Joo Won 주원 [Current Drama 2024 - The Midnight Studio/ 야한(夜限) 사진관]

[kireeti2]

26 minutes ago, kittyna said:

what's the norm in India?

It is still evolving, Indian drama means typical soap opera, where they'll drag series for like 2000 to 3000 episodes. But talks to OTT platforms, we are also able to see dramas which have solid plot and quality production. ;ike K-drama, human aspects are also there, but darker side like; drugs,corrupt system, corrupt police force, evil politicians(K-drama evil politician are amateurs in front of India type) etc. which make the drama worth watching. I hope you heard of "Sacred Games", it was the first drama to break the glass ceiling and I also heard it was quite popular on Netflix. But it came in 2017, so you can imagine my country dramas are at nascent state, and need some time to increase quality in story and also in production.

 

39 minutes ago, kittyna said:

I'd want to see JW in a supporting role rather than the lead: as someone who advises or mentors the teenage prince rather than as the prince himself.

On second thought, he can play an role of evil advisor who wants the throne for himself, with joo won's expressions and his voice that role would be a treat to watch.

 

41 minutes ago, kittyna said:

If there ever were a serious sageuk on the subject

Yeah I would also like to watch a serious plot in this Genre, like real politics, not the one where everything is revolved around Leads regardless of Male/female. Only drama which depicts serious sageuk genre is "The kingdom", even though it is fiction work, but the politics in the drama was very real. The way people try to stay in power was aptly shown

[kittyna]

13 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I hope you heard of "Sacred Games", it was the first drama to break the glass ceiling and I also heard it was quite popular on Netflix. But it came in 2017, so you can imagine my country dramas are at nascent state, and need some time to increase quality in story and also in production.

 

Hate to break it to you, but I can't say I have - my knowledge of any sort of popular culture outside of Hallyu is quite limited 

 

13 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

On second thought, he can play an role of evil advisor who wants the throne for himself, with joo won's expressions and his voice that role would be a treat to watch.

 

13 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Yeah I would also like to watch a serious plot in this Genre, like real politics, not the one where everything is revolved around Leads regardless of Male/female. Only drama which depicts serious sageuk genre is "The kingdom", even though it is fiction work, but the politics in the drama was very real. The way people try to stay in power was aptly shown

 

The problem is that most of the evil advisor-type characters I've seen so far in political/court intrigue sageuks have been pretty one-dimensional. While greed and ambition are certainly factors, having those as the sole motivators tends to turn out really flat and cliché, in my opinion - villains like that end up just looking like mustache-twirling cartoon villains after a while.

 

If JW does end up playing a sageuk villain, I want him to be one who has stronger motivations and who's the hero of his own story - maybe someone who starts off with good intentions, but ends up veering to the dark side (like what you see in Gaksital); or someone who opposes the protagonist because he believes, in his own twisted way, that he's the one who's right and the protagonist is the one who's wrong. For example, one of my favourite serious sageuks, Jang Yeong Sil, features antagonists who oppose King Sejong's reforms because they believe that encouraging Joseon's scientific advancements would offend China (and thus put Joseon's safety at risk) and that making education accessible to the people through the invention of hangeul script would be an affront to Confucian thought (because with education, the working classes might rebel against the nobles). Bad guys like that were really interesting to watch, for me, because while they were ultimately wrong in the grand scheme of things - and their methods were definitely immoral - their reasoning was understandable and realistic.

 

So...someone like Gyun Woo gone wrong, or a sageuk version of Lee Kang To or Kimura Shunji - I'd like for JW to play that sort of antagonist rather than, say, what we see from My Sassy Girl's antagonist (nothing against Jung Woong In as an actor - he's awesome and one of my favourites - but his character was pretty cartoonish in his level of villainy).

 

By the way, @kireeti2, going back to your earlier post about JW's army juniors still calling him Sergeant...was I the only one who somehow failed to realize that that wasn't any hoobae, but BIGBANG's Taeyang?

 

 

Yeah, my knowledge of K-pop - and K-pop idols - is officially crap.  Don't mind me.

[kireeti2]

17 minutes ago, kittyna said:

The problem is that most of the evil advisor-type characters I've seen so far in political/court intrigue sageuks have been pretty one-dimensional. While greed and ambition are certainly factors, having those as the sole motivators tends to turn out really flat and cliché, in my opinion - villains like that end up just looking like mustache-twirling cartoon villains after a while.

Yeah I too agree with you, villains needs to have some kind of background story to justify why they are doing evil things. In most of the historical drams it is just to gain power, but they need add more dimensions like hate, jealousy or some kind of injustice happened to him or his family member(like peter in Games of Thrones)

30 minutes ago, kittyna said:

who oppose King Sejong's reforms because they believe that encouraging Joseon's scientific advancements would offend China (and thus put Joseon's safety at risk) and that making education accessible to the people through the invention of hangeul script would be an affront to Confucian thought (because with education, the working classes might rebel against the nobles). Bad guys like that were really interesting to watch, for me, because while they were ultimately wrong in the grand scheme of things - and their methods were definitely immoral - their reasoning was understandable and realistic.

You mean like conservative mind person or the one who likes business as usual, I do think they are intriguing characters to watch, but I think they are far from realist. Realist the one who lack ideology both good and bad, they only like things to stay stable even at the cost of lives of common people. So, I think Lee kang to at the beginning was a realist, who thought fighting against a strong adversary was of no use and joined them, I think part of the success of bridal mask is due to the character arch

35 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Hate to break it to you, but I can't say I have - my knowledge of any sort of popular culture outside of Hallyu is quite limited 

 

Lol, it's okay, I mean Hallyu itself is huge universe to keep track of

 

49 minutes ago, kittyna said:

was I the only one who somehow failed to realize that that wasn't any hoobae, but BIGBANG's Taeyang?

You are not alone, I was also not able recognize that it BigBang Taeyang, or that of matter I did not know big bang existed till last last month, I found K-pop rather recently, like I found out about it like end of of 2019.

 

52 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Yeah, my knowledge of K-pop - and K-pop idols - is officially crap.  Don't mind me.

Lol, mine is even more crappier, I didn't know IU existed till end of 2019 and only K-pop or I use to think singer I knew was PSY, thanks to his hit music video. But I do appreciate the fans of K-pop, like they know name of every single person of their favorite group regardless of members in the group

[kittyna]

8 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

You mean like conservative mind person or the one who likes business as usual, I do think they are intriguing characters to watch, but I think they are far from realist. Realist the one who lack ideology both good and bad, they only like things to stay stable even at the cost of lives of common people. So, I think Lee kang to at the beginning was a realist, who thought fighting against a strong adversary was of no use and joined them, I think part of the success of bridal mask is due to the character arch

 

I meant "realistic" as in "natural" - like, I could actually see someone thinking or behaving like that. Not in the difference between an idealist and a realist. However, if it's that second definition of "realistic" you want, then yes, Kang To is a great example  He starts off working alongside the Japanese for pragmatic reasons, and even later, as Gaksital, he's doing it more for personal reasons (i.e. to atone for his sins by finishing what Kang San started) than because he actually believes fighting against the Japanese is the right thing to do. He does come to understand his more idealistic comrades eventually, but it takes a while.

 

8 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Lol, mine is even more crappier, I didn't know IU existed till end of 2019 and only K-pop or I use to think singer I knew was PSY, thanks to his hit music video. But I do appreciate the fans of K-pop, like they know name of every single person of their favorite group regardless of members in the group

 

Yeah - chances are, if I know of a K-pop idol, it's probably as someone who's also branched into acting, like IU. And, well, PSY is PSY - I'm pretty sure even people who weren't into Hallyu knew who he was, the same way everyone knows BTS now.

 

BoA is the exception for me, because I actually listened to her Japanese stuff - not even realizing she was Korean - before I got into Hallyu. And then my interests shifted to K-dramas and I wound up not really thinking about or paying attention to her for a long while...and then the dating news broke out and I was like, "Wha...???"

 

And that's my weirdest K-pop related experience for you all.  

 

Anyway, I know that it's been a while since I've put together an interactive activity - and maybe the need's not so great now that restrictions are slowly lifting all around the world (I personally don't feel safe enough yet to venture outside, but I'm also not you guys).

 

I actually have a ton of stuff lined up for June in connection to Father's Day, but since we're still in May, I'm doing something a bit more silly and random to pass the time: a Crossover version of Scattergories. In other words, each prompt will need you to visualize two characters from two different dramas inhabiting the same universe - so let your imagination go wild.

 

Spoiler

Scattergories - Crossover Edition

 

Quick rundown of the rules:

• Read the prompts carefully: questions might be about the JW drama guy (i.e. the male lead), the JW drama girl (i.e. the female lead), or both! (I'll put those words in bold to make it easier)
• Don't overthink this - just go with your gut response. Answers will get silly this time around  
• You are allowed to repeat or leave out any characters of your choice
• You are invited to provide reasons or further explanation for any of these, but just the names are fine

So here goes - enjoy!

 

1. Two JW drama guys who would be good friends

2. Two JW drama guys who would be enemies

3. Two JW drama guys who I'd like to see as roommates (they can either get along or not - you decide)

4. Two JW drama guys who'd fight like cats and dogs, but actually have each other's backs in a crisis

5. Two JW drama girls who would be good friends

6. Two JW drama girls who would get on each other's nerves

7. One JW drama guy and one JW drama girl I'd want in my friend squad

8. An alternative couple (i.e. One JW drama guy and one JW drama girl from two different dramas) I'd be curious to see

 

 

So, yeah, this one's just silly - have fun!

[kireeti2]

Here's the update of Joo won on weibo, acting cute or Aegyo if we go with Korean pop culture. I thought his Aegyo days were over as soon as he had joined in military(that's what he said in an interview before enlistment, that he wanted to act more mature and lose his cute side and transform into more mature actor), but I think he got still few more years to act cute.

[kireeti2]

57 minutes ago, kittyna said:

BoA is the exception for me, because I actually listened to her Japanese stuff - not even realizing she was Korean - before I got into Hallyu. And then my interests shifted to K-dramas and I wound up not really thinking about or paying attention to her for a long while...and then the dating news broke out and I was like, "Wha...???"

 

And that's my weirdest K-pop related experience for you all.  

Wow!! It really is surreal experience, your favorite k-pop star dating your favorite k-drama actor, even if it is for brief period

[kireeti2]

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

1. Two JW drama guys who would be good friends

Joo won's drama roles are so unique, they have no similarities to compare if not they are mostly from different universe. But for the sake of question I'll go with: KIM TAE HYUN AND PARK SI ON: The first reason is that they both are doctors and bound to have some similarities and they both have abusive father, so I think they might bond over while drawing parallels with their fathers. And lastly Kim tae hyun might end up being the replacement of his big brother for si on, since his big brother and kim tae hyun have lot of similarities, they both are brave and will not tolerate injustice. If go further kim tae hyun is also in similar position of park si on big brother, so, I think they'll be more than friends

 

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

2. Two JW drama guys who would be enemies

Han Gil Ro and Cha Yoo jin, these two have polar opposite personalities, I think these two cannot stand each other even for a minute.One is diligent with his work and always strive to in stable environment and the others is kind of lazy(lethargic) and always craves for adventure and cannot sit still in one place

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

3. Two JW drama guys who I'd like to see as roommates (they can either get along or not - you decide)

Gyeon Woo and Cha yoo jin: These will not talk much but will be busy with their own work, one with practicing music, and other trying to become a scholar. I am pretty sure both will have no complaints to stay as roommates,on top of that they might enjoy each others company

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

4. Two JW drama guys who'd fight like cats and dogs, but actually have each other's backs in a crisis

HAN GIL RO AND LEE KANG-TO: I know, it is odd pairing. But, if you think carefully, I don't see any reason they both getting along with each other, but they both like to fight injustice at least one of them wants to and other guy simply fights for fun

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

5. Two JW drama girls who would be good friends

This one is really tough: Hye-myung and Nae-Il, for this have only one reason, both are crazy like hell and both enjoy teasing their boyfriends.

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

6. Two JW drama girls who would get on each other's nerves

Cha yoon seo and Han yeo-jin: I think yoon seon have very high moral standards where as Yeo-jin won't think twice doing an immoral or unethical thing to get what she wants, so, I think they both will have hard time coming in terms with each other

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

7. One JW drama guy and one JW drama girl I'd want in my friend squad

Park Si-on and Cha yoon seo: It would be fun have them in squad, both are adorable to watch and will have lot fun while drinking together and si-on could later help us reach home after we get wasted.

5 hours ago, kittyna said:

8. An alternative couple (i.e. One JW drama guy and one JW drama girl from two different dramas)

While in each other they are perfect together, but if I have to choose one, I'll go with Lee kang-To and Shin yoo-kyung: One reason is that Lee Kang To lost his first love at the end of the drama, so, it was easy to choose him and Yoo-kyung having toxic relationship with Ma jun, that's why, I think these two could be alternative pair. I cannot imagine any other alternative pair, rest are so perfect for each other.

[kittyna]

6 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Here's the update of Joo won on weibo, acting cute or Aegyo if we go with Korean pop culture. I thought his Aegyo days were over as soon as he had joined in military(that's what he said in an interview before enlistment, that he wanted to act more mature and lose his cute side and transform into more mature actor), but I think he got still few more years to act cute.

 

I think aegyo is a part of core personality, once it's tempered enough to be actually age-appropriate. JW's always going to have a gentle and caring heart and an affectionate attitude towards his friends; add to that his desire to stay somewhat pure and innocent regardless of age, and I think the aegyo is here to stay. It'll just evolve  

 

And, wow - your responses to the game are so different from mine! But that's what makes this particular version fun; imaginations can go wild  

 

So here are my responses:

 

1. Two JW drama guys who would be good friends - Gyun Woo and Cha Yoo Jin

 

So...same response as one of yours, @kireeti2, just for a different entry . I think they can share a lot of common interests - or, if nothing else, they'd both be interested in what the other is passionate about - and I also think they share a number of core values. Both are somewhat conservative in their thinking, preferring to stick to the rules whenever possible - but both have ever-so-slight rebellious streaks that allow them to choose to do what's right when the odds are stacked against them. So, in some ways, it'd be like the two of them (plus their respective partners) against the world.

 

2. Two JW drama guys who would be enemies - Gu Ma Jun and Park Si On

 

Okay, this combination...would be just absolutely brutal. I can actually see Si On trying to befriend Ma Jun at first, since he always starts with that. But he'd only get pushed back over and over again, and it's only a matter of time before Ma Jun lashes out with either violence or some really derogatory comments. Which would probably make Si On withdraw, to be honest. But even if he doesn't - even if he keeps trying - he'd find himself so put off by Ma Jun's unscrupulous and selfish behaviour that even he'd have enough eventually.

 

3. Two JW drama guys who I'd like to see as roommates (they can either get along or not - you decide) - Cha Yoo Jin and Hwang Tae Hui OR Cha Yoo Jin and Park Si On

 

Okay, I'm cheating a bit with this tie, but take it as one more serious/realistic answer, and one "just curious" answer. 

 

So, the serious answer: Cha Yoo Jin and Hwang Tae Hui. I don't think they would be close - their schedules mean that they probably won't be at home at the same time enough to become good friends - but I do think they'd get along peacefully. Both are quiet, tidy individuals who don't like getting in other people's way, so I can imagine them managing both private and shared spaces quite well.

 

And the silly answer: Cha Yoo Jin and Park Si On. Nothing in this one, really; it's just that I see enough in common between Si On and Nae Il that I'd be really curious to see how this plays out  

 

4. Two JW drama guys who'd fight like cats and dogs, but actually have each other's backs in a crisis - Hwang Tae Hui and Kim Tae Hyun

 

In some ways, it'd be like the love-hate relationship that Tae Hyun has with the cop in Yong Pal, where we start off with Tae Hui and Tae Hyun on opposite sides of the law, only to end up working together once they realize they actually share the same values and goals (i.e. taking out even bigger bad guys). So, in public, they'd still be caught in this elaborate cat and mouse game (with Tae Hui pursuing Tae Hyun), but in private, there'd be a mutual respect that would come handy in an emergency.

 

5. Two JW drama girls who would be good friends - Cha Yoon Seo and Seol Nae Il

 

They're both bubbly, idealistic, social individuals, and both love helping others (especially kids). They'd also both appreciate a chance to get away from their super-introverted boyfriends every now and again  I think that Nae Il's more girly nature would mesh well with Yoon Seo's more tomboyish side, such that they'd be alike, but not so much so that it gets annoying. I can imagine these two getting together for coffee, for instance; or Nae Il trying (and failing - hilariously) to give Yoon Seo a makeover, while Yoon Seo tries to draw Nae Il into some of her favourite leisure activities (hiking, for instance).

 

6. Two JW drama girls who would get on each other's nerves - Han Yeo Jin and Hye Myung OR Han Yeo Jin and Seol Nae Il

 

Again, I have a tie response, so allow me to break this down.

 

Han Yeo Jin and Hye Myung: Both are headstrong and tough young women, but their actual values and worldviews are vastly different. In this case, it'd be hard against hard, with neither willing to give in to the other's persuasion (e.g. if Hye Myung disagrees with Yeo Jin's methods for taking down those who've hurt her, or if Yeo Jin thinks some of Hye Myung's behaviour is unbecoming for a lady). However, there is just enough overlap that, if they ever do end up on the same page...watch out  These girls are dangerous, and they know it.

 

Han Yeo Jin and Seol Nae Il: Yeah, no way are they going to be able to be on the same page about, well, anything. Especially on Nae Il's part: she'd never accept Yeo Jin's way of doing things, and might just turn into a female version of Tae Hyun under those same circumstances.

 

7. One JW drama guy and one JW drama girl I'd want in my friend squad - Kim Tae Hyun and Cha Yoon Seo

 

With both of them being doctors with a clear sense of right and wrong, as well as being able to handle themselves in a level-headed manner in an emergency, I think they'd make an awesome tag team. I think that I'd have a ton of respect for whatever they're doing, and could only hope that they'd let me join in as well. Plus, both of them have rough edges with a soft heart underneath, so I think any sort of social gathering would be filled with good-natured banter and fun times.  

 

8. An alternative couple (i.e. One JW drama guy and one JW drama girl from two different dramas) I'd be curious to see - Cha Yoo Jin and Han Yeo Jin

 

Okay, this one's just pure random crack - because it's one alternative pairing I could envision either going really well, or really poorly, with no in-between. As a base point, there's just enough in common in their upbringing and social context that they'd understand each other's environments: Yoo Jin being aware of how uber-competitive Yeo Jin's world is, and Yeo Jin understanding Yoo Jin's accumulated traumas (from the plane crash, but also his relationship with his father). So if they can help each other, that'd be great to watch. However, things can just as easily go poorly if, rather than healing each other, they end up fueling or enabling each other's maladaptive behaviours (e.g. Yoo Jin's tendency to isolate himself and to drown his sorrows with alcohol, or Yeo Jin's thirst for vengeance). So, yeah: not sure how this would play out, but it'd make an interesting drama either way, with the difference being whether they end up the heroic or villainous pair  

[kireeti2]

8 hours ago, kittyna said:

Okay, I'm cheating a bit with this tie

Yes!! you are cheating, you never said or mentioned about having more than one option

8 hours ago, kittyna said:

And, wow - your responses to the game are so different from mine! But that's what makes this particular version fun; imaginations can go wild  

I too agree, having different opinions does enrich ideas and imaginations of both the parties. You are options does made me realize that they are some many possible ways of pairing. Reasons were also thought provoking and fun to read

8 hours ago, kittyna said:

Gyun Woo and Cha Yoo Jin

Wow, my roommates option is your best friends options, LOL

 

8 hours ago, kittyna said:

I think aegyo is a part of core personality, once it's tempered enough to be actually age-appropriate. JW's always going to have a gentle and caring heart and an affectionate attitude towards his friends; add to that his desire to stay somewhat pure and innocent regardless of age, and I think the aegyo is here to stay. It'll just evolve  

Yeah, you are right, but I think he this aegyo thing is only for his peers and seniors. I think joo won would be reluctant to show his aegyo side to his juniors, he will be kind of strict cum nurturing towards them

[kittyna]

22 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Yeah, you are right, but I think he this aegyo thing is only for his peers and seniors. I think joo won would be reluctant to show his aegyo side to his juniors, he will be kind of strict cum nurturing towards them

 

Well, I should certainly hope so - I do find the age-based hierarchy in Korean culture does force people to grow up and become more mature over time.  Which is why I'm looking forward to seeing the new-and-improved JW, starting with Alice onward  

 

And I know this post is coming out later than usual...because I've been writing again. So here is Preview #1 of the next installment for Seolleim in Salzburg:

 

Spoiler

Click.

 

The printer on my desk suddenly whirs to life, spitting out a single sheet of paper. Stifling a yawn, I grab it absentmindedly from the tray, not even realizing that it isn’t mine until I start reading it.

 

“Ya, Seollebal,” I call out, my eyes widening in surprise. “Is this yours?”

 

Still seated at her desk, Nae Il swivels around to face me. “Eh?”

 

I hold the up the printout so she could see it. Eyes lighting up in recognition, she nods, then crosses over to take it from me.

 

My brow furrows as she returns to her desk. “What are you looking at apartments for?”

 

Nae Il blinks at me, incredulous. “It’s not for me, Orabang – it’s for the others.”

 

“Mwo?”

 

She throws herself back in her seat, shooting a deadpan look in my direction. “Don’t you remember, Orabang? That’s the AirBnB our friends booked for their visit; I’m just printing it out for reference.”

 

“Ah.” Throwing down my pencil, I reach up to massage my aching temples with both hands. “Mianhae, Nae Il-ah – with all that’s been going on, that must have slipped my mind.”

 

She responds with a sympathetic pout. “You haven’t been getting much sleep lately, haven’t you.”

 

I wince. “Mm.”

 

Over the past few weeks, it seems like everything has been piling on all at once. In addition to working with Elise to figure out the logistics for the summer tour and our recently signed contracts, there are the actual school assignments I have coming due: the usual final tests and papers; a detailed report based on my practicum this past year with the opera department; and a composition that – despite Nae Il’s assurances to the contrary – is coming out far too insipid and uninspired for my liking, I possessing almost none of her creative capabilities. Add to that the time spent practicing for my upcoming piano performances – my own solo recital as well as the Paderewski concerto for the tour – and it’s no wonder that my schedule is already close to packed.

 

But then, as though that wasn’t already enough, I received yet another assignment from Professor Stresemann: to take the fully annotated scores I’d already sent him for our upcoming tour and rewrite my comments on the individual parts. My protests were met with a stern admonishment that my duty as a guest conductor was to make things as easy for the orchestra members as humanly possible, so I’ve spent the last several nights scrambling to complete the tedious and thankless task.

 

The only consolation thus far is that I am not alone: Lee Yoon Hoo has been given the same task for his scores. Although he does not need to pull all-nighters to fit it in like I do, he does have the additional challenge of translating his notes, originally written in English, into German. More than once, I’ve received text messages from him asking for help; and, knowing the tight deadline we’ve been given by the Professor, I’ve had little choice but to oblige.

 

Smiling fondly at me, Nae Il disappears into the kitchen with her printout, returning several minutes later with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. “Here you go, Orabang,” she says, setting it down on my desk. “It’s a double – just the way you like it.”

 

I accept it with a word of thanks, taking as large a swallow of the steaming brew as I could manage. Nae Il, still smiling, pulls her chair closer to sit beside me and gestures at the pile of sheet music on the desk. “How much more do you still have left?”

 

“I’m almost done, thank goodness; just have to finish this bit, then I can scan the whole thing and email it to the Professor.” Pointing to the relevant parts, I add, “I thought about whether to do the strings first or save them for last – but now I’m glad I saved them because that means I only have the easiest part left.”

 

She tilts her head slightly. “You mean the violins?”

 

Smothering yet another yawn with one hand, I nod. Seemingly satisfied with my response, Nae Il’s smile widens. “Well, if you can, Orabang, try to take the rest of today off, at least.” She cuts off my protests with a single raised hand. “Of course, if you still want to practice, I’m not stopping you; I get that that part’s not actually work for you. But everything else can wait just one day.”

 

She meets my stare with an equally challenging one of her own until, after a long moment, I concede with a sigh. “Arasseo. Just let me finish the violin part, and then you’ll have me for the rest of the day."

 

Nae Il beams, answering me with a vigorous nod. As I copy out my notes from the full score onto the first violin part, I change the subject back to the printout from before. “So does this mean everyone is accounted for?”

 

“Ne, Orabang.” From the corner of my eye, I can just manage to make out her hand as she counts on her fingers. “Each of us had ten free tickets for our concerts to give out, so that includes us, Eomeonim, my parents….”

 

“Abeoji.”

 

“Ne – by the way, Orabang; I’ve already checked to make sure that he and Eomeonim took out rooms in different hotels, so no need to worry about that.” When I nod gratefully in response, she resumes her count. “There’s Milch – of course – Yoon Hoo-sunbae….”

 

“Chae Do Kyung.”

 

She shoots me a look. “Only because you asked me to, Orabang.”

 

“Ara,” I retort, completely unfazed as I wave one hand at her. “Go on.”

 

“And now, with this place, there’s also Rak-kun and Si Won-eonnie.”

 

“I see. Does that make ten?”

 

Nae Il nods, frowning just a bit. “I’d so hoped that Mini Min Hee would be able to come, too. It’s crazy how ten free tickets could feel like so much at first, but then run out so fast.” Her gaze hardens. “If you hadn’t asked me to invite Chae Do Kyung, Orabang, then–”

 

I raise my hand to stop her. “We’ve been over this, Seollebal: Choi Min Hee already said she couldn’t come because of her own exams. Would I ask you to offer your last ticket to Do Kyung if that hadn’t been the case?”

 

“I know.” Eyes round as saucers, she pouts at me. “But still.”

 

“Besides,” I add, one corner of my twitching up in a wry smirk, “considering what I’ve had to agree to in exchange, Seollebal, I daresay you got the better end of the deal.”

 

She makes a face. “That doesn’t count, Orabang.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because asking me to invite your ex-girlfriend to my grad recital is hardly the same thing as letting our touring partner stay with us rather than in a hotel.”

 

“Arasseo,” I retort, “but for a whole month?”

 

Nae Il shrugs. “So?”

 

“So why not with the Professor? Why does it have to be us?” When she merely presses her lips together to suppress a laugh, I move to explain. “You know how on-edge I feel when we have guests over – and this isn’t just any guest, but Lee Yoon Hoo.”

 

“Milch said it’d be a good chance for you two to learn to get along better, and Elise said it would save us money if we could share accommodations throughout this whole tour.”

 

“Ara – but at this rate, we’re not going to have a single day just to ourselves until August, when we get to Leipzig. Doesn’t that bother you?”

 

She raises an eyebrow. “Wae? Does it bother you?”

 

“A-ani.” I shake my head, forcing the thought of the ring I’d ordered for her to the back of my mind. “It’s just that you’re usually the one who hates it when there’s a third wheel in the house.”

 

Nae Il looks unconvinced at my lie, but if she suspects the actual truth, she doesn’t comment on it. “Well, as long as you two can get through this summer without throttling each other,” she quips back, starting to get up from my desk, “I think I can manage.”

 

“Arasseo.” As she turns to leave, however, I call out to stop her. “One more thing, Seollebal.”

 

She glances back over her shoulder. “Eh?”

 

“Having Lee Yoon Hoo stay here is one thing,” I say firmly, “but letting him have my room is another.”

 

Nae Il turns all the way back around. “Orabang….”

 

“I mean it, Seollebal. If I’m going to do this, I need at least some space to myself.” Before she could interrupt, I add, “And don’t even think about offering him yours, either.”

 

“I wasn’t going to,” she quips back smartly. “But I will ask you to reconsider about your room, Orabang.”

 

I stare at her, incredulous. “Mwo?”

 

“You’ve been fine offering it to Milch whenever he comes by, so it’s only fair.”

 

I shake my head. “Shiro.”

 

“Are you saying that just because you’re still a sleep-deprived grumpy cat right now? Or is there something else?”

 

I open my mouth to answer, but think better of it at the last minute. There isn’t anything I could say that wouldn’t end with me looking childishly petty in the process. So instead, I simply resume my work in silence, hoping that she would take the hint.

 

However, rather than being deterred, Nae Il simply flounces back to her earlier spot by my desk. “Alright, then – how about we do it like this?” To my astonishment, she holds out an open hand. “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

 

My brow furrows as I stare down at her hand. “Mwo?”

 

“If you win this, Orabang, then Yoon Hoo-sunbae gets the couch; but if I win, then you sleep there while he gets the room.” She raises an eyebrow when I hesitate. “Come on, Orabang,” she sing-songs at me, “you can’t say this isn’t fair.”

 

Actually, if it comes down to fairness, flipping a coin would be easier. But Nae Il looks so earnestly at me now, clearly already eagerly anticipating the results of this game, that I turn to face her with a nod. “Arasseo, if that’s how you want to do it.” I, too, hold out my hand. “Best out of five?”

 

She nods. “Deal.”

 

I don’t know about her, but I’ve never gone into Rock, Paper, Scissors with any sort of strategy, simply letting the game play out by itself according to chance. So it’s no surprise, then, that Nae Il wins the first two rounds in a row.

 

“Just give it up, Orabang,” she says, eyes glinting with mischief. “You know how this is going to end up.”

 

I dismiss her teasing with an exaggerated shrug. “It’s not over until it is.”

 

Sure enough, the next two rounds go in my favour, leaving the final one – the tiebreaker – to settle the dispute once and for all.

 

Nae Il chuckles. “Are you ready for this, Orabang?”

 

I find myself laughing back. “Are you?”

 

“Remember: whatever the result is, you’ve promised to accept it.”

 

We seal the agreement with a nod, and I gesture for Nae Il to make the call.

 

“Alright, then. Here goes. Rock, Paper, Scissor–”

 

“Aish!”

 

And I think you guys can figure out what happens next  

[kireeti2]

4 hours ago, kittyna said:

And I think you guys can figure out what happens next

Let me guess, Nae-il won?

I though Cha yoo-jin got over Lee Yoo-Hoo? Is he feeling uncomfortable because of his insecurity or he just hates sharing his room?

 

[kittyna]

5 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I though Cha yoo-jin got over Lee Yoo-Hoo? Is he feeling uncomfortable because of his insecurity or he just hates sharing his room?

 

Cha Yoo Jin and Lee Yoon Hoo, in my opinion, are the perfect example of "Two characters who'd fight like cats and dogs, but actually have each other's backs in a crisis". Even though they do work together just fine when they need to, their personalities still clash enough that trying to live together would be a hassle. Besides, in this series of fics at least, Yoon Hoo might think of Yoo Jin as a friend, but even though Yoo Jin might feel the same somewhere deep down inside of him, he's never going to admit it to anyone - not to Nae Il, and especially not to Yoon Hoo himself.

 

As for Yoo Jin's reasoning, more will be revealed later in the fic, but for now, there's 1) his introversion, so he's not comfortable with hosting any sort of guest for so long; 2) his being, as Nae Il put it, a "sleep-deprived grumpy cat"; and 3) his trying to find a good time/opportunity to propose to Nae Il and this throwing a monkey wrench into his plans.

 

However, this is just the beginning - things could very well be different by the end  I'm not the sort of author who wants to tie everything up neatly and have everyone get along just for the sake of a good ending, but I do like having characters evolve and mature in that direction, so we'll see where this goes.

 

And now I'm wishing that there were more weddings in JW's dramas:

 

 

 

[kireeti2]

3 hours ago, kittyna said:

However, this is just the beginning - things could very well be different by the end  I'm not the sort of author who wants to tie everything up neatly and have everyone get along just for the sake of a good ending, but I do like having characters evolve and mature in that direction, so we'll see where this goes.

I expect nothing less

4 hours ago, kittyna said:

Cha Yoo Jin and Lee Yoon Hoo, in my opinion, are the perfect example of "Two characters who'd fight like cats and dogs, but actually have each other's backs in a crisis". Even though they do work together just fine when they need to, their personalities still clash enough that trying to live together would be a hassle. Besides, in this series of fics at least, Yoon Hoo might think of Yoo Jin as a friend, but even though Yoo Jin might feel the same somewhere deep down inside of him, he's never going to admit it to anyone - not to Nae Il, and especially not to Yoon Hoo himself.

 

Just like Hwang Tae-hee and Hwang Tae-pil in Okakgro brothers?

4 hours ago, kittyna said:

And now I'm wishing that there were more weddings in JW's dramas:

I think Joo won had 3 weddings so far, 4 if you count Yong pal, in Yong-pal they just register their marriage

[kittyna]

7 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I think Joo won had 3 weddings so far, 4 if you count Yong pal, in Yong-pal they just register their marriage

 

Yeah - and then Yeo Jin got mad when Tae Hyun wanted to just leave things at that without a wedding ceremony.  

 

Which does make me wonder: if they were to hold a proper ceremony sometime after the events in the drama, what would it be like? 

 

Actually, let me ask that of you guys, officially: If any of JW's dramas that didn't already have a wedding had included one, what do you think it would be like? Like, would it be something big and fancy, "just friends and family in an intimate setting", or do you think they'd just elope?  Don't be shy: I'm genuinely curious about this now.

 

7 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Just like Hwang Tae-hee and Hwang Tae-pil in Okakgro brothers?

 

Maybe not so close as that (since, all things considered, Tae Hui and Tae Pil are brothers), but something along those lines, yeah.

 

What I do find interesting about Yoo Jin and Yoon Hoo, though, is that while they bicker a lot over Nae Il, most of their actual fights are over things relating to music (Rising Star, Yoon Hoo's cello, etc.). Even that first time at the music festival, Yoo Jin only gets visibly upset after Yoon Hoo accuses him of not being a "real musician" due to his manners towards Nae Il (you see him tense up in this, "You did NOT just say that" reaction). So that's something to think about - and a possible hint as to where this fic is heading  

[kireeti2]

3 hours ago, kittyna said:

Actually, let me ask that of you guys, officially: If any of JW's dramas that didn't already have a wedding had included one, what do you think it would be like? Like, would it be something big and fancy, "just friends and family in an intimate setting", or do you think they'd just elope?  Don't be shy: I'm genuinely curious about this now.

Let me see, I think except for Park si-on and cha yoon-seo, all the couples from joo won drama(the remaining one's which did not have any closure like "7th grad civil servant,My sassy Girl,Naeil's cantabile) will have a grand wedding. In case of park si-on and cha yoon-seo, they would have a wedding with their close friends and their colleagues from hospital. In the other dramas, I think Han Gil-ro and kim seo-won, might have some chances of eloping, since they both are spies and they might want a different kind of wedding.

3 hours ago, kittyna said:

What I do find interesting about Yoo Jin and Yoon Hoo, though, is that while they bicker a lot over Nae Il, most of their actual fights are over things relating to music (Rising Star, Yoon Hoo's cello, etc.). Even that first time at the music festival, Yoo Jin only gets visibly upset after Yoon Hoo accuses him of not being a "real musician" due to his manners towards Nae Il (you see him tense up in this, "You did NOT just say that" reaction). So that's something to think about - and a possible hint as to where this fic is heading  

Very intriguing, I think in drama they should have explored more in this relationship also

[kittyna]

8 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Let me see, I think except for Park si-on and cha yoon-seo, all the couples from joo won drama(the remaining one's which did not have any closure like "7th grad civil servant,My sassy Girl,Naeil's cantabile) will have a grand wedding. In case of park si-on and cha yoon-seo, they would have a wedding with their close friends and their colleagues from hospital. In the other dramas, I think Han Gil-ro and kim seo-won, might have some chances of eloping, since they both are spies and they might want a different kind of wedding.

 

I haven't given much thought to Level 7 Civil Servant or Good Doctor yet, but I do like both of your ideas. Especially for Good Doctor - that makes the most sense given what we see of the characters  

 

I am hoping to write some of these in greater detail in the future, but here's just a quick run-down for the others.

 

My Sassy Girl - I think it would just be the traditional historical wedding here. With Hye Myung being a princess, there are probably lots of traditions and rules they'd have to follow. What is interesting - and what I'd have to look further into - are the implications for what happens after the wedding: unlike marrying a prince, marrying a princess is something of a step downwards for both parties (the princess since - unless she's marrying a foreign royal - is definitely marrying into a commoner's family; and the husband because he's subsequently barred from any government position). It is implied that Gyun Woo and Hye Myung are both aware of this, but that does mean the wedding itself will be a massive paradigm shift for everyone involved.

 

Nae Il's Cantabile - You may have figured out already that I do hope to get to this point eventually in my Seolleim in Salzburg series  I don't want to reveal too many spoilers, but I can say that Nae Il is the sort of girl who everyone thinks will want the big, fancy wedding...but who actually doesn't. I already hinted at that with the custom engagement ring: Nae Il doesn't care how big the diamond is (or whether it's a diamond at all), but is more interested in the ring's sentimental value and whether there's any sort of story/symbolism behind it. As for Yoo Jin, I can't really imagine him caring much about the wedding itself beyond the idea that he's holding off until that point to actually sleep with Nae Il. So here, I actually visualize a small "family and friends" style wedding - possibly one that's more Western in style than Korean (i.e. I don't know if they'll do the more traditional tea ceremony for their parents afterwards).

 

Yong Pal - Because Yeo Jin still wants her church wedding, and in the drama, it's clear that she won't even share a room (let alone a bed) with Tae Hyun until it happens. This is where I think they'd have the big massive wedding: as the Chairwoman of a major corporation, Yeo Jin would be expected to use this to flaunt her own wealth and status, especially her numerous business connections. So, yeah: lots of people invited...most of whom neither Yeo Jin nor Tae Hyun actually know that well and whom they invited simply out of social obligation  (I'm sure we've all seen weddings like that.) That being said, Tae Hyun will try to include his friends and family as much as he could - but I think it's pretty obvious that his dad's not invited  Thus, without any of their immediate familial elders around, I think Yeo Jin and Tae Hyun would nix the tea ceremony altogether.

 

8 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Very intriguing, I think in drama they should have explored more in this relationship also

 

Yeah - once we get to the issue of Yoon Hoo's hand, we start seeing that there's more going on between Yoo Jin and Yoon Hoo than the cliché romantic rivalry. Like, that is a part of it - although it does feel almost like it's forced into the narrative - but there's also a lot more going on. Both Yoo Jin and Yoon Hoo were raised to view other elite musicians as potential threats/rivals, and that seems to permeate many of their interactions.

 

So, even in that first meeting, we see Yoo Jin looking jealously at Yoon Hoo when Professor Stresemann compliments him on his recitals abroad (while Yoo Jin's just the water boy ), and Yoon Hoo looking that same way at Yoo Jin when he steps in to replace Stresemann at the ensemble workshop (because that's not just filling in as a conducting student, but literally as the instructor). And while a good chunk in the middle revolves around Nae Il (for me, that's the dull point in how the drama writes Yoo Jin and Yoon Hoo as characters), all the stuff that happens from Yoo Jin discovering Yoon Hoo's injury onward is really fascinating to watch: especially their conflicting views on how to deal with the conflict in Rising Star, where both of them want to help, but Yoon Hoo is the realist and pessimist, whereas Yoo Jin is more optimistic, but also masochistic.

[kireeti2]

58 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Nae Il doesn't care how big the diamond is (or whether it's a diamond at all)

I think Nae-il would like any ring as long as it round and matches with cha yoo-jin

 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

I think it's pretty obvious that his dad's not invited

I cannot totally rule out that possibility, in the end Tae Hyun tried to defend Yeo jin's brother and even tried to save his life, despite the evil things he has done to him and Yeo jin, I think we might invite his father, partly to forgive him and get a peace of mind and partly for his sister, his sister does have soft-corner for their father.

 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

 Thus, without any of their immediate familial elders around, I think Yeo Jin and Tae Hyun would nix the tea ceremony altogether.

I think they both do have elderly people around who care for them, not related by blood, but by bond; like the priest and nuns from the church or the head nurse who advises Tae hyun and told Yeo jin about his final days(how he was calling her name on his death bed). They might have tea ceremony with the kids from the church, with friends of Tae hyun from the hospital and also the gangster Tae hyun saved. I guess they all can be called close to both Tae Hyun and Yeo jin

[kittyna]

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I think Nae-il would like any ring as long as it round and matches with cha yoo-jin

 

lol - That reminds me of all the ring-related shenanigans we see in the drama.  But, yeah: Nae Il doesn't so much care what the engagement ring, wedding dress, etc. look like...so long as she ends up getting them with the guy she wants.

 

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I cannot totally rule out that possibility, in the end Tae Hyun tried to defend Yeo jin's brother and even tried to save his life, despite the evil things he has done to him and Yeo jin, I think we might invite his father, partly to forgive him and get a peace of mind and partly for his sister, his sister does have soft-corner for their father.

 

Point. However, I personally don't get the sense that Tae Hyun forgives easily: he'll only forgive those people who show remorse for the wrong things they've done in the past (Chief Lee, Yeo Jin herself, etc.). For those who don't, he's still willing to help them, but there's no actual feelings attached - notably, in Han Do Joon's case, Tae Hyun is more interested in preventing Yeo Jin from killing him (and thus making a decision she'd regret) than actually in saving him for his own sake. So it is help and kindness, but not necessarily forgiveness.

 

As for his father, I think that even if Tae Hyun does eventually find it in himself to forgive him for So Hyun's sake, it would happen slowly, over a very long process - and not necessarily in time for the wedding Yeo Jin wants. What's particularly notable is that Tae Hyun's resentment isn't due to any abuse he suffered himself, but due to what he saw between his parents growing up: he hates that his father refuses to claim any sort of personal responsibility for his mother's death. That's something that intrigues me, to be honest: is it possible that Tae Hyun doesn't believe his mother's death (or, more specifically, the injuries that caused her death) was an accident? 

 

And that's just one of many questions the possibility of Tae Hyun and Yeo Jin having an actual wedding ceremony raises in my mind. There are also a whole ton of other factors to consider regarding their respective backgrounds, social classes (because, to use my limited knowledge of Indian culture, it'd be like a marriage between people from opposite ends of the caste spectrum), differences in values/beliefs, etc. that would need sorting out - and, fingers crossed, I do hope I get to explore all of those someday.

 

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I think they both do have elderly people around who care for them, not related by blood, but by bond; like the priest and nuns from the church or the head nurse who advises Tae hyun and told Yeo jin about his final days(how he was calling her name on his death bed). They might have tea ceremony with the kids from the church, with friends of Tae hyun from the hospital and also the gangster Tae hyun saved. I guess they all can be called close to both Tae Hyun and Yeo jin

 

So, parental figures in place of their actual parents? I like that idea - it sounds really sweet, and like something they might actually do  

[kireeti2]

9 hours ago, kittyna said:

That's something that intrigues me, to be honest: is it possible that Tae Hyun doesn't believe his mother's death (or, more specifically, the injuries that caused her death) was an accident? 

I have just re-watched it, her cause of death was partly due to explosion(accident) which led to cardiac arrest and partly due to negligence of hospital. His  father had nothing to with it, but it does not absolve him for his mistakes

 

9 hours ago, kittyna said:

And that's just one of many questions the possibility of Tae Hyun and Yeo Jin having an actual wedding ceremony raises in my mind. There are also a whole ton of other factors to consider regarding their respective backgrounds, social classes (because, to use my limited knowledge of Indian culture, it'd be like a marriage between people from opposite ends of the caste spectrum), differences in values/beliefs, etc. that would need sorting out - and, fingers crossed, I do hope I get to explore all of those someday.

It can be like that, but the family members of Yeo-jin are either dead or in prison, so, she might invite mostly her underlings, whom she cherishes, we can see in the series for brief period where she actually commands her staff with mix of authority and friendliness. I would say there won't be much of a class difference,at least if they held their wedding privately. She will though throw a party for her rich and powerful contacts to let them know that she is married

 

9 hours ago, kittyna said:

because, to use my limited knowledge of Indian culture, it'd be like a marriage between people from opposite ends of the caste spectrum

It would be similar to it, but not entirely. If the bride and groom managed to get to the wedding regardless of being opposite caste spectrum, the class won't matter. Here caste is dominant factor, class is just by-product and can easily be ignored if people on both sides agreed for wedding, but mind you, there is also hierarchy in caste spectrum, it would be easy for a girl to get married with guy who is from caste which is in top of the hierarchy, but it is impossible ,if not, dangerous for guy to the same thing, regardless his class, job status etc won't matter at all. With all these factors, I think Yong pal is a progressive drama, where the girl is not only a heiress but a with strong personality and like to take control of her own personal and professional life, not like the stereotypical K-drama,where female lead is totally at mercy of her father or brother or have to wait for male lead to come and rescue her. In this case she makes the male lead to help her by offering him money, it is more like manipulating an underling, not like taking help from her boyfriend

[kireeti2]

Does this mean joo won is done with Alice drama shooting ? Or he is doing it simultaneously? Either way, I would like to point out that joo won such a workaholic. I wish I was like this