deification of Heung Jin and the crowning ceremony tested my faith, the emergence of the Black Heung Jin nearly destroyed it. Many of the reports of possession by Sun Myung Moon’s dead son came from Africa. In 1987 the Reverend Chung Hwan Kwak went to investigate reports that Heung Jin had taken over the body of a Zimbabwean man and was speaking through him. The Reverend Kwak returned to East Garden professing certainty that the possession was real. We all gathered around the dinner table to hear his impressions.

The Zimbabwean was older that Heung Jin, so he could not be the reincarnated son of Sun Myung Moon. In addition, the Unification Church rejects the theory of reincarnation. Instead, the African presented himself to the Reverend Kwak as the physical embodiment of Heung Jin’s spirit. The Reverend Kwak had asked him what it was like to enter the spirit world. The Black Heung Jin said that upon entering the Kingdom of Heaven, he immediately became all-knowing. The True Family need not study on earth because they were already perfected. Knowledge would be theirs when they entered the spirit world.

That rationale appealed to Hyo Jin as much as if offended me. He had flirted with some courses at Pace University and at the Unification Church seminary in Barrytown, New York, but my husband was more interested in drinking than in learning. I was put off by the suggestion that we did not have to work to earn God’s favor. We in the Unification Church might be God’s chosen people, but I believed our efforts on earth would determine our place in the afterlife. We had to earn our place in Heaven.

The Reverend Moon was thrilled with the news from Africa. The Unification Church had been concentrating its recruitment efforts in Latin America and Africa. Clearly a Black Heung Jin could not hurt the cause. Without even meeting the man who claimed to be possessed by the spirit of his dead child, Sun Myung Moon authorized the Black Heung Jin to travel the world, preaching and hearing the confessions of The Unification Church members who had gone astray.

Confessions soon became central to the Black Heung Jin’s mission. He went to Europe, to Korea, to Japan, everywhere administering beatings to those who had violated church teachings by using alcohol and drugs or engaging in premarital sex. The Black Heung Jin spent a year on the road, dispensing physical punishment as penance for those who wished to repent, before Sun Myung Moon summoned him to East Garden.

We all gathered to greet him at Father’s breakfast table. He was a thin black man of average height who spoke English better than Sun Myung Moon. He seemed to me intent on charming the True Family, in much the way a snake encircles and then swallows its prey. I was anxious to hear some concrete evidence that this man possessed the spirit of the boy I once knew. I was not to hear it. The Reverend Moon asked him standard theological questions that any member who had studied the Divine Principle could have answered. He offered no startling revelations or religious insights. Maybe what most impressed Father was his ability to quote from the speeches of Sun Myung Moon.

The Reverend and Mrs. Moon suggested that we children meet with the Black Heung Jin privately and report back to them on our impressions. It was an amazing meeting. Hyun Jin, Kook Jin, and Hyo Jin kept asking the stranger questions about their childhood. He could not answer any of them. He did not remember anything about his life on Earth, he told us. Instead of inspiring skepticism, the Black Heung Jin’s convenient memory loss was interpreted as a sign of his having left earthly concerns behind when he entered the Kingdom of Heaven. Everyone in the household embraced him and called him by their dead brother’s name. I avoided him and found myself thinking that I was living with either the stupidest or the most gullible people on earth. There was a third alternative I did not consider at the time: the Reverend Moon was using the Black Heung Jin for his own ends, just as he had used the American civil liberties community before him.

Sun Myung Moon seemed to take pleasure in the reports that filtered back to East Garden of the beatings being administered by the Black Heung Jin. He would laugh raucously if someone out of favor had been dealt an especially hard blow. No one outside the True Family was immune from the beatings. Leaders around the world tried to use their influence to be exempted from the Black Heung Jin’s confessional. My own father appealed in vain to the Reverend Kwak to avoid having to attend such a session.

The Black Heung Jin was a passing phenomenon in the Unification Church. Soon the mistresses he acquired were so numerous and the beatings he administered so severe that members began to complain. Mrs. Moon’s maid, Won Ju McDevitt, a Korean who married an American church member, appeared one morning with a blackened eye and covered with purple bruises. The Black Heung Jin had beaten her with a chair. He beat Bo Hi Pak – a man in his sixties – so badly that he was hospitalized for a week in Georgetown Hospital. He told doctors he had fallen down a flight of stairs. He later needed surgery to repair a blood vessel in his head.

Sun Myung Moon knew when to cut his losses. When you are the Messiah, it is easy to make a course correction. Once it became clear that he had to disassociate himself from the violence he had let loose on the membership, Sun Myung Moon simply announced that Heung Jin’s spirit had left the Zimbabwean’s body and ascended into Heaven. The Zimbabwean was not quite so ready to get off the gravy train. At last sighting, he had established a breakaway cult in Africa with himself in the role of Messiah.”

____________________________________

Black Heung-jin (Cleopas Kundiona)

An interview with Black Heung Jin after he parted from Moon

Book in English:

Nansook Hong – In The Shadow Of The Moons

Nansook Hong, transcripts of three interviews, including ‘60 Minutes’

Book in French:

« L’ombre de Moon » par Nansook Hong

J’ai arraché mes enfants à Moon

Book in German:

Nansook Hong – Ich schaue nicht zurück

Book in Spanish:

‘A la Sombra de los Moon’ Prólogo

Nansook Hong entrevistada en español

[shutterjae]

     for pretty much the entire trip in bali, jae had been alone. she watched the others playing together, going out to eat or explore the surrounding environment whilst she simply sunbathed and sulked. she’d come here to relax and unwind, but found herself sinking even further into the dark thoughts that had driven her to wanting to leave seoul. she glared at chaos and kisu playing by the waterside through her sunglasses and hailed the bartender, gesturing for him to leave the bottle of whiskey with her. it wouldn’t last long, that was for sure. the arguments with chaos and sukwoo pushed her complicated mix of emotions to breaking point and she sprinted to her room, pulling on some vague clothes and shoving random essentials into her carry on bag before storming out of the house and hailing a cab to the airport.

      she’d already made plans to stop off in tokyo on her way back to korea to visit her old friends there, messaging shinji to tell him she’d be arriving on the next available flight, she bought a last minute ticket on a red-eye flight that would be leaving at midnight. she headed to the first class lounge and waited around with a glass of wine, fighting back the angry tears as the arguments floated round her head, how dare they question her dedication to friendship? she’d been nothing but loving and supportive of them both, after all this time. how dare they.      landing in tokyo at around 7:30am, she pulled out her phone and checked her notifications. no one had noticed she had left yet, either that or no-one cared. a likely situation, if she thought about it. walking through arrivals, she adjusted the flu mask on her face as she peered atthe waiting crowd until she spotted a familiar figure, stood with his hands in his pockets, stance cool and casual as he waited for her. lifting one hand up in a lazy salute as she stepped up next to him. “oh jaehwa, long time no see” he smiled, tugging the brim of her bucket hat playfully. “shinji” she replied, pulling herself out of his grip and reaching up to pull on his own baseball cap with a frown “i want breakfast, the plane menu was absolutely disgusting” he nodded and held his arm out to her, she slapped it away and gestured for him to walk, rolling her eyes as he laughed and led the way out of the airport to his waiting car.      they spent a good portion of the morning shopping, she’d left all of her clothes back in bali and japan was significantly colder than there. shinji was a gentleman and carried many of her bags for her, teasing her to try and cheer her up, succeeding in making her laugh a few times. finally, they went to a convenience store and bought some packet ramen and various other ingredients and some alcohol before heading to her apartment in hiroo, an upscale residential area in shibuya, that she used when she was attending promotions and events in japan. keying in the unlock code to the door, she sighed as she stepped inside, looking around as she dropped the shopping bags on the floor in the entrance and gesturing for the male to do the same as she slipped her shoes off. she instructed him to cook the ramen whilst she took a quick shower and got changed out of her travelling clothes. he waved her off as she picked up one of the shopping bags containing the clothes she’d put on.      the steady stream of hot water was soothing on her skin, calming her down and making her feel more human, she’d tied her hair out of the way, not prepared to deal with washing and blow drying it at this moment. when she emerged from the bathroom, cosy in the new jeans and sweater she’d purchased she smiled as she saw that shinji had laid out the food and the beer for them, he grinned and lifted a can in a motion of cheers to her as she approached, making her snort in laughter as she picked up her own can and reciprocated before taking a swig and beginning to eat the food together. as they ate, they talked a lot, she told him the things that were pressing on her mind and he tried to advise her as much as possible, frowning and looking at her mid chew when she mentioned the fight with chaos “huh? that doesn’t sound like him jae. are you sure you didn’t just push his buttons the wrong way? you’re good at that” he swallowed and chuckled, tapping her forehead gently only to laugh more when she batted his hand away and glared at him. “you can clean up too, after that comment” she sniffed, leaning back against the sofa and glaring at him sidelong as he continued to giggle and clear everything away.      one of the things she really liked about shinji and his company was that he was so easygoing, he never took anything to heart and he always tried his hardest to be objective. they’d met when he joined the same entertainment company as kisu and trained with him, the three had been fast friends and she and him had even entertained the idea of dating for a while before he had to leave the company and move back to japan. he currently promoted as a model and they stayed in touch, often sending each other stupid selcas when something happened. their friendship was easy, they didn’t talk all the time but when they did it was as though no time had ever been spent apart. he looked over his shoulder at her whilst she rested her chin on her arms and gazed at him, a cocky smile curling his lips as he winked at her “take a picture, jae” she rolled her eyes and looked away, not bothering to inflate his ego any more.      she was disturbed by a sudden presence flopping down at her side and an arm wrapping across her shoulders, the boy pulled her into a hug as his fingers rubbed her arm comfortingly “cheer up jaejae. i don’t like this version of you” he said quietly, kissing the crown of her head before resting his cheek on it. “sorry. it just feels like the whole world is against me right now” the dark haired girl shrugged, sighing and leaning into the embrace. “you’ll always have me, no matter what” he assured her, leaning back and tucking a finger under her chin to look into her eyes “i’ll take on the world for you, so you don’t have to” he wrinkled his nose at her and pinched her chin between his thumb and finger gently. the sentiment took her off guard, her eyes widened and her mind blanked. before she could register what she was doing, her body moved of its own accord and her lips were on his, her hands in his hair as his snaked down her body, pulling her into an impossibly close embrace. she knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t stop herself, plus, he’d already taken off her sweater, it was too late now.

     she sat up in the bed, shinjis head in her lap as she played with his hair absently and glared across the room. she sighed and got up, pulling her underwear back on and grabbing the sweater to tug it over her head, she felt empty, it was nothing against her friend, his doe eyes followed her as she left the room and grabbed the still open beers, downing them quickly. “jaejae... are you okay?” he stood in the doorway, still shirtless as he buttoned up his jeans and looked at her with concern as she cracked open another beer and went to drink it, her eyes flashed open and snapped to him, shaking her head and letting the can drop. “just leave, shinji. sorry. i just need. to be alone right now.“ he stepped forwards and put his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to look at him “jae...” he started before she shrugged out of his grip and pointed to the door with a trembling hand “i said get out” she spat, the can in her hand creaking as her grip crushed it and the liquid spilled out. the boy sighed and nodded, grabbing his shirt and pulling it on before picking up his jacket. “i’ll call you tomorrow, when you’ve calmed down.” he said, cocking his head before sighing and leaving the apartment with hurried footsteps.      eyes locked on the large mirror on the wall, her own reflection glaring back at her, she sucked her teeth and walked up to it, examining herself closely. the woman she saw reflected back at her was pathetic, a failure, everything she had worked so hard to avoid. rage swelled inside her and her hand balled into a fist, snapping up and colliding with the mirror, causing it to shatter. she felt better after that, the table under the mirror that was laden with trinkets and ornaments was her next target, launching it across the room and into the adjacent wall. it was childish, throwing a tantrum such as this, destroying her things. but she continued, every mirror she came across was smashed, anything loose on the side was discarded, she drank as she did so, her rage only increasing as she got more and more imbibed. finally she rounded on the glass case mounted on her wall, holding a couple of small trophies from her japanese promotions. she regarded it with scorn, who was she to think she deserved trophies? medals? this had to go. she wrenched it from the wall and threw it to the floor, the glass shattering and the contents scattering across the floor. stumbling backwards, she fell onto her sofa and looked around at the carnage that surrounded, her hands hurt, looking down she saw that they were littered with bruises and cuts. she vaguely remembered sending kisu her location before she passed out.

[iikxreaboo-blog]

Our Double Life: Part 1; Hui

Annyeong~. This is the first part of our new series. Who is our? Well, me and my close friend in real life. I don’t think I will use her real name, so we googled some cool names, and I will just call her Vicki. Hope you enjoy!

~

Genre : Smut (warning ahead of time, don’t expect it soon.) Fluff, Angst.

Word Count : 814

Pairings : Not really pairings, but mentioned groups are BTS and GOT7 (< not really mentioned now) As this takes place just before these groups were formed~. Enjoy.

~

{Hui’s P.O.V}

Sitting in the sunlit cafe felt refreshing, and comforting. Sitting in front of me was my close friend Kalliyana, sitting with her boyfriend and my friend, Seokjin to her left. To her right was Hoseok, the moodmaker and joy of our little group. After Seokjin was Namjoon, who acted as almost our father, making sure everything was well-oriented during almost everything. On my side, I sat beside Taehyung, my ultimate crush but also best guy friend. Next to me was my silly older brother, Jimin. Jimin and Taehyung were close friends considering they were the same age. Next to Jimin sat Yoongi, the cute boy that was reserved. However, under his cold exterior was an adorable boy that was similar to all of us. After Yoongi was Jungkook, the second youngest, after me. We all order similar dishes, me and Jimin ordering the same thing. He was my true sibling, in which I knew we had the same parents. Both me and him have half-siblings, but we never discuss that with each other, and it seems that they don't either. Which is completely fine with me and him. As we all wait for the traditional dishes to be served, we knaw on the warm bread sat in the middle of the table. Sudden thoughts of mine go to Vicki, as everyone else except me would've called her. I wonder how her boarding school is like, and if she's changed from the playful yet intelligent girl she's always been since we started working together. As I get lost in thought, I feel Taehyung's fingers snake under the table to hold my own. I remember Solji, a popular and commonly sought-out cheerleader in our school, who would do anything to get her hands on Taehyung, and ultimately get rid of me. However, she has one of those cliche relationships with an American football player. Of course, due to Solji's love for Taehyung, the poor football player has a grudge on a boy he doesn't even know. The dishes finally arrive, and we all politely bow and thank the waitress. Despite our hunger, we resist on eating like pigs. As I perk up, I notice someone familiar at the door. I can't put my name on it. Suddenly, my mind clicks. Vicki. She see's my eyes flicker in recognition, and quickly raises her slender pointer-finger to her lips, which keeps me silent. She swiftly passes by, and I know immediately what she is going to do. She stands behind Jimin, and covers his eyes. He panics for a second, which gives a roar of laughter upon all of us, all of our eyes fixed on her. "Hui?" He asks, but Vicki leans down close, and fixes her lips onto his ear, and I can hear her say "It's me, jagiya." Of course, Jimin jumps up.. only to hit his leg on the table and cause some silverware to clatter noisily on the floor. "Aigoo, Vicki-ah! I missed you!!" He said, jumping over the booth and into her arms. During this, Taehyung sets his head on my shoulder, a common thing that happens between us two. Except, this time, I turn my head, and peck the crown of his head. It holds a unique scent, one of his normal sweet and warm scent, but that also combines what can only be strawberry-scented shampoo. Kalliyana winks at me, a knowing unnie. Her and Seokjin make small talk, more involved in the dramatic reunion between Jimin and Vicki. Finally, she settles into the empty seat, and we all pitch in some of our lunch so she will have a hearty fill. "Aigoo, my dongsaeng grew up." She says, smiling at me. However, we both recently saw each other at least a week or so ago. I nod, smiling but looking down at my plate. It was odd, sharing so many important secrets that could ruin each of our lives if one little leak came from us. "Soo, why haven't you and Taehyung started dating already?" She asks, and we all chuckle, as we think back to some past experiences I've had with Solji. "Beat's me. Why don't we go ask Soju?" I say, and we all crumble with laughter at my reference. Soju is one of Korea's most famous alcoholic beverages, and that bad effects it has on a person is the same for us all. Taehyung lifts his head from my shoulder, a sour face plastered and replacing the happy expression he once had. It silences me, knowing that even though he didn't have much feelings for Solji, he didn't like us teasing anyone. "So how was boarding school?" Yoongi asks, messing Vicki's hair. "Well..." She and I lock eye contact, and we both laugh, leaving everyone clueless. But her and I both know, there is no such thing as her attending boarding school.

~No copyright intended ya’ll. I’m just going to use idol names and pictures, so please do not upset.~ Also, sorry for any mistakes, errors, or just poorly made content!

[thebiasrekkers]

Make It Right [BTS Mafia!AU]

Pairings: Jin x OC | Taehyung/Hoseok x OC | Yoongi/Jungkook x OC Genre: BTS Mafia!AU  Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language, Angst, Smut, Slow Burn “It’s always darkest before the dawn…” It’s a dog-eat-dog world in Seoul, South Korea. One has to dwell in the shadows in order to reach for the light. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to feel the sunlight on your face? What will it take to drag you back into darkness? How long will the journey be to make it right? 

AO3 | WP

Chapter 03: Spine Breaker

"What’s going on? Are you falling behind on the trend? You whined and complained to get it, did I strike a nerve?"

Seokjin hated meetings.

He especially hated these kinds of meetings.  

There was a part of him that had to keep his comments to himself throughout the whole sordid affair. Mostly because he knew it wasn’t his place to voice his opinions aloud. Namjoon and he were there simply to facilitate and comply with the wishes of their boss. It was the role he chose to take up and with that role came certain responsibilities and caveats.  

Speaking out of turn was not one of them.  

All the district heads sat in plush leather chairs around a well-polished redwood table. They typically held these sorts of gatherings in conference rooms at the swankiest hotel in the area. Whatever district the meeting was held determined who sat at the head of the table. It was a showcase of both power and respect, as well as tradition.  

Hoseok sat at the head of the table today.  

Both Namjoon and he stood on either side of Hoseok and just a few inches behind him. Other Seconds and Thirds mirrored their stance, standing behind their respective bosses. They remained silent as the heads talked among themselves, catching up on whatever idle gossip they wished to engage in. But on the inside, Seokjin knew that everyone had beef with Hoseok in particular, seeing as how he was one of the youngest at the table.  

At thirty, Hoseok had maintained his position. Seokjin and Namjoon ensured that he kept a firm hold on his territories. But something that most seated at the table failed to grasp was that Hoseok wasn’t just chosen to lead the Golden Jackals. Namjoon and the others may have urged him to take up the mantle, but Hoseok continued to be the boss on his own strength and merits.

  He wasn’t one to be trifled with.  

Hoseok flashed a casual grin, his gaze hooded – seemingly lazy – as he leaned back in the plush leather of his seat. Clapping his hands twice, he gathered up the attention of the others and they all soon quieted down.  

“Gentlemen,” he said, his tone deep and with just a hint of his country drawl curbing the end of it, “I believe it’s time we got things started. I know we all have things to do, so let’s keep this as brief as possible.”  

Shin Dongwook, leader of The Silver Snakes of the Guro District, scoffed as he raised a dark brow at Hoseok. His blonde fringe fell across the bridge of his nose as he lifted his drink, his rings clinking along the rim of the glass. “You hear that? The m aknae thinks he knows what our schedules are.” Some of the others snickered, bumping elbows with each other in amusement as Dongwook took a slow drink of whiskey. “Tell me, Hoseok-ah, is there really anything that we need to discuss today?”  

The muscle near Seokjin’s jaw pulsed as he ground his molars together. His eyes narrowed slowly as he watched the others smirking derisively toward Hoseok. He could see Namjoon shift uncomfortably out the corner of his eye, but Hoseok merely chuckled as he rolled his neck toward Dongwook.  

“Why Dongwook Hyung, I’m shocked you were able to attend at all. Seeing as how you can’t keep your own territory in order. I heard it’s quite a mess where you are.” Hoseok steepled his fingers while resting his elbows on the surface of the table. “Do you need some help?���  

Dongwook’s glass hit the coaster harshly as he bared his teeth at Hoseok. The table got quiet save for the sound of Dongwook’s throaty growl.  

“Watch your mouth, Jung Hoseok.” His dark eyes narrowed into slits. “How I handle my turf is my business, you got that?”  

Hoseok lifted his hands in the air in what Seokjin knew to be a mocking show of surrender. It surprised him. He didn’t think that Hoseok would be the first to begin needling into the others. Even though it was his right as the meeting was being held in his district, it normally wasn’t his style. Clearly the conversation the three of them had prior to the meeting had been weighing on Hoseok’s mind more than he’d initially let on.  

“Ease up, Dongwook-ah,” chimed Kim Pilsoo from across the table, causing everyone in the conference room to face him. “We’re in Hoseok’s territory and sitting at his table. You’d do well to remember that and give that seat the respect it deserves.”  

He was one of the older leaders at the table and one that everyone mutually respected. He���d been scuttling around in the underground circuit for some time and was one of the few who still remained from the older generation of gangsters. Pilsoo’s dark hair was showing a few slivers of gray and it was clear that this particular lifestyle had taken a toll on him – crow’s feet revealing themselves in the corners of his eyes. Pilsoo flashed Hoseok a knowing smirk as all the other bosses bowed their heads in respect toward him.  

Clearing his throat, Dongwook sat back in his chair and undid the button of his jacket. Hoseok leaned back in his chair as well, running a hand through his dark hair and the silver hoop in his ear seemed to gleam for just a moment. Seokjin kept a close eye on those around the room, watching their expressions and to see said expressions change the moment that Hoseok addressed everyone with what his main concerns were.  

“I’m only bringing it up because you seemed to have gotten a little too greedy these days, Dongwook Hyung.” Hoseok’s smile remained even though it was clear that he was about to unearth a sour topic at a typically non-hostile meeting. “You think that we don’t know what you’ve been up to, hm?”  

Dongwook scoffed. “What the hell are you talking about, Hoseok?”  

Hoseok’s eyes narrowed only a fraction, but it caused Seokjin’s lips to part slightly. Surely, he wouldn’t bring it up now. Not with all the other brothers in the room. Namjoon must have picked up on this as well, seeing as how he was giving Seokjin a curious glance. Shaking his head quickly, they both decided to wait for Hoseok to continue.  

“I’m talking about how you’ve been poking your nose into my affairs, Hyung. I don’t appreciate that.” He leaned back in the chair while tilting his head to the side. “That’s not very nice at all.”  

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  

Hoseok raised a brow. “You sure about that?” He let out a breathy chuckle. “Because I think you do, seeing as how you sent your dogs to sniff around and mark my territory as your own.” There was a pause as he leaned forward a bit to rest his hands on the table. “I had my people take care of them though. Took them out like they were garbage.”  

“What?!”  

Seokjin reached his hand out to gently press his palm to the back of Hoseok’s chair. He felt it lean back, putting pressure into his hand as Hoseok sank back into the plush leather. He was treading a very thin line and he was taking a big gamble by letting Dongwook know about his little group encroaching into their domain.  

“Ambition is great and all, Hyung, but don’t you think you’re being a little rude coming into someone’s house and treading mud all over the floor?” Hoseok’s voice was light, as if he were telling an interesting story. There was no warmth in his words, however. Seokjin could hear the chill in his tone. “The least you could do is take off your shoes and bring a fucking fruit basket.”  

Dongwook shot up from his chair, as well as a few others. Dongwook may have been older than Hoseok, but age meant nothing in a circle of gangsters. No. It was about respect and experience; the ability to maintain control and to continue to hold the respect of one’s underlings. It was no secret that Dongwook’s hold on his entourage was starting to slack. There was clearly some in-fighting going on that he wasn’t at liberty to speak about. The fastest way to regain that hold and reclaim respect was to take over another boss’s territory.  

Treading into the Golden Jackals’ domain, however, was a big mistake.

Hoseok rose from his seat, causing the others to stand as well. Namjoon helped him slip into his coat while Seokjin handed him his phone. They all watched him finish his drink and set the empty glass back on the table.  

“I let your boys off with a warning, Hyung, because I respect you and the other brothers in this room. But make no mistake, I earned my place at this table, maknae or not.” He paused, readjusting his coat to sit more comfortably on his shoulders and Seokjin moved the chair out of his way. “I won’t sit still the next time you try it again.” Hoseok turned to the others and bowed his head in respect while Namjoon and Seokjin did the same. “See you at the next meeting, Hyungs. Pilsoo Hyung, I’ll come by to your hotel’s grand opening next month.”  

Seokjin hung back with Namjoon, waiting for Hoseok to move in front of them before they followed – not looking back into the conference room as an explosion of curses spilled from Dongwook’s mouth and the others attempted to get him to calm down. They made their way down the long corridor and entered the hotel’s lobby where the female clerk at the desk flashed them a nervous smile. Seokjin smiled back to her and he watched with mild amusement at the flush that crowned her cheeks.  

It wasn’t until the three of them were fully settled in the backseat of the large black sedan did Seokjin finally heave a soft sigh. His brows furrowed as he looked across from him to Hoseok who looked as laid back as he often did. It was like the meeting hadn’t affected him at all.  

“Was that really necessary, Hoseok-ah?”  

Hoseok sighed, a guilty smile forming on his lips. “Jin Hyung, I know what you’re thinking alright?” His gaze moved toward the window as he propped his chin in his palm. “But I wasn’t going to wait around and let him think he’d gotten away with it or that we were going to continue to play stupid.”  

Namjoon sat next to Hoseok and gently bumped his elbow against Hoseok’s. “I get where you’re coming from, Hoseok, I do. But I thought we decided we were going to handle Dongwook Hyung’s issues one-on-one?”  

“I know, I know,” he said, a hint of exasperation in his voice, “but it’s better to get that mess out in the open where others can hear. I don’t want them getting any funny ideas.”  

Seokjin looked to Namjoon and nodded. “He’s right. I think it was a good idea to put it all out on the table like that.” He paused, looking back at Hoseok. “But don’t you think you should have discussed it with us first?”  

Hoseok looked at him and smirked, giving him a half shrug. “What? So you two could convince me that it wasn’t the smartest of moves? Come on, guys, give me a little credit will ya?”  

A buzzing sound issued from the inside of Seokjin’s jacket pocket. He pulled out his phone and saw that it was Taehyung calling. He sighed before answering. “What is it, Taehyung-ah?”  

“Why do you always answer the phone like that, Jin Hyung? What if I’m just calling because I want to hear your voice?”  

“ Did you call just to hear my voice?”  

“Um…no."

“Do you ever call just to hear my voice?”  

“…uuuuh…”  

“What do you need, Taehyung?”  

Namjoon smirked while Hoseok shook his head and rolled his eyes. Seokjin pinched the bridge of his nose as Taehyung went on another mini tirade before finally pausing long enough to catch his breath.  

“Anyway, I was just calling to let you know that the night clubs we secured last month are finally good to go. We shouldn’t have any problems since Jimin Hyung and I were able to grease a few palms.”  

“Good.”  

“How was the meeting? Is Hoseok Hyung doing alright?”  

“Everything’s fine. We’ll see you back at the house.”  

“Alright, alright. Yeesh. Bye.”  

Seokjin hung up and placed the phone back into his pocket. “Taehyung said the night clubs are good to go.”  

Hoseok gave a relieved sigh. “Oh good,” he said, pressing a hand to his forehead, “I was worried we were gonna have to secure some more cash.”  

Namjoon shook his head, half laughing and half disgusted. “Politicians are easy. It’s the DA’s office we need to be concerned about.”  

“We might be moving a little too fast, guys,” Seokjin said softly, his voice tinged with worry. “I’m worried about Yoongi and Jungkook with the boys.”  

“They’ll be fine.” Hoseok’s tone was reassuring but the worry lines were still deep on Seokjin’s brow. “We can’t afford to wait another year. You saw what Dongwook Hyung was willing to do, pressing his luck like that. We have to make our moves now or else we’ll be crushed under heel.”  

“He’s right, Hyung,” came Namjoon’s soft voice, “it’s now or never. We have to turn the tide or else we’ll drown.”  

Seokjin knew they were right. Hell, it was a suggestion he’d made a couple of years back. But something was settling in the pit of his stomach and it made him worry for his brothers. He knew that each of them was more than capable of taking care of themselves. But this was a different game they were playing. Ten years of living in Seoul had hardened them for the dark and gritty underworld. Now was the time to strike and really dig their claws into the ground – to truly make their mark.  

But if they got too far ahead of themselves, there was a chance that the ground would crumble right out from underneath their feet.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Why I Am Not A Unificationist

I’ve been a Unificationist since childhood. From then, until I was around 19, I had to eat all of the sadomasochism fed by Rev. Moon. My new Father. My new Messiah. I’ll take some time to go through them, but please be patient. I had been told that God was some sort of compulsive crybaby whose universe was forever torn asunder because two naked teenagers had pre-maritial sex in a garden. A step up from the apple and snake, I admit, but the Garden of Eden is still a myth no matter how you spin it.

Anyways, I was also told that human history was a convenient series of failures on behalf of the human race to understand the infinite sorrows of God. The Church painted said God, interestingly enough, as quite impotent. He was a servant to some pseudo-scientific law, called the Divine Principle: a lugubrious, confusing, absurd, and comical attempt to plaster Moon’s idiotic theology onto human history. Neon Genesis Evangelion’s myths made more sense.

I’m not quite sure if the Divine Principle was supposed to be a moral law or not, but I certainly was given that impression. I would be horrified and disgusted if the Principle was by any stretch of the imagination considered moral. This so-called morality dictated that again, because two naked teenagers had pre-marital sex in a garden, the Biblical wars against various tribes, the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Fall of Rome, both World Wars, the Holocaust, the Korean War, and numerous other tragedies, in the Bible and in history, were ordained by the Divine Principle to occur as payment for indemnity, or global karma. The Principle has weird ideas on proportionality. I don’t think that even Zeus, at the height of his maliciousness, would have approved of such a doctrine, so it would be doubly discouraging if a loving and compassionate God did. 

Why then does Moon praise the Principle with such fervor? Even it was true, it should have been condemned and resisted, even if the effort was futile. Of course, there’s always the idea that the Principle is brutally objective, but then, I don’t recall Newton’s Three Laws of Motion or the Pythagorean Theorem bluntly putting persons into sides of God or Satan.

Again, I swallowed this nonsense in my elementary years – I didn’t know any better. I think that I was still watching Power Rangers. So all of this made me very terrified of sex. Moon had a cute obsession with sex. If you don’t believe me, just look up the instructions for the 3-day ceremony. It’s quite revealing. He also said that if a pretty woman attempts to touch your penis, you should kick her 1,000 miles and God will praise you for it, but I’ll touch on his sexism later.

He just could not stop going on about the sexual organs and how they were at the center of the universe, or something like that. Easy enough to pledge abstinence when you’re young, but after puberty, I felt like I was walking in a nightmare. No sex until after I married, and Lord knew when that was going to happen. No choking the chicken, either, but when I did get the occasional slip of the wrist, so-to-speak, my whole being filled with guilt, as if I had committed a crime against God and joined the ranks of Satan.

I realize that abstinence is quite common among many Christians and even Muslims in this country, but at least they are allowed to date! Yes, because God certainly doesn’t want His Children engaging in the evil of DATING. Okay, so women were off limits until I married. At least I got to choose my wife. Oh, what’s that? My wife could be chosen for me? We might barely know each other before getting married? She might not even speak English? There could be a waiting period before having SEX? You know, there’s a word for people who have a peculiar interest in other people’s sex lives, they’re called perverts, and Rev Moon was certainly among them. Lord knows the countless unintentional pregnancies, STI infections, and abortions his teachings may have prevented had he taught instead about the options of masturbation and birth control.

Speaking of sexuality, Rev Moon was diseased with homophobia. I am sorry to say that I caught this disease as well. Moon referred to homosexuals once as dung-eating dogs and homosexuality as an activity that attracts Satan. He also said that those who love dung eating dogs, ergo people who support gay rights, will produce that quality of life. I’ve heard some homophobic statements from Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, but Moon’s hate speech sounds like something you’d hear from Neo-Nazis. Yeah, I went there, but Moon’s words were straight up dehumanizing and condemnable. NO group of people deserve to be described in that fashion. Also, Moon himself said that Hitler and Stalin were reborn as new beings, and they declared him the messiah. So he seems to think quite a bit of their opinions.

In any case, many religions still have trouble with treating homosexuals as equals, and that’s a shame. I repeat, a shame. Moon could have learned a thing from Desmond Tutu. Even the 14th Dalai Lama supports gay marriage and Pope Francis, who does not like homosexuality, says that the Church has no right to interfere with the spiritual lives of gays and that he has no authority to judge gay Catholics. I grew out of homophobia after I grew out of Moon.

Then there’s this whole damned idea of Rev Moon being the Messiah. Hell, anyone can claim that. Just ask Father Divine, Marshall Applewhite, Elijah Muhammad, Jim Jones, or L. Ron Hubbard. We all know the story. Jesus asked Moon to take up the cross and suffer for humanity as the first True Parent. The whole idea being that Jesus was supposed to get married as opposed to being crucified. Now I wouldn’t force crucifixion on my worst enemy, but marriage on the other hand, should be a choice, not a requirement for joining heaven, as Moon teaches. I think that most people are comfortable with the parents that they already have, and don’t need fanatical ones from Korea.

What makes Moon so special that he should be the Messiah, anyways? It’s his word against mine. Surely, Jesus didn’t expect Moon to convince people on word alone. Except that he apparently did. To be honest, I believed that Moon was the Messiah out of pity. He does deserve some. His home country was torn apart before his eyes, and he had to suffer atrocious accommodations in a North Korean prison camp. No one should have to go through that. The pressure was all around me to convert. Certainly I wouldn’t turn against a man who suffered so much. Before I knew it, I was bowing before photographs and reading books I could hardly understand at six in the morning. For those who want a better idea of what I am talking about, check out the film, “Ticket To Heaven.” Moon, however, had a habit of romanticizing Korea as the center of the world. I don’t hate Korea. It’s a fine nation, but not a holy one. Since Moon cast North Korea as Satan and South Korea as God, he probably forgot to mention that “God’s” nation had brutal dictators like Park Chung-hee.

I could also go on about how, in face of separation of church and state, Moon crowned himself like a king in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, how he implored Americans to forgive Nixon who sabotaged the Vietnam Peace Talks in 1968, how he founded the Washington Times which spews climate change denial, and how he had at least one affair while dictating other people’s sex lives, but I think I’ve made my point. Moon is no more of a messiah than my dead goldfish. If you still want a Korean to admire, try Kim Dae-Jung.

In closing, you may wonder what exactly liberated me from my slave-masters? It was a woman named Nansook Hong, whose book I would implore all of you to read. She married Moon’s first son, Hyo Jin, and suffered unspeakable abuse, both mental and physical. When Moon was told of these things, he blamed her for not being a good wife. This is the sexism I was referring to earlier. Moon was more concerned about his magnanimous legacy than about the domestic abuse of his daughter-in-law. As I read her testimony and followed her journey, I found myself going through a similar one. By the last page, I left the church and freed myself from the depressing theology of Rev Moon. I live a happy life now. I’m not very religious, but I don’t hate religion. 

Moon didn’t learn a lot from religion. Many Jewish scholars see the Old Testament stories as metaphors to learn from, not literal historical events representing the Cain and Abel dichotomy. If Moon really understood Jesus, he would have lived more like Gandhi, Tolstoy, or even Shaliene Woodley, as opposed to Donald Trump or John D. Rockefeller. The Qur’an opposes collective punishment for crimes done by others and would be disgusted with ideas like indemnity. While both Buddhism and Hinduism see atheism or agnosticism as acceptable spiritual paths, Buddhism more so. Moon denounced godlessness as Satanic.

I would like to thank HWDYKYM for giving me a healthy space to express these thoughts. As you can see by the length of this, they’ve been bubbling beneath the surface for some time now. I know that I may not have not have gotten everything right as far as Moon’s doctrine is concerned. I simply speak from my own experience – what I was taught, what I had believed. I hold no ill will towards current members, by the way. Many of them are still beloved members of my friends and family, just don’t expect me to go to workshops.

Sun Myung Moon’s theology used to control members

Divine Principle – Parallels of History

Sun Myung Moon  – Restoration through Incest

Moon’s Theology of the Fall, Tamar, Jesus and Mary

Nansook Hong, transcripts of three interviews

Nansook Hong In The Shadow Of The Moons, part 1