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drivingsideways · 3 years

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Misaeng review

Ok, it's been almost a week, so I feel like I can get my thoughts (somewhat) in order. As usual, I'm late to the party, given that Misaeng aired 6 years ago, and is already considered a kdrama classic. Still: thoughts!

(under the cut)

I came to this drama with quite a lot of expectations, both because I'd seen it on a lot of rec lists, and also because I'd watched director Kim Won-seok's Signal and My Mister, which are justifiably as beloved as Misaeng. I'm happy to report that Misaeng mostly lived up to those expectations!

The writing & direction work together to make Misaeng a very immersive experience, which is good, considering the entire run time is over 20 hrs. The level of seemingly mundane detail of the operational aspects of running a trading firm that they delve into (and other dramas might have avoided for sake of pacing) seemed odd to me at first, but eventually result in a world building that's incredibly well fleshed out. The (formerly unlikely!) high stakes of a misplaced piece of paper or octopuses in a shipment of squid end up being parts of an emotionally wrenching narrative whole fairly seamlessly. Still, at 20+ hours, Misaeng also does get into the kind of pacing issues that most of the slice of life kdramas I've watched so far have. And it didn't need to! I think it had a wonderful ensemble of characters, and if they'd maybe given a little more time and space to characters other than Jang Geu-Rae (Im Si wan) and Oh Sang-sik (Lee Sung-min), the mid portions may not have felt quite so, well, stuck.

But more than the strong writing and direction, it was really the actors who delivered. They made what could have easily been a dull-ish office drama into a heart warming story about human connection and the joys and troubles of leading an "incomplete life". I'd never watched Lee Sung-min in anything before, and about half way through the series I was like, HOW IS HE MAKING A SHORT TEMPERED, ALCHOHOLIC MIDDLE MANAGER SO SEXY? Like, serious props, dude. Lee Sung-min is by turns annoying and brash and too shout-y and stubborn and funny and so incredibly vulnerable as a man trying his best to live by his principles in a world that thinks they are an impediment to "success", that you forget that he's playing a fictional character-- he's someone you know, he's someone you've seen in the mirror.

His performance as Oh Sang-sik is very ably matched by Im Si Wan's Jang Geu-Rae. This series would not have worked if these two actors didn't have the chemistry they do, and play off each other in every scene. I had watched Im Si Wan recently- in JTBC's "Run On", in which I liked his performance quite a lot, but I absolutely loved him as the naive and endearing Jang Geu-rae. Misaeng, is in part, a bildungsroman narrative centered around Jang Geu Rae. Im Si wan brought a kind of vulnerability to the role that might have felt cloying and emotionally manipulative in the hands of other actors, but Im Si-wan manages to do it with a light touch. I feel he's one of those actors that uses his whole body in a scene, not just relying on facial or verbal expression, and it's a joy to watch.

Each of the other actors in the ensemble also bring that dedication and talent to their roles, even if it's in a single scene. There are lots of one-off characters that we meet during the course of the series, and every single one of them leaves an impact.

But! I'm going to pick a fave from the supporting cast and that's Byun Yo-han, whom I'd last watched as the broody, troubled (and very sexy) swordsman Lee Bang-ji in Six Flying Dragons. I can't imagine a character more in opposition to that one than Han Seok-yul in Misaeng, but Byun Yo-han just knocks it out of the park as the scheming, cheerful and mostly inappropriate clown with a heart of gold; Han Seok-yul is the definition of Chaotic Good, and you're equal parts horrified by his antics- which include sexual harassment dont @ me -- and yet charmed by him. I wish they'd given him a few more scenes and a larger plotline to work with, but I also suspect that he might have just walked away with the entire series if they did that. (Am I plotting that series in my head as I write this? MAYBE.)

Alright, this is getting a bit too long, so I'm going to get to the bits that disappointed me. That's really one major thing: the gender politics. I don't know how different the show is from the web toon it's based on, so I can't tell whether they made significant changes to the basic plot and characters. As in- I have no idea if the webtoon was as male dominated in every way as the show is, so I'm not sure how much of the show's treatment of women as a class, and its female characters in particular, I should lay at the door of the original writer vs the screenwriter and director. I'm also lacking the Korean context in which this was written and made and aired, so you may take my criticism with a pinch of salt, if you please!

That the show features mainly male characters is perhaps unsurprising and realistic, since we know that the kind of corporate life it depicts is very male dominated, top to bottom. The show also portrays the very real and horrific overt and subtle misogyny that women face in the workplace and out of it; mainly in the character of Ahn Young-yi, played with steely determination and quiet suffering by the lovely Kang so-ra. There are only 3 other female characters that have any sort of real speaking role- Sun Ji Young (played by Shin Eun jung), a senior manager at the company, Jang Geu-rae's unnamed(!) mother (played by the amazing Sung Byoung-Sook) and Oh Sang-sik's unnamed (!) wife (played by Oh Yoon-Hong, who's a delight in every tiny scene she has). There are other women who appear but in very minor roles, and often in "comedy" moments that often rely on sexist tropes to start with.

Anyway, right there you can see one of the problems- 4 women characters that have any kind of real screen time, and only 2 of them are named. Aigoo! Screenwriter Jung Yoon-jung is a woman, and like, I don't like putting the burden on any one woman to y'know fix structural misogyny, but I can't also help feeling disappointed that she overlooked even this "small" thing among the larger things.

But that apart, the main issue for me was that while the show doesn't shy away from depicting egregious sexism in the form of sexual harrassment, verbal and physical and certainly emotional abuse, in a manner that's clear that we are meant to be horrified by it--it falls short of depicting how women deal and work with it. It just doesn't give enough space to women or their worldview.

It's very comfortable depicting victimhood, but doesn't put work into depicting the ways in which women survive by finding solidarity with other women. We have a scene or two where Ahn Young-yi who is this show's poster child for female victimhood interacts with the older women who offer sympathy and understanding, but no real strategy or support. And yes, we see men also being targeted by their seniors for the grossest verbal and physical abuse; and it's men who help Ahn Young-yi strategise on how to deal with her situation. Real life experience tells me that it's the women who do this work for other women. I have certainly been on both sides of this equation, for one, and so has every woman that I know in corporate life. And yes, one of the show's core philosophies is that those who endure, survive--but it is none the less extremely painful to watch Ahn Young yi "endure" the kind of abuse she does as a coping strategy and a survival strategy.

At the end of it, when she slowly manages to gain the support of her sexist team, it's shown as a victory-- though naturally imperfect, because this show takes its Realism very seriously (right until the end where it makes a tonal shift into quirky that I was a little ?? about)-- and y'know, sure, it is a victory. And I absolutely understand the choices she makes and why she does it-- I guess I just got annoyed by the fact that other antagonistic figures in the narrative get a more straightforward comeuppance for their egregious behavior, but Ahn Young-yi doesn't even get a goddamned apology from her abusers. Instead, we have a half humourous, half serious moment where she comments on how she's working at turning herself into "someone cute"- because she understands now that sometimes the right strategy is to "go with the flow". Be the water that slowly wears away at the rock. It's an interesting moment- the men she tells this to are taken aback by her bluntness, but also a little clueless about what she means. It's the kind of nuance that I would and do enjoy. Unfortunately, it also closely follows one of the show's most annoying scenes at the tail end of the series- where it tries to play off workplace sexism and misogyny as comedy- boys being boys-Reader, when I tell you that I had to WORK to unclench my jaw--!

I'm not saying we should have a single and obvious narrative of female emancipation. I'm not against realism in fiction, but god, sometimes, please do remember that when we look for escapism, we are actually imagining a better world. The first step toward liberation is allowing yourself to imagine it.

And the show does allow other characters its moments of unfettered fantasy- Im Si Wan parkour-ing all over the rooftops of Amman- and having a semi mystical + Indiana Jones moment in the deserts of Jordan--so why, I ask, are the women not given that gift?

*looks into the camera *

Tl;dr: I enjoyed it, it made me cry every episode, and I cared about all the characters, and if you haven't watched it yet, treat yourselves.

PS. Yes, Han Seok-yul is a disaster bi, sorry, I don't make the rules. Yes, hotties Oh Min Seok and Kang Ha-neul are canonically naked in a hot tub six feet apart because they are bros. Yes, I will be writing the fix it in which they fuck like angry bunnies. Yes, I am going to put my shipper cooties all over this gen slice of life show, deal with it.

#misaeng #kdrama #thinky thoughts

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obsessivedilettante · 4 years

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20 in 10: A Drama Retrospective

Since I’ve been all quiet on the drama front this year because of life reasons, I thought it would be fun to go back and pick out 20 of the most memorable dramas of the last decade. Maybe not necessarily the best dramas or even my favorites (although some are!), but two dramas each year that were somehow notable moments in my drama-watching timeline.

2009: Gateway Drugs

Boys over Flowers (KBS)

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a good drama. It is not one I think I can ever really rewatch (although I will happily revisit the 2005 Japanese version, and I had a hellava fun time watching the latest Chinese version). But! It was the first kdrama I remember watching, and the first step on the slippery slope of eventually becoming a Drama Addict. I mostly remember it being crazy popular on places like mysoju (RIP), and so I checked it out due to curiosity, and the rest, as they say, is history. Or, should I say, almost paaaaradise!

You’re Beautiful (SBS)

This one I also watched because it became crazy-popular online, and curiosity got the better of me. I really didn’t know much about k-pop prior to dramas, so I had no idea until after this drama that k-pop was more about pretty people in crazy fashion, dancing in syncopation in bizarrely lit rooms, rather than playing instruments. Because it was thanks to this drama that I got my crash-course on k-pop as a phenomenon -- both the fandom side, and the crazy things that artists have to go through to claw their way into the public’s view (nevar 4get the glorious ramen dance). Since Angel was a group that played instruments, and Hongki and Yonghwa were also from groups that played instruments, I assumed that all kpop were groups that played instruments. Oh, sweet summer child...

But it did get me started on my k-pop journey, first falling in love with FT Island and CNBLUE, before falling into the rabbit hole of the other prominent groups of the day. (SNSD! The Wonder Girls! Super Junior! DBSK! SS501! Kara! 2PM! 2AM! Shinee! BEG! Epik High! U-KISS! All the debut groups, like 2NE1, MBLAQ, B2ST, 4Minute, f(x), T-ara, After School... basically 2009 was a magical year in k-pop.)

If I had just watched Boys Over Flowers, I don’t know that I would have become a Drama Addict. But You’re Beautiful pushed me closer to the edge, with the zany humor of the Hong Sisters (and the desire for a pig-bunny of my own!). It would really be Coffee Prince that would push me over the edge, but that aired in 2007 so it doesn’t count for this list. But I had to mention it anyway, because, well, it’s Coffee Prince and where my love for Handsome Oppa began.

2010: More Than Candy

The Woman Who Wants To Marry (MBC)

A lot of the dramas I watched at first had that typical “Candy” character, the poor-but-scrappy girl who would somehow be saved by the guy and become the Cinderella she never knew she wanted to be. So it was a delight when I encountered women who were not only older than high-school-age or early twenties, but in their thirties, with rich full lives! Plus, this was one of my earliest introductions to the concept of the “noona romance” (a concept that I’ve since heartily embraced, of course). I started it primarily because Kim Bum was my favorite of the Flower Boys, but I stuck with it because I fell in love with the women (and I still have a girl-crush on Bu-ki).

Harvest Villa (tvn)

This show is insane. But in the good way, the way that the writer intended, and not in the “are a bunch of monkeys typing this script?” train-wreck way. There was basically no buzz about this show, and I feel like I somehow accidentally stumbled over it, but it was love at first sight. I’ve never forgotten the late hours binging it, being so sucked into the story that I absolutely had to finish it as soon as I could, disappointed that there wasn’t more of it to enjoy when I finally finished, bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived, but satisfied.

I then later gobbled down this writer’s next drama, and her next drama, and the next, until everyone else finally realized thanks to Signal that Kim Eun-hee was as amazing a writer as I kept insisting to anyone who would listen (aka no one).

2011: To Binge or Not To Binge?

White Christmas (KBS)

I did not watch White Christmas in 2011. I actually watched it in 2013. I was always a steadfast binger, preferring to wait until the buzz about a show would sway me into spending my precious free-time watching something that would be worth my while (not that my drama choices were always good, but at least I tried to avoid the duds). I still prefer to binge, since waiting weeks for new episodes is vaguely frustrating when I want to know what happens next, right now! Plus, I’m very good at forgetting that I’m watching a show in the week-long wait for new episodes, and then just... never picking it back up again.

Despite watching White Christmas a couple years after it aired, it remains one of my favorites, and one I love to rewatch, even though I’ve already experienced whodunnit cliff-hangers and psychological rollercoasters. It became a tradition of sorts here on tumblr for a bunch of us to rewatch it over the holiday season -- alas, I haven’t joined in that tradition for the past couple of years, but I hope that somewhere in this blue hell hole that there are a loyal few keeping the tradition alive.

At least we have this drama to thank for bringing us all the model-actors that were new and clueless in White Christmas, but would later go on to be leading men in their own right. Of course, some of them haven’t exactly made the best drama choices (*cough*SungJoon*cough*), but then there are others (*cough*SooHyuk*cough*) that I’m impatiently waiting for to pick up a new drama so I can see those post-army abs.

Tree With Deep Roots (SBS)

This is the first drama that I recall live-watching. I vaguely remember regretting it at the time, since it was agony waiting for new episodes, but it was also fun to have a week to speculate and ponder the show. And what a beautiful show to ponder! This was also one of the few sageuks I actually watched, being generally intimidated by anything longer than 16-20 episodes, and my historical knowledge was a little shaky (before embracing my inner nerd and diving into mundane historical stuff just so I could better understand whatever drama I was watching at the time).

I don’t think I intended to continue live-watching shows, preferring the ease of binging at my own pace and schedule. But that was when I was still a casual, innocent addict, and not someone who would eventually make dramas a huge part of her life.

2012: The Joy of Overthinking

Gaksital (KBS)

Having had a taste of live-watching, I started to live-watch enough dramas to the point where I began to make notes about the premiere weeks. It was only a couple at a time, and binging was still my preferred way to watch, but now I was delighting in being part of the fandom, sharing in speculation each week, posting my thoughts on dramas and analyzing them to my heart’s content -- even though I knew no one except me would read my ridiculous essays.

But I started to feel more comfortable sharing my opinion with the world, interacting with fandom and not merely content to be a consumer, but gradually becoming a producer as well.

Reply 1997 (tvN)

This is it. This is when I went full-on Drama Addict. This is the tipping point from casual fan who quietly kept to herself, to becoming someone who stood on the mountain top yelling about ALL THE DRAMAS ALL THE TIME. I began to interact with other fans! To swap theories and share squee-worthy moments! I even watched episodes RAW just because of how desperate I was to know what happened, and even though the Busan accent stumped me more than once, it made me realize that my casual study of Korean was something to take seriously since I understood more than I gave myself credit for.

It was also the first time any post I made got more than a handful of notes, since I’d mostly hovered in the “less than 10 notes per post” category at the time. I was so proud of myself back then!

(This drama also notably marks the start of my Hoya obsession, which continues to this day.)

2013: Tumblr Friends (and Foes)

Flower Boy Next Door (tvN)

Having made myself comfortable on tumblr as a Drama Addict, I then discovered some other dedicated fans -- many of which I still follow to this day and who are now just a permanent part of my dash, no matter what their current interests may be -- in the FBND squad.

But I also discovered Kim Seul-gi as the Webtoon Editor (who I still love and adore and continue to use as my avatar), and her adorable romance with Dong-hoon remains one of my forever OTPs. As much as I enjoyed the drama romances, I’d never fallen so deeply for one to be so obsessed by it as I was Webtoon Editor and Dong-hoon. And tbh I still am. They’re just so adorable and pragmatic and she buys him a bag. Ugh. I love her so much, you guys.

Heirs (SBS)

Ah, yes. This hot mess.

I don’t know what possessed me to live-blog each episode. But I did. With snarky commentary and terrible screencaps. And suddenly I went from maybe 200 followers to over a 1000. That was a total shock! I met a lot of people because of that (and made some friends, as well as a few enemies who didn’t appreciate my opinion of certain characters), and ensconced myself as part of the drama-blogging crew.

It was from this that someone suggested I apply to be a minion at Dramabeans. Back then, I had a lot more free time than I do now, and I was watching a lot of dramas that Dramabeans didn’t cover, and wished they did so I could read more opinions about those shows. So I thought, “Eh, why not? It can’t hurt to submit something because the worst that would happen is I’d waste their time making them read my take on episode 10 of Let’s Eat.”

I fully expected them to turn me down. No one was more surprised than I was when I found myself agreeing to dive into the world of recapping.

2014: It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

Trot Lovers (KBS)

Recapping. It seems so easy when you’re reading the recaps. But actually creating them is a bitch. Hours out of my life were spent on this disaster of a trope-laden show with no plot. This was the third show I worked on for Dramabeans, and I hated it to the point where I seriously considered handing in my notice. (Immediately following up this show with the mediocre My Secret Hotel certainly didn’t help matters!)

However, it turns out that what I actually hated was being forced to watch a terrible rom-com and pretend to come up with insightful-or-at-least-neutral thoughts about it (since we were still new and couldn’t go full-on snark yet).

Misaeng (tvN)

This is what saved me. Being given the chance to immerse myself in such a unique, ponderous, thoughtful show restored my faith in dramas and the drama community. I loved spending hours on this show, soaking up all the little details, and then sharing that love with the world.

Misaeng made dramas magical again.

2015: Fight Me

Valid Love (tvN)

Realizing that I only seemed to enjoy rom-coms at arm-length, I discovered that my tastes often ran counter to the general drama-viewing public. Not all the drama-viewing public -- I’m not a “not like other fans” kind of fan -- but enough that I began to realize the whether a drama was popular or had good buzz was not necessarily the primary reason to watch it.

I began to have more faith in my own taste, based on past experiences with various writers and directors. Even if the premise (or first couple of episodes) seemed kind of weird and out-there, I at least wanted to give these artists the benefit of the doubt that I would enjoy their work, like I had previously.

So many people seemed to hate Valid Love, but I adored it. Still do (and still desperately wish Kim Do-woo would come out with a new drama -- it has been too long, writer-nim!). There were a lot of opinions about this show, even among people who seemed to enjoy it, but I vividly recall having to repeatedly insist that it wasn’t about the romance and argue that the knee-jerk infidelity-is-BAD opinions should make space for something more nuanced.

Ho-gu’s Love (tvN)

DramaFever was a pretty great site. It brought together so many drama fans and gave them a place where they could legally (and without fear of downloading random viruses) watch dramas to their heart’s content. Yes, there may have been some lingering resentment that they were the primary reason that so many amazing other sites were shut down (RIP mysoju and daebaeksubs), but dramas were more accessible than ever!

Eventually, DramaFever started to sub shows themselves and upload them weekly (instead of just using fansubs and uploading older dramas), and while they weren’t the best translations, they were at least better than machine translations from the Chinese subs. As I became more and more familiar with Korean, I found myself more likely to migrate to Viki since I liked the extra detailed translations. I could get the gist of a show without any help -- I wanted to instead delve into the nitty-gritty of the language.

But I never really hated DramaFever or felt they were particularly awful. Until they mistranslated something so terribly that it changed the entire meaning of a scene and ruined people’s perception of a drama, forcing me to continually defend the true translation.

That was the molehill I died on that day, and never again did I touch DramaFever. I feel bad that it eventually got unceremoniously shuttered. But I don’t think I’ll ever forgive them for the “condom” incident.

2016: Free Solo

Dear My Friends (tvN)

For two years I’d been happily working on one episode a week, sharing a show with someone else, until I was asked if I’d like to tackle a show by myself. I wasn’t sure how I could handle it, but I had the time in my schedule so I said, “Sure, why not?”

I was originally going to recap Another Oh Hae-young, but there was a last-minute switcheroo, and I’m so incredibly glad because this is perhaps my favorite recapping experience of all time, even more so than Misaeng. There was something so special about the luxury of having an entire show to myself, especially one with such a fantastic cast of characters and thoughtful themes. I didn’t have to try and figure out if I agreed with another person’s take -- it could all be my opinion.

Is that arrogant? Perhaps. But it was also therapeutic, as it reminded me once again how incredible and amazing dramas could be, and the privilege I had to share such an exquisite and thought-provoking drama with the rest of the world.

The Good Wife (tvN)

Surprisingly, this was what I had really wanted to recap that year, and the true reason I got Dear My Friends, since it aired just prior in the same time-slot as The Good Wife. I was desperate to have this show, willing to do anything to get it because I needed to see Jeon Do-yeon back on the small screen, to see Yoo Ji-tae smolder, to know how Korea would adapt such an ambitious show.

And I wasn’t disappointed! This is, perhaps, my favorite adaption of another work of art that I’ve seen in dramaland. It remained true to Korean sensibilities, but it also properly felt like The Good Wife. The cast was phenomenal. The costumes were exquisite. I wished I could spend more time in that world.

But I was also thankful, because without The Good Wife, I would have never have had Dear My Friends.

2017: Serial-Killers Are Cool

Voice (OCN)

I can’t remember how I got assigned to this. Maybe it was a scheduling thing. I do know that I really, really wanted it, since it would be Handsome Oppa’s first drama appearance in three years.

But it started me down a road of recapping a lot of serious and serial-killer-centric shows. Except for the times when I’d beg for a break and tackle something lighter, I was generally assigned the darker mystery shows with meaty plots, since apparently I had a knack for condensing complicated shows into something that made sense. (Also literally darker, and I eventually learned to automatically brighten every screencap I posted. You’re welcome.)

Not only did I love working on something with Handsome Oppa, I also had fun recapping the start of what would eventually become OCN’s stock-in-trade -- creepy serial killers. At the time, Voice shattered OCN’s viewer ratings (which would then be shattered again and again as more people would tune in to OCN shows). But Voice really helped put OCN on the viewership map -- as well as catapult Handsome Oppa into the public eye and lead him to a path of getting to choose whatever script he wanted to work on.

(Okay, maybe I made that last bit up, but he did begin to garner a larger following and remind everyone that just because he was gone from dramaland for so long, he hadn’t lost his acting chops -- or charisma -- or cheekbones.)

Black (OCN)

Oh, this show. It was basically my whole life while it was airing (well, the non-day-job part of my life). Each episode was over an hour long and jam-packed full of details that were pertinent to the story, and I had to somehow condense that all into 3000 words or less (I was not always, ah, successful...). It felt like I was back in recapping bootcamp, but the dial had been turned up to 11.

I’m weirdly proud of what I produced (although you’ll never get me to reread my old work). It was one of the most challenging shows to work on, but in the good way, not the Trot Lovers way.

Until the ending, that is. Sigh. That ending will live in infamy. I still, to this day, will get a few comments on the finale from people who watched it on Netflix, went searching online for an explanation of the end, and then discovered that they were not alone in being confused by the utter wtf-ery of the last twenty minutes.

2018: Fighting For My Love

Misty (JTBC)

So, Dramabeans kind of disappeared for a few months. Well, the site was still live. There were a handful of recaps. But... it basically just... stopped.

Those of us on the other side know about as you do as to why that happened. Minions are kept in the dark just as much as anybody, it seems. All we knew is that we weren’t being assigned anything and we seriously wondered if the site was going under, since adsense has become worthless these days.

But Mary and I kept talking about how much we adored Misty and were sad that we couldn’t talk about it with the world (and convince them to watch it with us), so we pleaded and begged and got the go-ahead to do a kind of chatty “open thread” which has apparently been a spring-board format for other shows. We didn’t get paid for this, and we were totally fine with that. We just wanted to provide some kind of content (while swooning over Kim Nam-joo’s pantsuits!).

Let’s Eat 3 (tvN)

This was my first real assignment after the dead period, and I once again got to do full recaps (with pay!). I started watching, thinking I’d merely tolerate the show (since I loved the first season vastly more than the second season), but it turned out to be my favorite of the three. Plus it felt fortuitous that the series I had submitted my application would be a series I’d work on four years later.

Sometimes it’s nice to spend time with a character you met years ago, to see them grow, to see how they became what they became. Drama trends (and love interests) will come and go, but Goo Dae-young’s love of food (and love of explaining the proper way to eat food) will never change. It was a really comforting drama for me to spend my summer on, and I’ll remember it fondly, even if I’m forever sad that it had to suddenly wrap-up two episodes early.

2019: Ten Years Later

Item (MBC)

This was the Trot Lovers of 2019. It was a nonsensical disaster.

I also had the added chaos of my real-life job -- one very different from the one I had when I was working on Trot Lovers -- as it began to increase exponentially in responsibilities and in stress. I reached a breaking point where I began to hate opening my computer where I’d have to spend hours attempting to explain a show that I wanted nothing to do with. I was miserable and depressed and couldn’t do it anymore. I never before asked to be taken off a show because I hated it so much, but there’s a first for everything.

Her Private Life (tvN)

I actually haven’t finished this show -- I’ve yet to watch the last two episodes. But I’m including it because, well, I didn’t finish any other show in 2019 except for Item.

As some of you may know, this has been a difficult year. It started with the unexpected stress of my job, when we suddenly lost one of our directors who passed away, and another director was let go (in a complicated situation that is ongoing, but the important thing is that it was during our busiest time when we really couldn’t afford to lose anyone), and another director left for a different job and I was basically the one to pick up all the pieces she left behind. It was exhausting and we were all past the breaking point but somehow miraculously holding it together.

I was looking forward to finally getting a much-needed vacation in September, and then, well, you all know how that went: the first night, on our layover in New Zealand before what was supposed to be three weeks in Australia, my father was taken to the hospital, and then, two days later, he passed away. Life has gotten even more chaotic and stressful and bizarre since then.

So no, I haven’t finished this drama, but it was one of the most wonderful moments of the year for me, watching this fizzy rom-com with my favorite actor, where he got to be charming and handsome and charismatic and finally kiss the girl he loves and have her love him back (and not die or be dumped, as he had been in so many dramas that had gone before). Lion Oppa was everything my heart could desire, and living in his world helped me endure the insanity that I wish I’d known would seem so much more tolerable than what would eventually befall.

Her Private Life reminded me of when I first fell in love with dramas ten years ago, when I would giggle and be delighted by the charming nonsense on screen -- of beautiful people falling in love and fighting against the obstacles between them (some more ridiculous than others, perhaps, but there are always obstacles), and ending up happily ever after. Pure escapism, of the frothiest kind.

A Drama-filled Decade

So, after ten years of dramas, what is the takeaway? What have I learned?

I suppose I’ve learned to trust my instincts and put more faith in writers and directors than actors. That analyzing dramas is fun, and it’s even more fun sharing it with others, and sometimes even more fun if you get paid to do it -- but everyone eventually reaches a breaking point. That I’m too earnest and optimistic to embrace a life of snark. That I want every drama to be good but most of them aren’t, except sometimes they are. That I’m not even sure which genres are my favorite; I just know what I don’t like.

That dramas are best as escapism, and not as work.

I don’t know how many dramas I’ll watch in 2020. I haven’t paid any attention to what’s airing, and I’m okay with that. Perhaps I’m entering a new phase in my life, or perhaps I just don’t have the capacity to escape right now.

But I am pleased to have had dramas in my life, and to have eventually made them my hobby. I’ve met a lot of amazing people and made some genuine friends through a shared love of dramas (or, at times, a shared hatred). I’m honored that all of you are still here and following me, even during this period of fandom silence.

May 2020 treat us all better, and may Kim Do-woo finally write another script.

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darawonplease · 4 years

Text

trauma. ch4 - hangover soup.

Dara has to deal with the insistent hangover while his manager recalls why she avoids drinking so much.

characters. Eun Jiwon x Sandara Park

warnings. swearing

a.n. I’m finally back! I want to quickly thank the subscribers that reached out to me and gave me the inspiration to go back to writing! Thank you! The chapter is kinda short but I hope you’ll like it, I already have a couple of ideas for the upcoming chapters that I hope you’ll enjoy. So without further ado, happy reading!

chapter 4, hangover soup.

[ dara pov ]

CLANG!

A loud thud suddenly echoed through the living room, abruptly waking me up from my slumber.

“Shit- These damn pots-”.

A male voice came from the kitchen.

“Goddamn- I'm so clumsy, these damn hands are useless”.

j-jiwon oppa?

is he still here?

what time is it?

did I pass out drunk on the couch yesterday night?

gosh.

what if I snored?

how can I look at him in the eyes now?

after everything i put him through yesterday...

I panicked as I tried to sit up, drowned in the white fluffy blanket the covered my entire body. Birds were chirping happily; a light breeze came from the slightly opened window on the right.

“How do you feel?”.

“oppa...” - my voice cracked as I spoke; my throat was dryer than a desert because of all the alcohol I had consumed in the evening.

“Oppa? - This is the first time you address me like that”.

I squeezed my eyes, a male figure appeared behind the counter of the kitchen, opposite the couch.

“Sandara-ssi? Are you okay?”. He asked in a worried voice.

sandara-ssi?

since when jiwon oppa calls me sandara-ssi?

“I can’t even get mad at you because you look so terrible”.

The figure got clearer as the sunlight slowly filled the living room, it must’ve been 7 or 8 o’clock by then.

“Ma-manager-nim? When did you get here?!”.

was that really wonjun-ssi? This is the first time I hear him swearing.

I covered myself up with the blanket, I felt so guilty now that I had to confront Wonjun-ssi for my wrong-doings, I didn’t want him to see me in that horrible state.

“Are you okay? You must be really surprised. I’m sorry”. He looked at me apologetically.

He removed the beige kitchen apron he was wearing over his short-sleeved button-down, untying the knot on his back and hanging it back up in its original spot.

Wonjun-ssi was a very neat and precise person, no wonder his job was being my manager. Without him, I would’ve been completely lost after parting ways with Jjangme-oppa.

Always at least an hour and a half in advance for everything, being late wasn’t an option. He did his very best to always make me feel comfortable with him; however, I felt like the uneasiness never really diminished, perhaps because I couldn’t accept that, although he was very good at his job, he simply wasn’t Jjangme-oppa.

I was the very first idol he managed, he barely even knew about 2NE1, he thought I was an influencer and occasionally, an actress.

Truth to be told, that kind of hurt me, as I held to my singer title tightly; him not knowing about my music career just confirmed the fact that I became Sandara Park - the actress, still I couldn’t be more grateful as he took care of me very earnestly, always going out of his way to make my life somehow easier.

With him, I felt like a kid who was about to get scolded by his parent.

“Ouch-…".

I reached for my head with my hands, a grunt of discomfort leaving my lips.

“Sorry for waking you up like that, I dropped the pot all of a sudden and-”.

did jiwon oppa manage to go home in the end?

i bothered him so much yesterday...

“Sandara-ssi”.

“Oh?”

“Are you even listening to me? You’re still half-asleep, huh?”.

I simply nodded, I just couldn’t help but think about him.

“On the other hand- I would’ve woken you up anyways- Come on Sandara-ssi, have a bowl of hangover soup”.

“H-how do you know I’m hungover?!”.

“Well... You told me just now”. A sigh left his lips as a disappointed expression spread on his face.

“A-ah, I guess I did” - I broke into nervous laughter.

He kneeled to open the bottom cupboard, taking a big bowl to place on top of the counter.

“When you stop responding to my calls it only means you’re drunk”- he continued, scooping some soup into the bowl.

I smiled nervously again; Wonjun-ssi indeed knew me well. It wasn’t the first time I sneaked out, ignoring his texts and phone calls until the next morning.

I was a well-behaved idol to manage, I always avoided giving problems to manager-nim but somehow, I couldn’t trust Wonjun-ssi with my private life as much as I did with Jjangme and because of the constant monitoring he did for my company, I started to sneak out.

[…]

Wonjun couldn’t stand looking at her innocent face, his mind was playing images of that stinky man with his hands all over Sandara, taking advantage of her naiveness, eating up her innocence with such low methods.

Disgusting.

All those thoughts felt sticky to him, he suddenly felt the urge to shower, to wash away all those nauseating thoughts.

“Why didn't you take your medicines to avoid getting drunk?”.

He kneeled in front of the couch, looking at her, upset with himself for not being able to protect her.

Deep sighs interrupted the silence that reigned over Sandara’s apartment that morning.

“You always take them, Sandara-ssi". He thought as he kept circling the living room in deep thought.

who was that guy?

do you like him that much that you let him get you drunk?

you never let others get you drunk

is he that special?

of course, I can’t ask you all of this. it’s your life after all.

The smug smile on that smelly man face made him well up with anger.

As a good manager, he perfectly knew that the celebrity he was managing had an alcohol tolerance close to none. She had the good sense to take medicines before drinking any type of alcohol.

Sandara was THAT cautious.

She often seemed to exaggerate, even going to the length of taking two pills before drinking a harmless glass of champagne during parties and celebrations.

[…]

“Oh- Are we going to drink? Then I have to take my medicines”. With a hand in her Givenchy purse, she tried to find the pill packet scattered with her other belongings.

“Jajang!” She said victoriously as the other guests looked at her in utter confusion.

“Come on Dee, it’s just Chardonnay, you won’t come out of this restaurant wasted, I promise you”. Jiyong took the packet out of her hand trying to reassure her.

“B-but...”.

[...]

It was at a YG after party event that Wonjun finally understood why she avoided alcohol.

A sudden business call urged Wonjun to go outside of the venue, the loud electronic music had boomed in his ears all evening; he was only waiting the right time to excuse himself and was lucky enough he got one before his eardrums bled.

“Yes, I'll inform her of your offer. She’s been very busy lately; I almost had an aneurism trying to figure out her schedule, yes! Send everything in my e-mail..”

A woman standing a couple of meters from the manager started to yell all of a sudden, causing his already pounding headache to worsen.

“What’s with you all of a sudden?! You can’t just pull me out of the venue with such urgency and then refuse to talk eonni!”.

“Gosh, this person is so loud, I can’t even hear the person on the phone,” he thought as he quickly dismissed the broadcasting representative on the other side of the phone.

Wonjun sighed, annoyed beyond measure. He was ready to turn around throw a fit, that was the last straw. He had endured everything all night, why would people yell like that outside a club? Where there’s no music?

“It’s just that... he’s here. I thought I’d be ok if I avoided him but now, he’s here and...”. Another woman spoke up softly.

That voice was oh so familiar. He perfectly knew who that delicate voice belonged to.

The manager’s ears started to pulse, telling him to eavesdrop on their conversation instead.

“ I turned around and you’re already wasted?! Do you think getting drunk will help you getting over him eonni?”. The woman with the sharp voice scolded her, making Wonjun shiver because of how severe her tone was.

“He’s a dog, ok? You shouldn’t even consider him a man unnie” – She continued.

“B-but- chaerin-ah��.

“No eonni. That jerk just used you. He forced you to drink just to hook up with you. You just don’t realize how vulnerable you are when you get tipsy. HE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HIMSELF, NOT YOU”.

Wonjun kneeled behind a car, spying on the two women; they were none other than Chaerin and her own client. Sandara Park.

“It’s my fault for liking him… I just kept drinking because I liked him…”. She wobbled as her legs weren’t reliable enough to keep her standing.

“It’s his fault for taking advantage of you in that state! Even if you should’ve drunk less he should have taken care of you instead of doing as he pleases. Stop blaming yourself. You’re the victim here unnie”.

“I’m sorry… I promised you and Bom unnie not to get fooled again but..”.

Sandara sat on the side of the road, defeated and drunk. Hiding her face in her palms. Her sobs faintly echoing in the empty street at the back of the venue.

“Eonni. Look at me”. Chaerin kneeled in front of her eonni, slightly shaking her shoulders in the desperate attempt to make her go back to reality.

“We always end up falling for bad men… Some talk like princes but are just wolves in disguise, and you’re a cute little bunny Dara-unnie, just try to be more attentive”.

“I—just—didn’t think he’d be invited here… - I didn’t expect to see him- so soon…”. The hiccups of the small woman made the difficult job of expressing herself even more difficult.

Chaerin brought the long sleeve of her top to her unnie’s reddened cheeks, gently drying the tears that were slowly pouring down her small face.

“... what do I do now?”. The soft-voiced woman panicked.

“I’ll talk—“.

“Chaerin eonni! I’ve been looking for you everywhere in this club! Come back inside, the president wants to talk to you!”. One of the staff had hurriedly run up the flight of stairs leading outside just to inform the artist.

“Gosh…You know how grumpy he gets when you don’t go immediately, that man gets super impatient, you already know. I’ll be right back eonni”. She gave her eonni a pat on the back before running back inside.

Sandara nodded, giving her friend a smile, to the best of her abilities. A faint smile appeared on her lips instead.

Wonjun hated that feeling. He hated being so involved with her work life but not being part of her actual life at all.

Why wasn’t he able to give her a shoulder to cry on? Why wasn’t he able to make her happy instead?

He didn’t even know she was dating a man. He knew absolutely nothing.

His constant presence and monitoring didn’t mean a thing. He still couldn’t sense she actually had another life going on. He couldn’t accept the fact that he actually knew nothing about her.

“Oh, Dara noona, you’re here”.

A tall man suddenly towered over Sandara’s small figure. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored grey suit, his black hair neatly slicked back.

“O-oh h-hi”. Sandara greeted him avoiding his gaze at all cost, a slight hint of panic in her voice slipped out.

“Wow noona, have you drank?”. The man chuckled by himself, a sense of superiority filling his ego.

“Just leave me alone”.

“You weren’t so unpleasant last week when you threw yourself in my arms”.

“S-shut up”.

“Don’t misunderstand noona, I came here to apologize. To see you drink so desperately as soon as you’ve seen me? Didn’t think you liked me that much. I kinda pity you”.

“P-pity me?”. Sandara tried to stand up, slowly regaining some lucidity.

“I-I pity you for b-being such a dog!”.

“D-dog..?!”.

“Yes, I liked you! B-but you know what? You’re a terrible kisser, t-the worst ever!”

“What?!”.

“A-and your breath stinks!”.

The smug expression on the tall man vanished immediately as Sandara’s body convulsed bending forward to throw up, releasing everything on his shoes.

“HEOL, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DID THIS. THESE ARE SO EXPENSIVE!”.

“E-expensive? Expensive my a-ass! TSK- I c-could buy you 500 pairs of those if o-only I wanted!”. She laughed as she wiped the corners of her mouth clean.

“Y-YOU!”.

Wonjun immediately ran towards the two, pretending to be there by chance.

“Uhmm- Sandara-ssi? Wow! I’m so lucky to find you here. Come on, I’ll ride you home. You have a long day ahead of yourself tomorrow!”. He nervously chuckled while helping her walk towards the company’s car parked right there.

“M-manager-nim! So good to see y-you! Cook me some hangover soup pweaseee!”. She wobbled behind Wonjun.

“Sure thing”. He opened the car door for her.

previous chapter. ⋆ next chapter. ⋆ masterlist.

#2NE1 #DARAWONAU #DARA #Jiwon #Sechskies

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jungkookienoona · 7 years

Text

The Meme and His Tutor

Part 17: The Time The Tutor Broke Her Elbow

Co-written with @tragicshadows

Recommended Song: My Home by GOT7

|All Chapters|

Summary:

Even though he had told you not to get hurt, it still happened anyway

Genre: Fluff, comedy

Pairing: Jungkook X Reader (Y/N)

Warnings: Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Clingy!Kook

Word Count: 5069

Length: 17/?

Luck seemed to be on your side for once as you spotted your suitcase seconds after arriving at the baggage carousel. Dropping your backpack at your feet, you did your best to haul the case over the small ledge to the floor with one arm. It was a struggle, but you managed and tried not to be too annoyed about no one offering you help. Once the suitcase was safely on the floor you pulled up the handle then reached down with your good arm for the backpack. Your other arm was in a sling thanks to an ice skating accident. With luggage in tow you to headed to arrivals. You walked past the front row of awaiting people with signs knowing that Jungkook would be stood a little further back to avoid being noticed.

As you wheeled your suitcase, your path was suddenly blocked by something- no, someone.

"Noona!" Shouted a familiar voice, your suitcase being snatched from your grip, "What happened to you?"

"I...uh...I broke my elbow ice skating." You looked to the floor and scratched the back of your neck out of embarrassment.

He stared at you wide-eyed for a moment. His hand came to rest on your shoulder causing you to look back up at him.

His tone was completely serious, "I'm going to have to wrap you in bubble wrap."

You broke into a fit of giggles and watched Jungkook's lips stretch into a smile that revealed his bunny teeth. And then he was wrapping an arm around your shoulder and steering you towards a manager a few feet away who held a sign welcoming you back to Korea. As you approached, the manager lowered the sign and gave you a polite bow. You tried your best to return it which was interrupted by Jungkook tugging your backpack off you.

"What are you doing?"

He finally freed the bag and swung it up onto his own shoulder.

"Being a gentleman. Did no one help you through arrivals with your case?" You shook your head and he made a noise of disapproval.

"It's okay. I managed."

You could just see his eyebrows furrow beneath the brim of his cap.

"I'll make sure to look after you Noona."

"And saying you'll wrap me in bubble wrap is a great way to show your concern."

"If it means Noona will stop getting hurt then yes."

He passed your suitcase over to his manager and took hold of your good hand as the manager led you out of the airport and into the car park. Once the car was loaded Jungkook helped you in and even did your seatbelt up. No matter how much you protested he insisted twice as hard saying it was something he wanted to do for you so you let him.

Setting off toward the dorm, you felt your eyes grow heavier with every passing second. You hadn't slept much on the flight, unable to get comfortable due to your arm. He must have noticed.

"You can fall asleep like last time Noona. I won't mind. Just don't forget we're going to celebrate you finishing your exams later."

"What are we doing?"

He tapped the side of his nose with a wink.

"It's a secret."

Too tired to push any further, you let your head fall against his shoulder and quickly fell asleep.

You awoke to the feeling of Jungkook gently nudging you awake. He gave you a gentle smile as you tiredly wiped the sleep from your eyes and you swore you heard an 'aw' come from the boy.

"We're here."

You undid your seatbelt while Jungkook rounded the car to open the door since it was on your bad arm's side.

With your suitcase in hand and backpack on his shoulder, he led the way up to the dorm. You quickly remembered to say thank you to the manager who gave you a kind smile before he climbed back into the vehicle.

"I already texted the hyungs to let them know you're injured."

"It's not a big deal."

Jungkook stopped and faced you.

"Noona your arm is in a sling."

You shrugged. "I don't want to cause a fuss."

He narrowed his eyes slightly but relented and continued until you were facing the familiar door of the Bangtan dorm. He unlocked it then stood aside, "Injured Noona first."

A group of familiar faces turned round to look at you and they waved as you entered the dorm. You managed a small wave back before Jungkook led you towards his room. He muttered something about unpacking first, socialising later. He opened the door to his room and held it open for you. You instantly smiled upon seeing Honey sat in the middle of his bed and rushed over to the plushie.

"Aww~" you looked back at Jungkook who was lifting your case onto the foot of the bed. "I missed her!"

"You never told me you missed me." He grumbled, dropping your backpack beside the case.

"I've seen you at least once every week. I don't have a chance to miss you."

You watched as he moved over to his closet, pouting as he opened it. There was a section cleared out. But you couldn't help but laugh at the sheer amount of white t-shirts hung up. You put Honey back to join Jungkook's side.

"I know you have a lot of white t-shirts but...that's a lot."

His pout morphed into a proud grin.

"I know. There's at least thirty."

You shook your head, chuckling to yourself and went to open your suitcase. There was a squeal and then a hand was swiping at the top of your folded clothes.

"You brought your onesie!!"

"Ye... do you still have your Pikachu onesie?"

He beamed at you, "Of course! I put it in the wash this morning so it would be nice and fresh for you... you have a lot of dark clothes."

You picked out a black t-shirt which revealed another one beneath but with a purple design on the front. Eighty percent of your clothing was indeed dark.

"We contrast well." You hung the two shirts beside Jungkook's white ones. There was no chance of you getting your clothes mixed up.

He laughed and you went about unpacking your things. You both blushed when your buried undies were revealed. Jungkook was a darker shade of red than you for once and mumbled something about an empty draw before leaving you to unpack the last few items by yourself.

It wasn't hard to find the empty draw so you finished sooner than he must have expected, giving you time to snoop around his room a bit. You couldn't help but stare at the amount of loo roll he had on his shelves. Why did he need so much? Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a mutter behind you. Jungkook's gaze drifted from you to the shelves to the floor. Was...was he blushing? Again?

Before you had the chance to ask he was bending down to retrieve something from the floor. When he stood up your mouth went dry.

"Noona? Is this who I think it is?"

"You should recognise him from our Skype sessions."

He grinned down at the black fluffy teddy wearing a tartan scarf, "Hello Kookie. Would you like to meet Honey?"

"I won him at a carnival shooting range."

"Oh! Kookie you have something in common with Honey!"

He wandered to the side of his bed and placed the little bear beside Honey making sure to introduce them to each other. He looked like a child and you felt your heart stutter at the sight. It was too adorable.

"Are you sure you're a man, BunBun?"

He glared at you.

"Why do you keep questioning my manliness? I guess I'm gonna have to prove it to you."

You raised an eyebrow, "How does one prove their manliness?"

His hand went to the zip of his hoodie and you darted across the room, grabbing his hand.

"Stop threatening to strip!"

"Stop questioning my manliness!" You could sense the mirth in his voice despite his glare. "I don't know how else to prove it to you."

"Fine!" You stepped away from him. "I admit it. You're the manliest of all men and I'll never question it again."

"Good." He gave a pleased smirk and turned, picking up your toiletries and placed them on his desk next to his own. "I don't keep my stuff in the bathroom ‘cause it's shared."

"Is that why you have so much toilet paper in here?"

There was a thud as he dropped a can of body spray.

"Shit."

You watched him scramble to pick it up, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Uhh, since I have empty shelves we keep it here."

"But that's a lot of toilet paper."

His mouth opened and closed like a fish before he said, "Jin likes to bulk buy."

You gave him a suspicious look, you didn't know why but you felt like he was lying.

"I doubt Jin would buy Tesco own brand value packs. That stuff is so thin it doesn't really do its job."

"Uuuh... l-l-let's just forget about the toilet paper."

"But-"

"Let's go see the members." He steered you by the shoulders out the door and down the corridor to the living room.

Namjoon was the first to spot you and jumped up to greet you prompting the others to all look over.

"Y/N...what happened to your arm?"

"I uh... I fell over ice skating."

Namjoon shifted from one foot to the other like there was something he wanted to say or do. But then he was raising a hand and ruffling your hair.

"You really are a God of Destruction like me. You're a Goddess of Destruction."

There was a scoff and you could've sworn you saw Jungkook roll his eyes.

"Nega yeogi on geon joh-eun il-iya. (Good thing you're here then)," Jimin piped up, "Jungkookie-neun neoui gaein bodi gadeuga doel su iss-eo. (Jungkookie can be your personal bodyguard)."

You chuckled and took a seat on the couch next to Taehyung.

"Y/N deongsaeng-eun neomu eosaeghae. Niga busang urihamyeon eotteohge jeulgeoul jagjeong-iya? (Y/N-dongsaeng is so clumsy. How are we meant to have fun if you're injured?)" He asked, dramatically pulling you into a hug.

You hissed and your arm was crush between the two of you.

"Yah! Hyung-i geunyeoreul apeugehagoiss-eoyo! (Yah! Hyung you're hurting her!)"

He immediately let go of you, "Oh! Mian Y/N! Nae jalmos-iya. (Oh! Sorry Y/N! My bad.)"

"Gwaenchanhayo. (It's okay.)" You mumbled, biting your lip as pain shot down your arm. "Sago yeoss-eoyo. (It was an accident.)"

"Yaedeul-a, nae Noonareul dachige haji ma. Josimhaseyo, jebal. (Guys, no hurting my Noona. Be careful, please.)"

All the members nodded in unison.

Placing a hand on Taehyung's arm you assured him you were fine. He gave you a small smile but you knew he was feeling guilty.

"Gwenchanhayo Taehyung-oppa (It's alright Taehyung-oppa)."

Then he was giving you a megawatt grin.

"Oppa?! Nega naleul ‘oppa’rago bulleoss-eo. (You called me oppa!)"

He was literally bouncing in his seat in happiness. You scooted backwards to avoid his flailing arms, not quite understanding his sudden excitement.

"Neoneun jeon-e nareul ' oppa'rago buleun jeog-i eobs-eo. (You never called me oppa before.)" He explained.

You glanced at Jungkook who you could tell was biting back a scoff due to his hatred of the word.

"Ah, mianhaeyo. (Sorry)"

"Y/N-eun nareul opparo bogo iss-eo! (Y/N sees me as a brother figure!)"

Namjoon placed a hand on Taehyung's shoulder, "Geunyeoneun jeoreul "oppa"rago cheoeum-euro bulleoss-eo. (She called me oppa first.)"

Jimin snickered in the background. You felt the seat next to you dip down as Jungkook finally sat down. His arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you closer to him, his chin coming to rest on your shoulder.

At first, you stiffened, then relaxed into the embrace and warmth of his body heat.

"I have nicknames. Does that make me special?" He whispered and you shook your head with a chuckle.

"It means you're younger than me, Kookie.”

You would never admit to the fact you had about 20 nicknames for him ranging from 'Precious Angel' to 'The Reason I Sin'. Your attention was caught by the sound of the front door clicking shut. Yoongi then appeared in the doorway.

"Y/N-i yeogi issni? (Is Y/N here?)"

You gave him a wave and watched his lips part into a smile.

"Annyeonghaseyo Oppa."

Jungkook shifted behind you almost as if he was trying to get closer to you.

"Moduga wass-euni ije galkkayo? (Now that everyone is here, shall we get going?)" Jin said, pulling car keys out of his back pocket. You turned to face Jungkook, leaning back slightly due to your close proximity.

"Where are we going?"

"I told you. Secret"

He stood up and used your good arm to pull you with him. You stumbled a bit and he steadied you, smiling sheepishly. He must have used more strength than necessary. Damn muscle pig. You followed the members out of the dorm and down to the van where you were seated between Hoseok and Jungkook at the back.

Hoseok gave you a grin and you could tell he was trying to hold back a laugh, "Ibeon-e neoneun uri Kookiega anira neo jasin-eul dachigehanda.(This time you hurt yourself, not our Kookie)."

You chuckled, "Byeong-won bangmun-ui pil-yoseong-i eobs-eo. (No need for a hospital visit.) Then turned to Jungkook. "Don't make me send you to the hospital again."

A look of sudden realisation dawn on his features, "I can't call you cute now that you're here." But then he looked at your arm and smirked, "Though there's nothing you can do if I did."

"Oh, really?"

You lifted your leg and pressed the heel of your foot onto his clean white trainers.

"Noona!"

"If you call me cute your shoes will get it." He pouted. "And if you don't learn your lesson I will find any dirty secrets you have in your room and expose them." His face paled in horror, eyes blowing wide. You leant over so your face was inches from his, "So don't call me cute." You tapped his cheek and gave him a sadistic smile.

"Yes, Noona."

Your smile grew, "Good boy."

You heard Namjoon choke near the front and gave the back of his head a confused look. What was with him?

The journey was complete with idle chit chat between you and the members who asked about your flight. Pulling into an underground car park, you had no clue where they were taking you. It could have been a movie theatre or a haunted house for all you knew.

Doors were opened and the members piled out, Jungkook helping you. You jolted a bit when a hand covered your eyes and another went to your hip.

"If Noona saw where we are going it would ruin the surprise."

You carefully shuffled forward causing Jungkook to chuckle. He was so close you could feel his breath tickle your neck.

"I promise I won't walk you into a wall. Trust me."

"Yoongi-oppa, jebal, geuga nareul samullo indohagehaji mala juseyo. (Yoongi-oppa, please, make sure he doesn't walk me into anything.)"

You heard a deep chuckle nearby.

"Maknae, geunyeoreul dolbwara. (Maknae, look after her.)"

Jungkook lightly squeezed your hip, urging you forward. He blindly led you for a minute before coming to a stop.

Why were you nervous? Was is because he was so close to you? Or because you couldn't see where you were going? You bit your lip to stop yourself from once again asking what the surprise was.

"Jimin-hyung, niga nareul wihae geunyeoui gwileul deop-eul su iss-eoyo? Naneun geunyeoga da-eum-e mueos-inji deudneun geos-eul wonhaji anhneun-eoyo. Nollam-eul mangchilgeoya. (Jimin-hyung, can you cover her ears for me? I don't want to hear what's next. It'll ruin the surprise.)"

Jimin must have nodded because you didn't hear a reply before a pair of hands were muffling your hearing. You felt kinda sorry for him because that meant he was walking backwards. After a short walk, you paused and one of your ears was uncovered.

"There's three steps down so hold onto Jimin, Noona."

Your hearing was once again blocked and you placed a hand on what you assumed was Jimin’s bicep as you took a tentative step downwards.

You hoped wherever they were taking you didn't have many people because you were sure you looked ridiculous. A few more minutes of walking around and Jimin's hands once again left your ears.

"Keep your eyes closed for me."

You squeezed your eyes shut and his hands moved away from your eyes and hip to press down on your shoulders, encouraging you to sit. The sound of chairs scraping against wood flooring filled your ears and you wanted nothing more than to take a peek.

"Okay, Noona. Open your eyes."

You blinked your eyes open and let out a stunned gasp. W-was this really the place? You looked around and then again. Tears welled in your eyes when you realised where you were. They had taken you to the same restaurant they had taken Jungkook when he started and finished high school. It was a fangirl's dream! You couldn't help the fact that the tears welled over and spilt over your cheeks. Jungkook turned you to face him, wiping the tears in worry.

"Wae uneungeoya? Neoneun geugeol joh-ahaji anhni? (Why are you crying? Do you not like it?)”

You quickly nodded and smiled not wanting to think you were disappointed.

"I love it. It's perfect."

Jungkook's face instantly brightened and he shuffled his chair even closer to wrap you in his arms, patting your back to soothe you.

"I thought you hated it. I was about to tell Jin-hyung to get his car keys back out."

You sniffled, "Whose idea was this?"

He blushed and scratched the back of his neck, "Mine."

Jin passed you a menu and you opened it, you found your eyebrows drawing together as you tried to figure out what the dishes were. Jungkook must have noticed your struggle.

"I recommend you have this one Noona. I think you'll love it." He said while pointing at a certain dish.

"Jajangmyeon. I like black bean noodles."

Namjoon, who was sat the other side of you as you were seated as head of the table, reached over to point at another dish.

"I've had this before. Also very nice."

You looked to Jungkook for approval who was frowning.

"Noona isn't a big fan of meat. She can have the noodles without the pork but that's mainly beef."

Namjoon frowned, "Sorry Y/N. I didn't know about your likes and dislikes when it comes to food."

You placed your hand on top of his on the table and gave him a small smile.

"It's okay Namjoon-oppa. You know now."

Your attention was diverted by a tap on the shoulder.

"Hyung wants to know what you're having to drink."

You looked down the table at Jungkook's six hyungs trying to decipher which one was ordering. Of course, it was Jin who was the furthest away and giving you a kind smile.

"I'll have a Dr Pepper."

He relayed your message to his hyung, taking your hand off Namjoon's and interlinking your fingers with his. You felt your cheeks heat as you stared down at the way he held your hand. He caught your eye and smiled. You tried to ignore the way your tummy did a little flip at the sight.

"Y/N," Jimin said from beside Jungkook, "Gisugsa-e meomulgiga heungbundoena? (Are you excited to stay at the dorm?)"

"Geuligo Jungkookie-ui chimdaeeseo. (And in Jungkookie's bed.)" Taehyung added.

"Na-na-naneun Jungkook-eul chimdaeeseo naejjoch-aseo gibun-i johji anh-eoyo. (I-I-I feel bad for kicking Jungkook out of his bed...)"

Jungkook gave your hand a squeeze, "I don't mind Noona. And it turned out for the best anyway."

"But your back..."

"It's only a week. I'll be fine."

Hoseok stretched an arm across the table to ruffle Jungkook's hair.

"Neoneun geunyeoege neomu jalhae jwo. Wae urihante mosdoen jis-eul haneun geoya? (You're so good to her. Why are you evil to us?)"

"Waenyahamyeon neon yeppeun Noonaga aniyo. (Because you're not a pretty Noona.)"

"Oh~ Eotteon yeppeo nunado chimdaee meomulge hal su issgess ni? (Oh~ Can any pretty Noona stay in your bed?)"

You felt your stomach drop at the thought. Jungkook gritted his teeth but took a deep breath.

"Ani, nae Noona ppun-iyo. (No, just my Noona.)"

You were almost absolutely certain Jungkook was on a mission to kill you. Ever since meeting him and becoming friends he had been far too good to you; showering you with surprises and spending his hard earned money on you. A small part of you wondered if he had an ulterior motive since it was more than a simple friend deserved.

Jungkook and the members discussed what they wanted to order. When the waiter came over the selected meals were rattled off. As you all waited for the food to arrive you talked about things you had been working on or practising. Jungkook didn't let go of your hand for the entire time until your food arrived. Grabbing your chopsticks, you gave the noodles a stir.

"Modudeul, jal meog-eoyo. (Everyone, eat well.)" You announced to the table causing the men to chuckle amongst themselves.

You tucked into the dish, managing a few mouthfuls until your grip faltered and the utensils slipped from your fingers. Curse your non-dominant hand. Before you could attempt to pick up your chopsticks, Namjoon handed you a fork.

"You're injured, you're not expected to eat like us when you physically can't."

"Thank you."

You were able to twirl the noodles onto the fork with ease and gave him a grateful smile.

"How is it?" Jungkook asked when you were pausing to have a drink.

"Really good. The best I've ever had."

His signature bunny grin appeared, "Then next time you're in Korea I'll take you here again. Just the two of us."

Did your heart just stop? You were pretty sure your heart stopped.

"O-okay."

You hadn't even considered a next time in Korea, having just arrived, but Jungkook seemed to like planning ahead.

He looked down the length of the table and caught the member's attention.

"Modudeul, Noonaga Noona-ui siheom-eul kkeutnaeneun geos-eul eung-wonhabsida. (Everyone, let's cheers for Noona finishing her exams.)"

They all cheered and Taehyung got up to ask the waiter to take a picture of you all sat together. You were a bit surprised when Jungkook moved out of his seat, wiggling between you and Namjoon to give you a back hug, chin resting on your shoulder again. The waiter counted down from 3 and you all shouted kimchi.

Taehyung made sure to send the picture to you all and you took your phone out to save it. Jungkook reached around you to zoom in on everyone's faces.

"It's a good picture."

"My sling ruins it." You pouted. It stuck out against your dark clothing and looked awful.

"I told you not to injure yourself when you hit your knee."

The meal continued with the members asking you about what you had planned since you had finished college. You had to ask Jungkook to translate for you since their questions got too complex sometimes or used vocabulary you didn't know. Once the main meal was finished you were shocked to have a bowl of brownies and ice cream placed in front of you. Jungkook explained that he had ordered it for you earlier.

"You certainly know the way to my heart." You mumbled around a mouthful.

It melted in the mouth and you didn't realise you had moaned until Jungkook burst into laughter.

"Is it really that good?"

You nodded, loading your spoon up with a generous amount of the desert and held it up to his mouth. He didn't even hesitate as he leant forward to have a taste of the dessert you offered. His eyes closed and he made his own pleased sound when the rich dessert hit his taste buds. Time seemed to have slowed down as his tongue ran along his plush bottom lip gathering ice cream.

"Delicious."

Without thinking you swiped your thumb over the corner of his mouth and brought it to your own mouth.

"Y-you had some crumbs there..."

He blinked and you were shocked to find his eyes almost black where his pupils had dilated. He must have enjoyed the brownie more than he let on.

"Uh... thanks... I can be a messy eater sometimes." He turned his gaze away from you and took a swig of his drink.

You went back to finishing your dessert, ignoring the eyes of Namjoon who was looking between you and Jungkook with an unreadable expression.

It was a struggle after a filling meal, but you managed to finish it all with no further help from Jungkook.

"Noona sure can eat a lot."

You blushed and fiddled with the side of your sling, "I'll take that as a compliment."

There was a short discussion between the members about how they would pay before they decided to split the bill evenly between everyone. You went to fish your purse out of your bag but Jungkook grabbed your hand stopping you.

"This was a gift for Noona. So I'll pay for you."

"Kookie-"

Before you had a chance to protest he pushed back his chair and joined the others at the cash desk.

"Why the sad face?"

Namjoon returned to the table, stuffing his wallet into his pocket.

"Jungkook wouldn't let me pay."

"Ah, I see."

"He never does. It makes me feel bad. I don't deserve all this."

He seemed to hesitate before responding, taking the seat Jungkook just left, "You shouldn't feel bad. He does this because he... cares about you. The boy doesn't have many friends but those he does have he would punch a shark for." You both laughed at that. "Personally I'm glad he's spending money on a human being and not more white t-shirts or Bluetooth speakers."

"He has more white shirts than I have clothes."

Namjoon placed a hand on your shoulder.

"Since meeting you all those months ago he seems a lot happier. More tired, but mainly happy. He's always telling us what you're up to and what you've taught him."

You felt your heart swell at the thought of him talking about you to his members and heat rose to your cheeks. You were too caught up in your own world to notice Jungkook returning.

"You ready to go?"

You stood up and went onto your tiptoes to give him a hug. It took him a second to react but then two arms were wrapping around your waist.

"What did I do to deserve this?"

"Pay for my flight and food."

"If this is how you pay me back for spending money on you then maybe I should do it more often." He said as he nuzzled into your neck, you could feel his smile.

Namjoon cleared his throat, "Okay, break it up you two. We're leaving now."

His hands fell from your back and you stepped away from him, avoiding Namjoon's gaze.

"Come on Noona."

You took his outstretched hand and followed behind all the members back to the car. During the journey back to the dorm you were a yawning mess, the long flight plus jet lag plus a full belly made it hard to stay awake. Jungkook gave you a sympathetic smile and said that the Pikachu onesie should be dry by the time you got back so you could go straight to bed. Every now and then you found yourself drifting off but would jolt yourself awake. Arriving at the dorm you forced your eyes open and held onto Jungkook as you went inside.

You said goodnight to the members and went into Jungkook's bedroom while he disappeared into the laundry room. He came back with the onesie and left you alone to change. It was a bit of a struggle and you whimpered and hissed in pain more than you cared to admit but eventually you had managed to change into it. A part of you wished he hadn't washed it so it would still smell of him. In your process of changing you had taken off your sling, preferring to sleep without it, and climbed into bed. There was a knock at the door and you said it was fine to come in. A mop of dark hair popped through the door.

"I just want to grab a blanket and pillow."

You nodded and he grabbed his things from his wardrobe.

"Pikachu suits you, Noona."

"I think it suits you better."

He turned to face you with a smirk, "Maybe but Pikachu is Noona's now. And you said you would buy me a rabbit onesie."

You hadn't forgotten, you just needed to go shopping with him since you didn't know his size.

"Goodnight BunBun."

"Goodnight Noona."

He flicked the light and shut the door, leaving you to comprehend the fact that you were wearing his clothes in his bed.

You had been sleeping peacefully when you were woken up by the mattress shifting as someone else climbed into the bed. Your eyes snapped open to see what was happening and were greeted by the sight of a shirtless but practically dead looking Jungkook curling up to you. His arms came to wrap around your waist and pulled you to him and his face nuzzled its way into your clothed breasts. You felt your entire face heat up.

You froze, wondering what to do. Did you try to wake him or deal with the fact that Jeon Jungkook was cuddling you? The fangirl in you knew he was an absolute dead weight when asleep so there was no chance of waking him. You looked down at him. He looked so peaceful cuddling up to you. Cute even. Like a small child cuddling their plushie as they slept. You definitely couldn't wake him. He looked too precious. With a small smile, you opted for going back to sleep and dealing with him in the morning. You cradled his head against you to return the hug, carding your fingers through his hair which lulled you back to sleep.

AN: We got the idea for this chapter after I broke my elbow back in February... or was it March... Those two months blurred together for me. You can all relax now. We're back in Korea. Finally. He's really treating her like a princess, isn't he? And the kid ended up in his own bed anyway xD

#boop #tmaht #jungkook #jeon jungkook #BTS jungkook #jeongguk #jeon jeongguk #jeon jeongkook #jungkook scenario #jungkook fanfic #jungkook fluff #bangtan #bangtan sonyeondan #bangtan scenario #jungkook x reader

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