[[Drama 2016] Moonlight Drawn by Clouds / Love in the Moonlight ☪ 구르미 그린 달빛]

Episode 17 was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for the bromance.

That entire scene with Byungyeon and Yeong just broke my heart into a million pieces. I was already gone with Yeong ordering Byungyeon to not put his sword down, all the "Byungyeon-ah"s, the tears and Yeong holding Byungyeon, but then we got the whole if i could only trust one person in the world, it would still be you thing, which gah. Even after everything, even after Byungyeon just held a sword to his throat. Not that Byungyeon would ever have hurt Yeong (and I think they both knew that).

And then we got the flashback. God, the flashback. The wish. It's so simple and yet. He just wants to be Yeong's friend. Excuse me while I go cry some more.

And they were just friends then, the rebellion and the crown set aside, because despite all that, they were friends above all else. The way they interacted after they reunited says everything. I love that when Yeong said he is going to bring Ra-on back to his side, he doesn't even need to articulate that he means to include Byungyeon too.

The same goes for Yeong and Yoonsung, because despite their differences, they are friends at their core. I'm glad they have reached a mutual understanding and can talk openly about their fears and insecurities. When Yeong admitted that he's worried about Yoonsung getting hurt, my heart soared, even if it makes me fear for Yoonsung's life.

And more brief, but no less weighted is the moment between Yoonsung and Byungyeon. The look on Yoonsung's face when Byungyeon fell. That soft, heartbroken call of his name. The way he cried when he thought his dear friend was gone. The fact that he pleaded to save Byungyeon's body and give him the proper send off he deserved. Just slay me. 

I'm honestly not sure if I'm going to survive the finale.

/falls over from the feels 

[[Drama 2016] Moon Lovers ❤ Scarlet Heart Ryeo, 달의 연인-보보경심 려 \^0^/ Soompi Kdrama 2016 Winner]

Things I literally said out loud to my friend as I watched episode 12:

About/At Wook -

• How dare you
• The audacity of this douchecanoe right now
• I can't believe I ever rooted for you GTFO
• Jesus christ did you really just sell your sister out like that; cold as fuuuck
   

About So - 

• Gahhhh.
• Oh my god stop breaking his heart, she might as well have stabbed him
• Look at him standing up to the king yesssssssssss

 

About Jung - 

• Yesss puppy
• Omo he gave her medicine over the years oh my
• You should just whisk Soo away from all this crap 

 

About Baek Ah - 

• You smooth mofo
• Nooooooooooooooooooooo

[[Drama 2016] Moonlight Drawn by Clouds / Love in the Moonlight ☪ 구르미 그린 달빛]

warning: too many feels

There's a lot of talk about people are anxious about the ending and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried.I have faith in the drama that we are going to get a happy, or at least, poignant and satisfying ending for our main pair, but I'm praying that this extends to our other characters because I can see how it could all go wrong for some of them -cough- yoonsung -cough-. 

I've gushed before about how much I love our three boys and their friendship, and I honestly think it will kill me if the drama kills any of them off . 

I want Yeong to rule and be the King he wants to be, with his brand of justice and equality and reform, all with the support of his people and his friends, with Ra-on by his side. I want Yoonsung to be free of the machinations of his faction and to live freely as himself and help change the country for the better. I want Byungyeon to be happy and unburdened at last, free of his secrets and his guilt, with the new family he's built around himself. .I want the three of them to be best friends again, their trust re-established and re-solidified. 

I want Ra-on to finally know what home feels like, to live openly as a girl at last, and to have her dear friend, her 'hyung' and her lover by her side. I want her to be friends with the Princess,who is finally comfortable with herself and happy, as well with Ha-yeon, who doesn't let her heartbreak change her from the cool, feisty and unconventional girl we've seen. And I want both Yoonsung and Ha-yeon to find true love, someone who can fully appreciate them fully for all they are because they are both pretty darn awesome and they should totally be awesome together. 

/crossing all my fingers and toes that we get a happy ending  ♥

[[Drama 2016] Moon Lovers ❤ Scarlet Heart Ryeo, 달의 연인-보보경심 려 \^0^/ Soompi Kdrama 2016 Winner]

@ddeokbokkii I was just thinking about the Emperor's edict before. Considering how condensed Moon Lovers is and the fact that the Emperor is unlikely to live for much longer, the ways I think it could go down:

Spoilers for BBJX and potentially Moon Lovers

Spoiler

Whilst it's possible for the Emperor to leave behind a similar edict, I don't think we have the time or the situation for it. It has not been shown that 14th is a favourite of the Emperor nor has Jung has the chance to shine in battle, or even shown to be in love with Haesoo. I don't doubt he loves her, but for now it's still more as a dongsaeng than as a man. The Emperor might do it almost out of annoyance if 4th and/or 8th keep pushing to marry her, and he wants to put a stop to the infighting. Another option is perhaps for the Crown Prince to make the edict when he becomes Emperor, or even Yo just to spite his brother, but it's shaky reasoning. 

Likely So won't honor the edict anyway, but I'm thinking maybe we don't even need one in this version.  

It's debatable how much So knows about the romance between Soo and Wook, because on one hand, they were super unsubtle, but his comment about Baek-ah could suggest he is not aware. For someone who feels with such intensity and whose love is all-consuming, it may be possible that the fact she was so in love with Wook enough to warn him against So - which likely triggers the battle between them/the conspiracy that harms Baek-ah - could be enough to push So to the edge. And if Haesoo lets him believe she never truly loved him, or that she still loves Wook, or that Jung's feelings for her is reciprocated, it might be enough to push him over. It might not even be marriage, but perhaps he'll consent to her leaving the palace in his hurt and anger?

 

[[Drama 2016] Moon Lovers ❤ Scarlet Heart Ryeo, 달의 연인-보보경심 려 \^0^/ Soompi Kdrama 2016 Winner]

As we settle into the second half and the shift of the pairings from Wook to So, I wonder how much the show is going to be remain true to the original series, and what elements they will change. 

The rain scene was an equally emotional and pivotal moment in the Chinese version, but it was not driven by the same cause. It makes me wonder if the transfer of this hugely significant scene to Lady Oh will mean that the relationship it originally involved will be lessened, or if they will utilise another method of conveying the significance of that incident/relationship.

Major spoilers for the Chinese version and potentially upcoming episodes for this drama:

Spoiler

Ruoxi (Chinese version of Haesoo) does kneel in the rain for days, in the hopes that the Emperor will change his mind and reverse his sentence. However, it's not for Lady Oh, but rather for the 13th prince. The two of them were best friends, kindred spirits and platonic soulmates of sorts. They spoke candidly about society and equality and he was fascinated by her modern ideas, and she valued his friendship and leaned him as she navigated palace politics. 

Similar to Baek-ah, he was also very close with the 4th prince and when the 4th prince was framed for trying to take the throne, he stepped in to shoulder the blame. He was stripped of his title and placed under house arrest, and it was for this that Ruoxi kneels in the rain for three days. When the others try to get her to stop, she tells them that it's the right thing to do and the 13th prince would do the same for her. Whilst she doesn't get the Emperor to change his mind, he does allow 13th prince's lover to join him, which helped significantly ease his loneliness during what ends up being ten long years.

Their friendship remained strong despite his decade long absence and they were each other's source of comfort during their final years. 

We've gotten glimpses of a similar trajectory in Moon Lovers, where Baek-ah and Soo were drinking buddies, and spoke of rather risque concepts (for that time period). I do so wish we got to see this relationship unfold a lot more, rather than mostly in flashback, but I do appreciate that he has steadfastly been on her side since they became friends. He was visibly upset and pushed So to help her when she was getting shipped off to her marriage, and fought for her even after knowing it was the King she was to marry. The fact that he just fronts up and admits that she's special to him. Gah, my heart.

I'm conflicted because I could do without 13th prince being locked up and suffering for years, but I also don't want the intensity and weight of this relationship to be diminished. Their scenes and their relationship just slayed me in the original, and I want that again. 

We still have a fair bit to go, so hopefully they'll convey this relationship better. I just want to see them interact more, and more meaningfully, because it was such a precious relationship, and incredibly heart wrenching.

Apologies for the word vomit, but this is honestly my favourite relationship in the original series. Hands down. 

[[Drama 2016] Moonlight Drawn by Clouds / Love in the Moonlight ☪ 구르미 그린 달빛]

Turned some of my favourite Kwak Dongyeon Instagram pics into Kim hyung/MDBC moodboards ♥

Part 1 - Outtakes 

Part 2 - On set 

Hopefully he is extra kind to us and posts lots more!

[[Drama 2016] Moonlight Drawn by Clouds / Love in the Moonlight ☪ 구르미 그린 달빛]

I have way too many feels about the relationship between the three boys, and I feel like sometimes it gets overlooked because it's much more subtle and complex, and our OTP is just so darn amazing.

It tugs at the heart because fundamentally, their loyalties pull them in three separate directions, but their friendship means so much to them all, even when they are on the outs. Yoonsung doesn't hide that he misses the other two and I think Byungyeon would love for his friends to mend their rift. Yeong might pretend he doesn't care, but we've seen how much it affects him. Yoonsung and Yeong have such an intense dynamic, and it goes beyond the fact that they both love Ra-on. Whatever happened between them is like a wound that hasn't healed after all these years, and it wouldn't be so raw if they didn't care so much. I hope that seeing Yoonsung save him in such a visceral and selfless way will help them on the road back to how they were, and arguably, a potentially even stronger friendship; one that exists despite their differences, not in lieu of them.

And this is true for Yeong and Byungyeon as well, because as much as I dig the prince and loyal bodyguard troupe (and I sooo dig it with these two), it means much more if when Byungyeon ultimately chooses his friend over his faction. I love that despite being told to not befriend the prince from the get go, the friendship and trusts developed anyway. It's killing him - and me! - that Byungyeon feels so guilty and conflicted at every turn, and that Yeong chooses to believe in his friend despite the mounting evidence of betrayal. Instead of pressing for a truthful answer in the face of deception, Yeong reiterates his trust with his "If I could only trust one person in the world, it would be you" line. It absolutely k i l l s me.

I want the three of them to band together properly, because I view them as the pillars of a better Joseon. Yeong is already a better King, one that is strong and idealistic and cares for justice and the wellbeing of his people; one who doesn't waver in the face of opposition or resistance. Yoonsung is intelligent and politically savvy and he cares about what is right more than he cares about strengthening his family. Byungyeon has seen the harsh underbelly of corruption and power on the people, but he's less radical, less filled with hate for the nobility and the crown. He knows Yeong, knows what he is like and what he believes in and unlike his rebellion leaders, I think he has faith in his prince to do better for the people and the country.

Even on different sides, they care about each other, they worry and they protect and I don't doubt they'd put their own lives on the line in a heartbeat to save another. They already work together, even if they don't fully acknowledge it and we've seen how efficient and powerful it can be with the Ra-on rescue. With Yoonsung and Byungyeon by his side, to guide and support him, I think Yeong can become the King he wants to be, and that the people needs him to be.

Plus they can all have awesome sword fighting and happy drinking sessions together forever!

[[Drama 2016] Moonlight Drawn by Clouds / Love in the Moonlight ☪ 구르미 그린 달빛]

Whilst waiting for episode 3...

Two episodes in and I'm smitten already. The story is interesting and layered, and just so much fun! I still can't stop laughing at that entire examination cheating scene, and the nickname dropping scene! 

Kim Yoojung is as fantastic as always and a joy to watch. Bogum is amazing and I'm glad he has the chance to stretch his acting chops further in this role, because I know people talk about his micro-expressions a lot, but they really are something else. It would be so easy to seem two dimensional at this stage of the show, when we know barely anything at all about him, but Bogum paints the prince as someone with a thousand words unsaid, all porcelain and the steel underneath. And nobody tears up - and wrenches my heart - quite like Bogum does.

(...Damn it. This is totally going to be another emotional rollercoaster like Reply 1988, isn't it?)

The pranks are hilarious, the banter is fantastic and the relationship between our prince and his lovely eunuch is already meaningful, even though they are still in the adorable bickering stage. No doubt, that will intensify, in both emotional weight and chemistry. If that scene in the pit was any indication of the kind of sizzle we can expect, then we should all brace ourselves for the heat.

Our main characters are all so full of personality and backstory and hidden depth. We have barely gotten to know them, but already it's obvious that there is so much more. Our prince is more than his rebellious and arrogant facade. Byeongyeon is more than just a kickass bodyguard; Yoonsung more than just a carefree playboy. And Ra-on, our hardworking, heart of gold heroine, has sass and fight and is cheeky enough to leave someone stranded at the bottom of a ditch. 

I want to know why she has had to masquerade as a boy all her life. I want to know what made our prince the way he was when as a boy, he seemed kind and sweet and loving. I want to know about Yoonsung and Byeongyeon and what happened between these three friends that's clearly still weighing on all of them. Give me all the episodes please

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

You ask, and you shall receive @heyyyitsgs20  I hope it's at least somewhat similar to what you wanted haha

/Cue totally self-indulgent filler wordspew of the DSxTK moments we didn't get to see in the show/

Spoiler

It's not until the autumn of 1997 when Taek makes Deoksun cry again.

 

It's stupid and he's not even there when it happens. She's stuck at home, sick with the flu and he's in Taiwan at a major tournament. He plays a twelve hour match against a rising Korean baduk player and he wins in the end, but his opponent is just happy to have played such an intense match against Choi Taek. She's pretty, with intelligent eyes and a cute bob and she is openly interested in him after the match. Unlike Taek who remains fiercely private, she gives a honest interview about how she actually started playing baduk because of Choi Taek and how she's honoured to play him. She makes no attempt to hide her interest in him in front of the media, who happily eats up the story and speculate over whether they have a new golden couple.

 

Taek doesn't even interact with her outside of the match, save for a comment about how she's very skilled when prompted by the reporters, but Deoksun feels the sting of hurt. She's already feeling horrible and inadequate watching Taek shining in his element, whilst she's in her pajamas and with tissues in her nose and seeing this girl next to him...

 

It's not an unfamiliar feeling. She's not blind, she's seen the way other people look at Taek, with awe and respect and desire too. She knows they look at the two of them and they think, it's Choi Taek, it's Master Choi and who is that girl he's with? Why is someone like him with someone like her?

 

This isn't the first time Taek has been linked to someone in the media, and each time her heart pangs, but something about this girl, a mirror of Taek, an equal, feels extra raw. Deoksun had been the one to ask him to deny their dating rumours and to not tell their parents or the press. Taek had been unhappy and she doesn't know how he can be so calm and bold in wanting to declare his feelings for her and show her off as his girl.

 

Her parents are watching excitedly and mum says she is happy that maybe Taek finally found someone he likes, someone who is smart and understands his world, what a perfect match-

 

It's me, she wants to shout and there are tears in her eyes. He's not seeing her, he's with me, we're together, we've been together for years.

 

But she can't, it's not fair, not when she was the one who made Taek not say anything in the first place. She thinks of all the times they've snuck away for kisses, the way they take walks just to spend more time together, the precious times when they're together overseas and they get to go on dates like normal couples. This was her own doing and she has no right to lash out. She goes to her room and tries not to think about what it might have been like if they had just been open all those years ago, and the tears fall before she can wipe them away.

 

 

 

Of course, they all grill Taek about it over dinner when he gets back. They are all huddled at Taek's place and the parents are eager and unsubtle with their questions and teasing. Taek deflects as best as he can, but they all accuse him of hiding something and when Junghwan's dad ask when he's going to bring this girl home, Taek goes quiet.

 

He squares his shoulders and lifts his chin in a way that Deoksun knows means he's had enough with the jokes. In her experience, it usually proceeds him getting very serious.

 

"No, I don't like her."  He meets her eyes across the room and her heart falters when she sees how frustrated and resigned he looks. "I have someone I like."

 

He stays silent as they bombard him with questions and she takes a deep breath. "He's not seeing her. Or the actress. Or the singer."

 

Everyone is staring at her like she's just grown an extra head and Taek's gaze burns into her skin, his eyes wide, surprised and painfully hopeful.

 

It gives her the push to finally says the words. "He's not seeing any of them, because...we're together."

 

No one reacts, though she notes that Sunwoo and Junghwan both grin knowingly. "Taek and I, we're dating, we've been together for three years," she continues. "We love each other."

 

There's another long moment then chaos, and her mum and Sunwoo's mum both burst into tears on the spot and Taek's dad is trying to stay stoic, but he can't stop smiling. Junghwan's parents are most excited of all and just congratulating them. Only Deoksun's dad stays silent and his facial expression is unreadable.

 

Then, slowly, he laughs and shouts at everyone that he's guessed the most important thing right after all, and that breaks the tension completely, and everyone is hugging them and yelling at them for keeping it a secret.

 

 

 

They're both exhausted when they meet up in Tokyo, her on a stopover and he after another international  competition.  They haven't seen each other in over two weeks and she can tell just how gruelling the competition must have been from the way he's slouched against the wall and his eyes are barely open.

 

She grabs his hand and it still takes her breath away a little to see the way he lights up around her, the way his eyes brighten and he breaks out into a wide smile. The way he pulls her into his arms and kisses her. They stay like that, holding each other and making up for lost time. She shivers and it has nothing to do with the winter air.

 

They grab food from a hole in the wall restaurant and headed back to his hotel room so they can eat on the couch freely. There's a Japanese game show playing on the television, but she's not really watching the screen. Rather, she drinks him in as if they haven't seen each other in months. She hasn't even realised how much she's missed him.

 

He looks slimmer, even though he promises he's eating better even when she's not there and there are shadows under his eyes. Her eyes flit over the prominent cheekbones, the sharp jawline, the long eyelashes and she thinks he's beautiful. It's an odd choice of words to describe a man, she knows, but it seems appropriate for Taek, this beautiful, beautiful genius who has become the most important person in her life without her even realising.

 

When did this happen, she thinks faintly, when did I grow to love him this much?

 

It's past midnight and she's so very sleepy, so she can imagine Taek being half asleep already whilst staring at the screen. She's not expecting it when he turns to her and his eyes are focused, serious and purposeful like he's in the middle of a game. "Taek?"

 

He silently takes her hand and he runs his thumb over her knuckles three times before he speaks. "Deoksun-ah, you know how important baduk is to me, right? For a long time, it was everything to me, and I couldn't think of anything better to help me say this."

 

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box and when he pops it open, she stops breathing for a second. There's a white gold ring inside, curved in an infinity sign and inset with an oynx stone in one half and a pearl in the other half.  It's like two baduk pieces coming together and it's like nothing she's ever seen. It is incredibly beautiful.

 

"Sung Deoksun, you are the most important thing in my life, more than baduk, more than anything. Would you like to be by my side for the rest of our lives?"

 

She's started crying as soon as she saw the ring and his words just makes it worse. She can only keep nodding, too choked up to say anything. He smiles and the tension seems to seep out of him and he wastes no time sliding the ring onto her finger. His hand shakes a little and he kisses her on her hand. Words are failing her, so she just leans in to kiss him.

 

He cups her face like he always does and it never fails to make her melt. Her hands come up to embrace him and they lose themselves in the feeling of each other, not even aware of the fact that she's leaning further and further back until she's lying flat on her back and he's hovering over her, almost straddling her. She flushes when she realises how compromising their position is, but she doesn't push him away, her stomach bursting with butterflies.

 

He drops kisses along her jaw and down her neck and they both gasp a little, her from the feeling of his lips against the hollow of her throat and he from her involuntary tug on his hair. She pulls her hands back in embarrassment, but he grabs her wrist and pins it to the couch and resumes kissing her. She meets him halfway and she barely notices when he links their fingers together because she's trying to stop her heart from beating too fast.

 

In this generic hotel room in this unfamiliar city, in a foreign country, Deoksun has never felt more like this is where she belongs, right by Taek's side.

 

When the pull apart to catch their breath, she notices that it's starting to snow. The first snow.

 

Always, she thinks, answering her own question from earlier. He's always been home to me. I just never realised what that really meant.

 

She cups his jaw and kisses him again.

 

 

 

She doesn't hide the ring when she goes to see Junghwan, and he notices almost straight away, but he only looks pleasantly surprised and his smile doesn't falter.

 

He takes to her a restaurant near the base and there's an amused smile on his face when she is taken aback by all the people who salutes him.

 

"Whoa, Jungpal, moving up in the world! I guess you're finally human," she teases.

 

He laughs and swipes her egg and they chat comfortably. She asks him about how it's like on the base, and updates him on how his parents are, and his phone keeps buzzing as they talk.

 

She eyes with a grin and he cuts her off before she can say anything by pointing out her ring. "So, Taek finally popped the question, huh?"

 

It works because immediately she grows sombre and her eyes drop to her food. "Junghwan-ah….I…"

 

"About time! I mean, it's been years right? I thought Taekkie was going to go crazy waiting."

 

Her head whips up and she blinks in shock, "You knew?!"

 

Junghwan laughs. "You two are so similar sometimes, both such fools. I guess Taekkie didn't tell you he came to see me all those years ago did he?"

 

"He did?"

 

"Yeah, just like you, all serious and sorry, as if he wronged me. Then you guys came back from China and I can't believe no one but Sunwoo and I noticed, you two were downright giddy. I hadn't seen Taek so happy in years. Same with you."

 

She flushes to her roots. "I- nothing happened!"

 

He gives her an unimpressed stare. "You just got engaged. Stop trying to hide the fact you are madly in love with the guy already."

 

"It's not like that! We weren't technically hiding-"

 

He scoffs, "You two have done enough waiting and hiding your feelings, so just stop, okay?. He pauses, hesitant. "Deoksun-ah, all those years ago, because of me, Taekkie-"

 

She cuts him off, smiling warmly and takes his hands in her own. "Junghwan, thank you. For everything, thank you."

 

"Who is this?" a new voice cuts in and they both look up to see a beautiful woman with long hair in a ponytail staring at them with concern.

 

They separate quickly and Junghwan stutters as he greets her. "Yah, Bae Joo-hyun, what are you doing just popping out like a ghost?"

 

The girl, Joo-hyun, glares at him. "Maybe if you replied to my messages I wouldn't have to come find you! Who is this?"

 

Junghwan determinedly does not meet Deoksun's teasing gaze.

 

"Hi!" Deoksun quickly greets her and introduces herself, "I'm Sung Deoksun. I'm Junghwan's friend because we all grew up in the same neighbourhood."

 

Joo-hyun bows back in response and her face brightens when she notices the ring on her hand. "Ahh, sorry, I'm one of Junghwan's classmates, Bae Joo-hyun. I've never seen you around here, so I was flustered to see you two being so close."

 

She scratches her head, abashed and smiles apologetically at Deoksun. "I'll leave you two to it then-"

 

"Come join us," Deoksun asks with a grin, and she ignores Junghwan's splutter of protest. "We can exchange embarrassing stories about Junghwan."

 

The girls laugh as if they're already friends and Joo-hyun slots into the seat next to Junghwan, whose ears get redder and redder as they all talk and Deoksun notices the way Joo-hyun keeps touching his arm comfortably and steals his food without asking. Junghwan is all protests and complaints, but he lets her steal his favourite side dishes and there's a stupid smile he can't wipe off his face when Joo-hyun talks about how he was the best in their class and how she always liked a man in uniform. She's adorable and full of energy and he looks downright blown away whenever she leans in close or smiles at him.

 

Deoksun  grins at Junghwan knowingly, who flushes and ducks his head, and she touches her ring, her heart full and lighter than it has been for years.

 

 

They marry at the very start of spring, almost exactly a year later.

 

It's a beautiful, but very simple affair and everyone is happy and excited for the couple. Bora growls that she can't believe Deoksun is making her wear a formal dress when she's ready to pop and Junghwan brings Joo-hyun, but fumbles over what to call her when he introduces her to people. He switches from friend to girlfriend to classmate and back to girlfriend, and Joo-hyun just rolls her eyes and tells him to get her a drink.

 

Deoksun can barely get through her speech without crying though she manages to crack a joke about taking responsibility for him since she broke him as a kid. Taek pours his heart out and talks about how he still can't believe he's so lucky and how he doesn't need to take sleeping pills anymore and how she's changed his life for the better in every way that matters.

 

His words has pretty much everyone crying by the end of it and Deoksun can see both Junghwan and Bora wiping away their tears next to them. Sunwoo and Dongryong are unabashedly crying by this point and Deoksun can see Taek's teacher wiping away tears and clutching at Taek's dad, who is crying in a much more dignified manner.

 

They go honeymoon in Australia, where no one recognises Taek and they spend the two weeks snorkelling and hiking and eating lunch by the ocean and going out to look at stars on a hill. They stay in a little apartment by the beach and go collect seashells and go for walks as the sun sets. It has always been a dream of her to visit Australia and she doesn't want to waste a single moment of it not exploring new things.

 

They wake up together to see the sunrise outside their window and it's bathes them and their bed in a soft glow. Taek runs a hand along her neck and her eyes widen slightly as he slides the strap of her nightgown off her shoulder. He meets her gaze with a slow grin and his fingers trail down her spine teasingly. She shivers and she's ready when he leans in for a kiss and she's on her back within seconds.

 

One of his hands slide up to curve against her ribcage and the other frames her hipbone and her eyes flutter shut with a soft exhale. She would have thought she'd be getting used to this now, but each time, it surprises her in new ways and it takes her breath away without fail.

 

They don't get out of bed for the rest of the day and as he kisses the inside of her thigh, she supposes that it's not like they aren't exploring new things.
 

hahaha I can't believe I did this /hides/

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

I’m still overwhelmed with emotions at the show ending and as much as we would have liked several more hours of scenes for our ship and our beloved characters, I think it’s fitting the way it wrapped up.

As much as I want to see Taek and Deoksun confess to the neighbourhood, to see them engaged, to see their wedding and their married life, I’ve made peace with the fact that we didn’t. This is partly because we got enough glimpses of their relationship for us to know how they will persevere. In the small moments we are allowed, we see them as young lovers who can’t seem to stop holding hands or staring at each others’ lips, we see them act like an old married couple and actually as a married couple who still dote on each other, and we see them in all the ways that reassures us that their love won’t change.

I am over the moon that Deoksun said ‘I love you’ first, because I know how much it must mean to Taek, and it made me tear up the way she so confidently said that her feelings won’t change. His words back to her and the golden turtle is just so fitting, because he too knows his feelings won’t change, and that they can comfortably take their time, knowing their love is strong enough to withstand time.

In the end, Reply 1988 was always about family. The family you are born into and the people who becomes part of your family. And this drama explores these heartfelt nuances in such a moving way that allowed us to care about all the characters. I have no doubt in my mind that the friends stayed in touch, despite moving away and having busy lives. They've grown up so entwined with each other that they wouldn't know how to stay apart, and they would never let something like distance affect the kind of friendship they've fought so hard to maintain.

The ending of saying goodbye to Ssangmun-dong was so hard hitting because it wasn’t just sad to see our five kids not be able to just hang out and sleep over at Taek’s and puppy pile like the adorable people they are. It was just as sad to see the parents have to move away from each other, and to see this place that held so many beautiful memories get abandoned. The goodbye felt too real and poignant and I'm so glad to have shared this journey with you all as we say goodbye to the show. I'm crying like I am saying goodbye to my own youth and neighbourhood.  

May the memories we created here and our love for these characters live as vivid in our recollections years down the track.

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

I know we didn't get as much otp moments as we would have liked in the finale, but let us just take a moment to appreciate the wonderful ones we did get

Deoksun and Taek are soulmates. They have always loved each other, now they are irrefutably in love with each other. It's just the type of love they feel that's shifted and grown over the years, and just like DS didn't need anyone to tell her, doesn't even need to know Taek likes her first, to realise she loves him, they didn't need the words to come together. We don't need the big confessions and the grand proposals and the lavish courtship, because they are happiest when they are just together, home, with each other. and plus, we know they get married and are adorable and live happily ever after

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

a beautiful thoughtful comment from girlfriday (who is more of a DS-JH shipper) in her recap, acknowledging Taek's courageous move 

Quote

[their first-kiss conversation] sounded like a rejection at first, the way she said she lied because she didn’t want there to be awkwardness between them. Taek took it like a rejection too, but it just goes to show that the guy who fights to the end gets the girl, because he risks getting rejected all over again to ask her plainly how she feels now, and she throws a curveball at him and at us. And no matter how heartbroken I am about Jung-hwan, I could never complain about Taek being so bold as to go after the love of his life, and seize the moment when she opens her heart to him. And of course they’re adorable together, but that’s always been the case.

Just to show that not all JH/DS shippers are reacting badly and there are many who are gracious and kind and objectively thinks TK/DS deserves their happy ending. Let us return the favour

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

Also, with regards to the preview, just like the last one, we should take the DS x TK 'conflict' as a positive sign. We already got our confirmation they love each other, but they still have issues to work through, uncertainties to put to rest and challenges to tackle. DS's concerns about affecting Taek's public image, SW and Bora's relationship, their parents' approval etc. These are real obstacles for them to work through, and when they come through it all on the other side, they'll be stronger together for it.

Plus, I want to see Deoksun fight for Taek, to show him that just how much he means to her. We know how much she cares for him, in every way that matters, but I want her to blow Taek away with a display of her love. I felt like she was gearing up for a confession in the hotel room when she said that decisive 'But', but she didn't get the opportunity to say it. I want to see Taek get frustrated or hurt by her pulling away from him/hiding their relationship - because obviously he wouldn't care for a second about his celebrity status, he'd want to show her to the world as his girl - and for DS to be the one to reassure him of her feelings, leaving no doubts left.

and then they can proceed to make out the way two people who finally stop holding back their feelings after doing it for years, do 

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

Still swooning over the kiss scene, but like many of us have pointed out, the moment of them in the streets is incredible, mostly because it is played so casually, so comfortably, without the soaring music and the dramatic slow-mo. It's just two people who have always been comfortable with each other, being comfortably in love.

Sure there's that added layer of excitement of heart-pounding new possibilities and territories they're exploring together. But everything is built upon the utter ease and familiarity they have had their whole lives. The way she takes his hand without hesitation, the way they just beam at each other whilst standing close, the way he just wordlessly opens up his coat and she folds herself into his arms. The fact that they can't wipe their lovesick grins off their faces  Even after their little 'argument', they just step back into the adorable, warm embrace like they belong there.

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

I AM SCREAMINGGGGGG I CAN'T BELIEVE WE GOT THIS GUYS /GROUP HUG/

 

/fans myself because those hands, the way he cradles her face and kisses her so deep and passionate, no wonder she's putty in that chair, holy moly t a e k

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

How amazing would it be if the cast got to film Youth Over Flowers like the Reply 1994 boys did?

 

Imagine them getting semi-kidnapped and bundled off to some foreign country and having to navigate the language and the culture and the fact that Na PD probably gave them absolute chump change.

 

I can already see them being super adorable and dorky and it'd be a wonderful, chaotic, bromance-filled trip as they tell embarrassing stories about each other and cuddle and feed each other food and just generally make us clutch at our faces.

 

 

And @Yesin Lee, it can help us deal with our PBG and Taekie withdrawals haha

 

Now that I've thought it, I can't stop wanting it! HELP!

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

I actually got a little  emotional talking to my friend about what an amazing character Taek is, this quiet, peculiar boy genius with his quirks and his shyness, who barely appeared at the start and now near the end of our story, has peeled back layer after layer, to emerge with one of the most unique character arcs in recent kdrama history.

 

How many of us could have guessed Taek would still be a contender as we head into the finale, and as I personally feel, the  stronger contender? I certainly for one was resigned to just loving Taek on the side. But he's not on the peripherals anymore, not even close, he's shining in an incredible way, regardless of what happens with the husband hunt.

 

Taek has taken all the assumptions and preconceived beliefs about him and challenged them all. He's not an idiot, he's smart, and not just at baduk, and he's shown his perceptiveness and consideration to be on an incredibly high level. He's not just the one everyone babies and takes care of, he steps up when it really matters and oh how he does step up. He's not innocent and naïve, he smokes, he commands respect in a cut-throat competitive world and he has passions and desire and a quiet, fierce intensity.

 

I mean doesn't this parallel just say so much about how he's grown up and how his relationship with Deoksun has evolved?

 

 

People pigeonholed him as chilbongie 2.0 when he joined the love triangle, and I am so, so glad he  has not been reduced to just the boy who loves the girl. We see his strengths and his flaws, his insecurities (and so much kudos to Park Bo Gum for absolutely slaying with his multi-faceted portrayal). We see his bond with his father, with Sunwoo and Dongryong and Junghwan, individually and all together and we see him and DS as genuine friends who think the world of each other, before anything else, and it makes me so very happy.

 

If we are given the beautiful conclusion we are hoping for, then it only makes his, and our, 1% to 100% journey, all the more remarkable.

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

@kilaalaa heheh thank youuu I'm glad you liked my ramblings. I tend to deal with my feels by writing haha (like when that rumour of the accident at the military base was going to be the turning point for DS to realise she loved JH, I pretty much wrote a fix it fic in preparation in case it was true lol) 

i didn't want to spam this forum with too many thoughts haha but I'm sure I will post some more soon 

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

Assuming DS didn’t know about the love triangle, surely she would start to wonder after JH’s confession, right?

Here’s this boy who clearly loved her very much. Why didn’t he ever say anything? Why did he push her away when she liked him too? And why did Taek too, go from asking her to movies and asking her to stay longer, to cancelling and telling her to go home?

She would want to know the truth, which is where I think leads us to the conversation with Taek.

 

and diving straight into delusional fanfic-level imaginings for how I want the preview hotel scene to go…

Spoiler

(Maybe Sunwoo, or even Junghwan himself when they met at the army base, told TK about the confession. He’s the one who brings it up when they are in the hotel room, because she’s too nervous to chat.)

TK would be deceptively casual and say something like, “I heard Jungpal made a grand confession.” 

“He was joking,” she’d say even though she knows it isn’t true.

“He wasn’t,” TK would tell her, laying it all down on the table at last. He won't take an advantage like that. “It was sincere, he loved you. He loves you now.”

“…I know,” she’d finally say. “And I’m very thankful. To 18 year old me, those words would have made me the happiest girl in Seoul.”

TK probably won't even be able to bring himself to look at her at this point, he’s struggling so hard not to let her see his devastation.

“I’m thankful,” she’d say. “And I’m very sorry to him.”

TK turns to look at her, shocked, like we saw in the preview.

DS will hesitate, but push on, her heart on her sleeve. “Because I like someone else. I…like you.”

He’s so shocked he can’t answer. She deflates. “But we’re just friends right? You don’t see me as a woman.”

“No,” he would cuts her off immediately. “We’re not just friends. I do see you as a woman. I love you, as a woman. For as long as I can remember, I have loved you.”

And then he leans in and kisses her until all her doubts disappear and we all d i e from the rawr

 

 

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

Also can we just talk about that shot of DS coming out and TK waiting outside, where they looked at each other like the sun rose and set with the other.

Her face, those hopeful, happy eyes and that shy, excited smile. The blatant affection in his eyes, the way his breath seems to kind of just whoosh out of him and that wide, brilliant, blinding smile. Their gaze and their focus 110% on each other.

It obviously wasn’t a coincidental meet up in the streets either, and I am so excited to see it in full! /replays preview/

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

9 minutes ago, Wendy Wang said:

Taek on the other hand always treated Deok Sun the same. He's just not making a move. He's not hiding his feelings but he's also not showing them, which could ACTUALLY lead to Deok Sun falling for him.

And that is SUCH a significant difference. Taek held back from confessing and pursuing Deoksun, but he never stopped being her friend and even though he stepped back, he never alienated her. Not to say that Junghwan necessarily did, and putting distance between them and drawing clear lines is a common way of dealing, but his coping mechanism did inadvertently hurt DS.

But these two boys are both so noble and considerate towards each other, I just really want DS to come in and help them out by following her heart haha (although I don't think TK is going to back down anymore hence the heart-to-heart 'I'm sorry to you, but I love her too much' chat he'll have with JH).

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

11 minutes ago, minibunny said:

@taeksun huuu this scenario would be exciting.. We can see taek angry and show many people that TK that still doubt him, he can protect her.. Huuu friday only one day ahead 

haha good thing Friday is soon, because I'm starting to go crazy imagining all the different scenarios!

- smarmy guy is rude and demanding to DS -
Taek walks up and stares him down, and he says in that cool, commanding tone something like 'you shouldn't treat people like that." And it's not even anything aggressive, but coupled with his demeanour, the guy probably backs down straight away. And it'll be like when Taek told the reporter to leave. No way can DS see him as anything but a man.  
(Bonus if the guy has a girlfriend who swoons over manly, handsome, Choi Taek 9-dan hahaha I'm so mean)

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

6 hours ago, minibunny said:

2. TK and DS are in the same flight.. If many of you guess he's being clingy.. My bet would be a guy behave inappropriate way towards DS (I heard often some stewardess got this kind of treatment by bad customers) and TK comes fowards to protect DS and DS's friends amaze with that. Then they ask about her relationship with TK.. 

@minibunny I think this is a likely scenario and a very exciting one, even if it's terrible for DS. There is absolutely no way TK will stand by and watch anyone treat DS poorly, and it would feed nicely into their growing display of closeness. Plus if we see her looking after him on the flight earlier, it would be the perfect showcase of their mutual care and protectiveness, to have manly Taek step up to defend her.

4 hours ago, .crestfallen. said:

I think he might have figured it out as soon as he saw her outfit and the way she hesitantly stepped into DR's car while acting overexcited about the concert.

Both TK and JK scoffed at DS' lie that she "didn't get dumped," but TK was the only one scanning her up and down in concern. He knows she likes to protect her pride and would end up staying at the concert even if alone.

@.crestfallen. I would absolutely adore this scenario and I think it's very in character for Taek to realise all on his own, just like he realised Junghwan's feelings back then without anyone telling him. Taek is extremely perceptive and he knows DS so, so well, that it's not hard to believe that he might have realised that she wasn't being honest. I am now in love with the idea that he didn't need to see or hear concrete proof that she was dumped, and that just the possibility that she is there alone is enough for him to abandon his baduk match and run to her. /clutches at my face/

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

They are going to keep us hanging till the end aren't they haha? 

Having rewatched the preview, I can only say I'm hopeful. If we had gotten more 'happy' taeksun moments, I'd probably actually be more worried.

junghwan's chuckle-smile when taek tells him about the wallet says so much. That is not someone who is a rival, that is someone who is a good friend and who wants the best for his friend. 

And the way taek and deoksun look at each other and just smile involuntarily also just says everything. Their feelings are too strong to be hidden anymore. I think deoksun is going to confess, to put herself out there and like someone, pursue someone, first. Not because of others, but because of her own heart. 

The two of them - and every single one of us - are probably going to be in tears by the end of that hotel scene and hopefully it'll be purely happy tears  and for our faith, maybe we'll be rewarded with a kiss or two (or three or.....) 

[Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN]

First time posting  (I can't believe I actually got this username) but the feelings became too immense to not share and this wonderful, welcoming thread was the only place that felt appropriate to share this. Warning, long gush of feelings.

 

I think in a way, what Deoksun felt for Taek, at least pre-episode 18,  is similar to what many of us felt for this ship and its journey. At first, tentative and uncertain, then growing stronger and deeper, but still tempered from going all in by the fear of what if it doesn't work out.

 

We still don't know what happened in the past. I am almost positive that the 'dream' kiss wasn't just a dream, and I can't wait for the last two episodes to fill in the spaces.  It's possible that the reason she never said anything to Taek in 1988 or in the years that followed, was because she learned about the love triangle and just like Junghwan and Taek, didn't want to do anything to jeopardise the precious friendship they have. Even if she didn't know, it's reasonable that 18 year old Deoksun with all her insecurities and having been burnt not once, but twice by her crushes, could not bring herself to risk maybe losing her dearest friend over her uncertain feelings.

 

So she never said anything to him back then, but I doubt she ever stopped liking him either. In fact, I think as the years passed, the tentative heart pounding flutter of first love blossomed into something more real, more heartfelt, considerate and weighted. She watched as he went on dates with other girls and it probably made her feel lost in a way the other boys' 'rejections' didn't. And so she dated other boys, but none of which made her smile the way he could and none of which even began to fill the hole that his absence left.

 

But then at her lowest point in years, freezing and dumped and absolutely alone standing on the street, he had appeared, impossibly, wonderfully, like someone out of a dream, panting and smiling, with flyaway hair and an incredible warmth, with his jacket and his presence. They probably had a wonderful time at the concert, carefree and happy, and with any other boy, Deoksun would have felt uncomfortable with way she was dressed and her bare face, but with Taek, she'd feel okay to be like this, to be just her, because in the end, that's always been the only thing he's wanted. Just her.

 

I spent so many episodes fighting against myself so I won't be hurt by the ending just in case, but seeing Taek forfeit his baduk match and run to be by her side, I can't imagine Deoksun won't finally feel brave enough to show him her heart too, and they can finally face each other without hiding how much they love each other. And so we too, should be brave and take that leap with them.