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

[kittyna]

Looks like everybody's busy today, so I won't stay long.

 

Here are some more pics from my collection for you guys:

 

Spoiler

One of the JW fans I follow on Pinterest recently went on a spree, sharing a ton of photos from JW's 2014 Tokyo "Sweet Smile" concert. I've queued most of them instead of cycling them out right away, but here are some of my favourites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

These next two are a set: JW sketching someone (a fan?), and holding the finished drawing

 

 

 

Yeah...I think visual arts aren't really his forte, but that's okay  I can't draw well, either.

 

Since @moonstrike mentioned that JW was performing at an event on December 20, here's a photo from that

 

 

Finally, just throwing this one in for good measure, because I think he looks so cute in this photo. Definitely a case of "in costume, but not in character" here!

 

 

 

[kittyna]

It's a busy time of year for all of us, myself included, and most of my efforts for this forum are now going towards the "Christmas special" fic that I've been promising. (It's almost done, guys, so stay tuned for that!)

 

What that means, though, is that my creative energies are mostly heading that direction, and I don't have anything all that cohesive or organized for this week's Throwback Thursday. So, again, it'll just be a collection of miscellaneous old photos, although I will try to keep them at least winter/Christmas-related.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Can't do a Christmas-themed throwback and not include some reference to "Niko 2"  

 

 

Finally, the Christmas greeting made by the cast of "Ghost: The Musical" in 2013. You don't see JW a whole lot (there are so many cast members to feature, after all), but it's still fun to watch.

 

 

 

[moonstrike]

Finally I'm back!!! I was tired two days ago so i can't leave any post... but now i'm back with massive joo won update and photos... just wait for it...

 

On 12/20/2017 at 3:08 AM, kittyna said:

That just gave me a really cute mental image

 

I always think of it inside my head... thinking what he might be doing when he near a child? 

Actually, i've seen him with some child in 1N2D and some post on instagram. And i can say that he become more responsible and more cute when he around children. I saw that he always pinch the children cheeks or hug them. Its interesting and funny seeing him like that..

 

On 12/20/2017 at 3:08 AM, kittyna said:

 

By the way, since we're on the subject of JW and kids, here's a pic I found recently. I don't know what event it's from, but it's cute.

Its joo won in cantata coffee event. He is so cute and adorable. He always waving his hands to the fans while holding mic or the coffee box. Here is some video that i found..

 

 

 

 

In this video, the reporter (narator) said that joo won is so kind. The reason is when there is fans that can't shake hands with him because they are holding a cup of coffee, he's looking for ways to keep giving the fans fan service by tapping and stroking their backs or by shaking hands first and then giving them coffee. joo won also smiles and waves with all his fans. from front, back, top, side. that's what the reporter said in the video... 

 

I also found this videos while diving in the internet. Its kinda amazing...

 

And this is cute..

 

On 12/20/2017 at 3:08 AM, kittyna said:

To the best of my knowledge, the drawing is his - I did a reverse image search, and found this article talking about it: http://www.kdramastars.com/articles/8711/20130321/choi-kang-hee-reveals-nickname-joo-won.htm

 

I guess the only way to be 100% sure would be to, as hinted in the article, go to Choi Kang Hee's Twitter and backtrack - and...I don't have the time for that  

I think if he draw quickly, his drawing will be simple and like a children drawing. But if he take his time and draw when he has much time, i think his drawing will be like that. He indeed an artist from any side... 

 

On 12/20/2017 at 3:08 AM, kittyna said:

You're reminding me of something I saw earlier today looking for JW pictures on Instagram: a collage made of just images of his eyes. I especially love the comment

Yeah... i agree with all of those comment. He is an amazing actor. He can express his feeling with just his eyes. Like his eyes is speaking and the audience can hear and feel it. I also know that he has eyes with different look. One side has the fierce and evil kinda look and the other side has the angel and innocent kinda look. Joo won said his eyes is helping when he act in front of camera. I also think that his eyes make him able to act in any genre.

Also, he can act as antagonist or protagonist or even he can act as a protagonist and an antagonist at oncein one drama like gaksital. 

 

On 12/20/2017 at 3:08 AM, kittyna said:

By the way, forgive me if this is a stupid question, but is this our @Ma OO's Instagram? If so, then it's a small world )

I think its her... they have similiar account name by the way.

 

On 12/20/2017 at 3:08 AM, kittyna said:

I really like how this first one highlights the ways JW's roles are a bit outside of the box. If you click through to read the comments on the Instagram post itself, people were comparing JW to actors like Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm more inclined to agree with the latter myself: both in terms of versatility, and also because...doesn't Johnny Depp have a scandal attached to his name now?

Yeah.. i also like it. It makes me proud too. The fans also like to comparing joo won's acting skill with other actor. Actually, i agree with almost all the comments. If we compare joo won with other actor in the same genre? We can see the difference between them. I think that joo won have more "richer" expression and not afraid to take challenges. Joo won also not afraid to not look good on screen. He only focus on acting when he is doing his job. I heard that there's some actor that have to crying "beautifully". If they feel that they don't look good in front of camera, like their nose runny when they crying. they will ask to re-record and have to do make up again. Joo won said it's not right if actor do that. He said if actor act, he just have to express all of his feelings and show his best for the audience. 

 

But of course we can't compare him with actor that have different genre or acting style. Everyone have they own acting style, right?!...

 

On 12/20/2017 at 3:08 AM, kittyna said:

Finally, such a cute moment from the 2013 KBS Drama Awards (cameo by Choi Ro Woon)

Just like i said, he likes to touch or pinch children's cheeks...

 

On 12/21/2017 at 3:33 AM, kittyna said:

One of the JW fans I follow on Pinterest recently went on a spree, sharing a ton of photos from JW's 2014 Tokyo "Sweet Smile" concert. I've queued most of them instead of cycling them out right away, but here are some of my favourites:

Wooow... i've watched the video when he held fanmeet in japan. He is dancing gangnam style. i like when he dance... he is so happy and energetic. But its tiring tho. He immediately has to sing and dance again after the song he sang earlier. But he is doing it with smile and finish it with smile too... 

 

On 12/21/2017 at 3:33 AM, kittyna said:

Yeah...I think visual arts aren't really his forte, but that's okay  I can't draw well, either.

He draw his fans.  i knew it because i read the fan diary. She said he is so cute and more handsome in real life than in camera or screen. 

 

And just like i said, i think he draw that quickly because as you see, he is drawing on the stage where everyone is waiting for his drawing result. 

 

20 hours ago, kittyna said:

Can't do a Christmas-themed throwback and not include some reference to "Niko 2"  

 

NIKO.!!! I was very excited when i know that joo won is doing the voice of niko. Its funny and amazing that i hear his voice but i watch an animated deer. And also when there's voice of panting or when niko is fall from the sky.

 

Here is some video:

 

 

 

And finally my picture time!!!

 

Because lately joo won is doing an event. Here is some photos and videos that i found:

 

You know where he is, right?? Hahaha 

 

So good in uniform...

 

Joo won singing with park geon il.

 

He looks more handsome and cute after entering the army. Look how he smile...

 

And this is his laugh voice after long time we don't hear it.

 

There's fans said that that water bottles is very heavy. Its amazing that joo won can lift two of that.

 

Happy feet!!

 

His dancing and swagg

 

Cute...

 

Owhh... lucky fans!!!

 

 

 

Joo won singing patriotic song...

 

And this is the full video""

 

This video is so funny if you can understand it. There is one moment where joo won has to give quiz to the audience. There's one audience that screem really loud that makes joo won surprised. After the girl on stage, joo won ask her why the answer is that? The girl said that its because there only one division that have the similiar characteristics that joo won already told in the question. The girl's answer makes joo won lost a word. After she receive the gift. Joo won has to hug her. But she said she already has a boyfriend that makes all of the audience laugh. 

 

And the second question, the one that answer it is a guy. So joo won has to hug him too. But the man is already want to leave the stage. Joo won said i have to hug you that makes the audience laugh (again). The one that upload the video is mumbling "don't say that he already has a girlfriend!?" While laughing...

 

This video is so cute and funny...

 

For the final... i found this on joo won DC gallery. this video has just been uploaded. the video shows min jin woong (best friend of joo won) telling his life. he said that in the past he used to have a failure while working on musicals. he said that he had cried for two months because he felt guilty to his team. even a hoobae scolded him. it makes hee chul surprise because he and the hosts assume that it is too much for a younger person to scold the hyung. then the host asked who made you hang on to keep acting? jin woong replied "that person is the one that everyone like, its joo won."

 

"When i feel like quitting acting and despair, joo won come to me and say "do not give up. at least wait for 2 more years" after that, jin woong gets an offer to act. Jin woong said that he then calls Joo Won in the morning to tell him. Shin dong yeob who heard it said "joo won is indeed a good and kind man."

 

In the comment section there is one person said like this : 연예인 인성 안믿지만 주원은 확실히 달라보여. 인간인지라 완벽할순없겠지만 굉장히 잘자란 청년인건 확실해보임

 

" i don't believe in entertainer humanity (or personality) but joo won is definitely different. Human is not perfect but i'm sure he is young man that grew up very well"

 

Here is the video"

http://m.tv.naver.com/v/2452103

 

[kittyna]

lol - It's like we're making up for lost time around here - that's a ton of new stuff  

 

I've got a lot to share, too, both because I've found a new source for pics along with my pre-existing Pinterest feed still going strong, and because my "Christmas special" fic is finally done!  

 

The story will be today's main event, and I'll get to that later in a post all to itself. But for now, as a starter, here are replies and photos.

 

19 hours ago, moonstrike said:

Actually, i've seen him with some child in 1N2D and some post on instagram. And i can say that he become more responsible and more cute when he around children. I saw that he always pinch the children cheeks or hug them. Its interesting and funny seeing him like that..

 

Found a whole collage of photos of JW with kids, including the one we'd shared earlier that looks to feature Baby Moon (i.e. his nephew)

 

 

19 hours ago, moonstrike said:

Its joo won in cantata coffee event. He is so cute and adorable. He always waving his hands to the fans while holding mic or the coffee box. Here is some video that i found..

 

Okay - thanks for the info and the videos

 

The Nongshim CF is so cute - although it's funny that we're watching this in the middle of winter.  It reminds me of when I was little, and I tried to hypnotize my friends and I into being warmer by thinking of hot things (like a hot summer's day, or the burning sun, or fire). Not that that ever actually worked, but it was worth a shot.  

 

19 hours ago, moonstrike said:

Yeah... i agree with all of those comment. He is an amazing actor. He can express his feeling with just his eyes. Like his eyes is speaking and the audience can hear and feel it. I also know that he has eyes with different look. One side has the fierce and evil kinda look and the other side has the angel and innocent kinda look. Joo won said his eyes is helping when he act in front of camera. I also think that his eyes make him able to act in any genre.

 

I think it's more that his eyes can express emotion really well rather than just their shape being different. Because I've certainly seen him express cuteness and innocence from his "evil" eye, or anger and angst from his "good" one  Not to mention that both eyes are slanted up a bit instead of down: cat eyes more than puppy eyes.

 

For me, the secret to his acting is that he allows himself to feel what his characters feel. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul - you can tell if someone's emotions are fake if the eyes don't match the rest of the expression (e.g. a forced smile or laugh will have dull eyes, an angry face when you're actually amused will have twinkling or sparkling eyes, etc.). So in order for the right emotion to be conveyed in his eyes, I think JW has to match his characters' feelings, or he might give himself away as an actor.

 

19 hours ago, moonstrike said:

Joo won also not afraid to not look good on screen. He only focus on acting when he is doing his job. I heard that there's some actor that have to crying "beautifully". If they feel that they don't look good in front of camera, like their nose runny when they crying. they will ask to re-record and have to do make up again. Joo won said it's not right if actor do that. He said if actor act, he just have to express all of his feelings and show his best for the audience. 

 

19 hours ago, moonstrike said:

But of course we can't compare him with actor that have different genre or acting style. Everyone have they own acting style, right?!...

JW actually made that criticism about "crying beautifully" himself, although he was careful not to give any names.

 

Again, like you said, all actors have their own style that's born out of the genres they do - JW, for instance, is someone whose dramatic/tragic acting gets more praise than his comedic acting. 

 

To be honest, I have watched all three actors he's being compared to in that particular meme (Kim Soo Hyun, Park Bo Gum, and Song Joong Ki), and have found each rather enjoyable to watch in his own way. If I absolutely had to rank them by order of preference, in terms of acting style I would do in that order - KSH, then PBG, then SJK. However, recently, Park Bo Gum's been gaining serious ground in my heart because of his real-life personality; JW still ranks first, and probably always will be my main bias, but PBG's getting up there now.

 

19 hours ago, moonstrike said:

NIKO.!!! I was very excited when i know that joo won is doing the voice of niko. Its funny and amazing that i hear his voice but i watch an animated deer. And also when there's voice of panting or when niko is fall from the sky.

 

lol - Watching the "Niko" clips feels so weird to me, because I just cannot get into the character. I just keep going, "OMG, that's JW's voice!" and then I get distracted and don't pay attention to the video  

 

He is a good voice actor, though - which we already know from seeing him act in live action dramas/films  

 

19 hours ago, moonstrike said:

For the final... i found this on joo won DC gallery. this video has just been uploaded. the video shows min jin woong (best friend of joo won) telling his life. he said that in the past he used to have a failure while working on musicals. he said that he had cried for two months because he felt guilty to his team. even a hoobae scolded him. it makes hee chul surprise because he and the hosts assume that it is too much for a younger person to scold the hyung. then the host asked who made you hang on to keep acting? jin woong replied "that person is the one that everyone like, its joo won."

 

"When i feel like quitting acting and despair, joo won come to me and say "do not give up. at least wait for 2 more years" after that, jin woong gets an offer to act. Jin woong said that he then calls Joo Won in the morning to tell him. Shin dong yeob who heard it said "joo won is indeed a good and kind man."

 

I don't remember where, but I saw a news article about that story before. It's so sweet to know that JW is there for his friends like that  

 

Okay, picture time for me

 

Spoiler

I know we've talked about JW resembling a bunny once, but before then, when I'd first joined this forum, I thought of a kitty cat, like in this pic

 

 

Another laughing pic

 

 

I really like how this shot was taken

 

 

Just how many variations on the aegyo heart can one person do?

 

 

From the same V Live broadcast: I shared one half of this collage the other day (i.e. JW's wink), but this one's more complete, since it features both sides

 

 

JW with his BFFs (the first pic features both Min Jin Woong and Lee Se Wook, and the second just has Min Jin Woong)

 

By the way, I was gonna do the usual initial-thing the second time I typed out "Min Jin Woong", but then realized that he and JW have identical initials and that that would have just been confusing  

 

 

 

One last one: seated like a boss

 

 

 

And still to come...fic time!

[kittyna]

And here it is! My 2017 Christmas Special. 

 

Title: The Sound of Christmas

Drama: "Nae Il's Cantabile"

Characters: Cha Yoo Jin, Seol Nae Il

Premise: It's the first Christmas since Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il have moved together to Salzburg, Austria. As he rediscovers his childhood memories of living there with his parents, Yoo Jin also wants to make new ones with Nae Il.

 

Note: This story is my first attempt at a sequel for a drama, so everything here is based off my own imagination of how the characters might have grown and evolved since the final episode. There will inevitably be spoilers, then, for those who have not watched the show.

 

Note on Language: You know me; usually, when characters are speaking a language other than Korean, I try to give at least some nod to that through the use of various words and phrases. In this case, that language would be German. However, I also do this considerably less than in other fanfics I have written, because 1) I am of the mind that Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il would still speak Korean with each other, and 2) German is a rather complex language with significant differences between how it is spoken in Germany and in Austria - and I don't think I'm quite knowledgeable enough to get it right.

 

Still, there are a few words/phrases here and there, so as usual, here are the translations:

 

Christkindlmarkt - The name of the main Christmas market in Salzburg that is located in the Residenzplatz (a town square) in the old city

Auf Wiedersehen - Goodbye

Glühwein - Mulled wine; in other words: wine (usually red, but sometimes white is used) that is simmered together with citrus fruit peels and a blend of spices before being served warm

Stille nacht, heilige nacht; alles schläft, einsam wacht - The first line of the German version of "Silent Night" (see "Author's Note" for more info)

 

Note on Timeline: I just wanted to say this really quickly, or else the references to time, how long it's been, etc., can get confusing.

 

Long story short: South Korea and Austria have completely opposite school terms. So, while in South Korea, a university student starts classes in March and ends in December, in Austria, they would actually start in October and end in June. Both countries, though, have a similar way of dividing the year into two four-month-long semesters with a two-month-long break in between.

 

So what does this mean for Korean transfer students like Cha Yoo Jin or Seol Nae Il? It means that they must either start their studies abroad halfway through the Austrian term OR end up having a long gap between when their term ends in Korea and the next one begins in Austria.

 

For reasons that will be explained in the story itself (), I have gone with the latter option. So just a quick heads-up as to how I imagined this story would mesh with the events in "Nae Il's Cantabile" (using 2014 as the hypothetical year in which the drama is set):

 

September to December 2014 - The events in the drama up until Nae Il's competition in Salzburg 

January to February 2015 - Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il make arrangements to move to Austria

Spring 2015 - The final scene of the drama (i.e. the lobby concert), Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il move

Summer 2015 - Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il settle down in Salzburg, and make whatever arrangements need to be done before school starts

October 2015 - Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il officially start their studies

December 2015 - This new story takes place

 

Just one last FYI before the story starts: The Mozarteum is the real-life music university in Salzburg, and, among other things, has both piano and conducting programs (the latter of which, by the way, is a five-year diploma - I'll leave you to make of that what you will)  

 

Once again, please do not repost this on any other website without my permission! If you want to share it, just share the URL - thanks!

 

Spoiler

The Sound of Christmas

 

“Orabang! Look – it’s snowing outside!”

 

How many times have I told Nae Il not to yell like that? I know that she gets excited sometimes and tends to forget how thin the walls are – but we’re not neighbours anymore. We haven’t been for a while.

 

Rather than in the unit next door, I’m just down the hall from her: in the music room of our apartment.

 

Yes, our apartment.

 

It’s hard to believe that we’ve already been together here in Salzburg for almost a year, both of us having successfully transferred from Haneum to the prestigious Mozarteum University. It wasn’t all that long ago that I had thought it impossible: that I’d believed that I would never be able to fly away from Seoul, and that Nae Il would never be able to overcome her fear of playing in front of others.

 

But we had both managed: first her, and then me.

 

It seems like my constant reminders have actually done some work, though, because within seconds of hearing her call out to me from down the hall, my phone chimes with an incoming message. Still not taking my eyes off the score I was studying, I reach out for the phone and unlock its screen: sure enough, she had repeated herself via text message, this time including a selca she had just taken on our balcony.

 

Now who wouldn’t smile at a sight like that? And who could resist such an invitation?

 

Slowly, I get up from my desk, taking a moment to stretch before stepping out into the hallway, past my bedroom, and then hers – we may be sharing an apartment, but I draw the line at that – through the entryway into the living room. As I open the sliding door and step out into the cold winter air, I take in the sight of Nae Il leaning out against the railing, a throw blanket draped over her shoulders, her hands cradling a steaming mug.

 

I sidle beside her, my posture mirroring hers, and glance down at the cup she is holding. “Hot chocolate?”

 

She nods, then gestures back towards the door. “Yours is in the kitchen, if you want it.”

 

“Later.” I glance up at the evening sky and take in a deep breath. The mountain air here is so much cleaner and fresher than what there is in Seoul; I could never get tired of it.

 

Nae Il must have slipped inside to set down her drink, because before I know it, I feel her arms wrapping around me as she hugs me from behind.

 

Maybe it’s because we are now always in each other’s company, but in the past few months, I have found myself slowly opening up to her affectionate ways. For now, it is still mostly her giving and I receiving, and I am still adamant that she not take things too far or too fast, but I no longer tense up in resistance when she tries to touch me. This gesture – her backhug – is my favourite; whenever I feel her arms around me, her chin resting on my shoulder if I am sitting, or her cheek pressed against my back if I am standing, it is like a weight is lifted off of me. I feel myself relax, my mind drifting away from whatever stresses were pressing upon it, as I open up my heart and take her in.

 

I lay one of my hands on hers. “Komawo,” I say, the warmth in my smile travelling into my voice. “How did you know that I needed a break?”

 

“Mm….” She tightens her hold on me. “Because I started to miss you, Orabang. Sometimes it feels like you’re either out working or inside that room all day.”

 

I swear: I could almost hear the pout on her face when she says it.

 

Unable to hold back a short laugh, I reach out and unclasp her hands. “I was not!” I turn around so that we are now facing each other. Gently, I brush back a lock of hair that has fallen in front of her eyes. “Mianhae, Nae Il-ah; I know that I have been busy lately. But it’s almost Christmas; you know how it is.”

 

I imagine that it is the same the world over. In the realm of classical music, the weeks leading up to Christmas are among the busiest times of the year. Even people who wouldn’t otherwise give us the time of day, who would scoff at us for being pretentious or old-fashioned, seem to change their minds when December comes around. Then it’s The Nutcracker-this or The Messiah-that; it’s rich people holding posh parties where they want live musical entertainment in the background; it’s ordinary folk deciding that attending a concert would be a cultured way to spend an evening; it’s carolers and young music students who are still fresh and new playing in the streets for passersby.

 

That’s how it was in Seoul. But this isn’t Seoul; this is Salzburg, the city known for just two things, one of which is classical music.

 

So, yes, I have been busy; all of us students at the Mozarteum have been, Nae Il included. Not only is there the usual flurry of Christmas activities, but we have already started to prepare for our next set of performances in January.

 

But that’s clearly not going to appease her now.

 

“So…how do you want me to make it up to you?” Her eyes dance playfully as she thinks, and I could see from the mischievous set of her smile where this is going. Playing along, I venture a guess: “The usual?”

 

Nae Il beams in excitement. “Ne!” she answers brightly. Taking one of my hands in hers, she fumbles open the sliding door before dashing eagerly inside, pulling me along with her. Laughing softly in anticipation, we quickly shut the door and then hurry back down the hallway into the music room.

 

In reality, according to the landlord, this was supposed to be the master bedroom, with the other two smaller bedrooms meant for children, guests, or extra space. But as soon as Nae Il and I had laid eyes on it, we had known that we wanted to do things differently. With this room being the farthest away from both the entrance and the balcony facing outside, it was the quietest spot in the entire apartment. It was also the largest out of the three bedrooms, and both of us knew we needed that space for work rather than for our own rest.

 

With the addition of soundproof padding on the wall separating this room from mine next door, bookshelves, a small desk for each of us, sound equipment, and an upright piano, our music room was born.

 

We head straight for the piano in its corner now, Nae Il only letting go to head towards the bookshelf where we keep our sheet music. As I set up the piano – opening the lid, turning on the lamp so it shines down on the keys, adjusting the bench – she calls out, “Which one do you want?”

 

With a smile, I call back, “You decide.”

 

She beams at that, and turns her attention to the bookshelf. I love the way she purses her lips in thought as she slowly runs a finger across the spines of the music books before finally settling on one. Whipping it out with a flourish, she firmly plants it on the piano’s music rack.

 

Schubert’s Fantasie in F-minor.

 

A piece he had composed towards the end of his life, dedicated to a woman for whom he had felt unrequited love.

 

Well, someone’s in a mood today.

 

Stepping back from the bench, I gesture toward it in invitation. Nae Il grins and sits down on the right side, claiming the treble part for herself, as is her habit. I then move to sit on her left side, and gently place my hands on the keys in preparation. Once she is ready as well, our eyes meet and, together, we start playing.

 

Since we moved into this apartment, Nae Il and I have had this ritual of playing four-handed pieces with each other. They are not part of her school repertoire, but are pieces that we have found and practiced entirely for ourselves.

 

Is it because I had first felt myself soften for her while playing a Mozart duet that I now hunger to feel my heart swell with emotion the same way it had that first time?

 

Or, is it because I had promised both my father and hers to always preserve Nae Il’s honour that I choose to seduce her with music instead?

 

Myself in bass, Nae Il in treble, we play in perfect sync, our hands brushing as the melody flows from her hands down to mine and back up again. Always ready for each other. Always supporting each other. A meeting not between two bodies, but between two hearts and minds. The feeling that can only come from making something beautiful together.

 

Harmony.

 

Each piece we have in our collection is imbued with different emotions, and moves us in slightly different ways. But no matter which one it is, we always end with exhilaration: gasping with exertion, laughing in sheer delight as our hearts race. I usually do a better job reining myself in, but oftentimes, by the end, Nae Il is so ecstatic that as soon as we finish, even as the last notes still echo in the room, she swivels and throws herself onto me in a tight embrace. Once, she even hugged me with so much force that I was pushed off the bench entirely, taking her down with me to the floor as I fell.

 

This time is no different. Once the piece has come to its conclusion and we have played its last chords, she pounces on me with an excited whoop. Barely able to keep my balance, I gently but firmly pry her off of me and push her back upright.

 

Our eyes meet. Together, my hands still clasped firmly on her shoulders, we sit there, our breaths and heartbeats matching, trapped in a silence that resonates in contrast with the burst of sound from before. And by the time we get up, simultaneously remembering our unfinished cups of hot chocolate, they have become so cold that we have to reheat them in the microwave.

 

It is a small price to pay for the joy we have just experienced.

 

~~~~~

 

As I begin to prepare the ingredients for today’s lunch, I can’t help keeping my ears focused on the entryway into the kitchen. Any moment now, Nae Il will pop her head inside and tell me that everything has been set up. Then, quickly finishing whatever task I am on, I will stop for a time and join her in the living room.

 

Saturday mornings for Nae Il and I, after all, are always about the video call.

 

The whole arrangement was actually Lee Yoon Hoo’s idea. There are few things I am willing to concede him the victory for, but computer skills would be one of them. Taking his inspiration from his American classmates at Juilliard, who used a program called Skype to make video calls with family in their hometowns, he had suggested shortly before my flight to Austria that the two of us – he and I – could do something similar to stay in touch with Professor Stresseman. After all, we were both still his “pupils”, even though we were officially tethered down in our various institutions – I in the Mozarteum and he in Haneum, in an ironic reversal of fate – and could not physically follow him on his touring schedule.

 

Skype, however, proved expensive; nor was I interested in juggling a new social media account. Fortunately for all of us, then, just in time, we discovered that we could use our existing Line accounts in the same way, so long as we installed it on our computers. The three of us – Professor Stresseman, Yoon Hoo and I – did just that, and this new system was born.

 

The maestro seldom contacted either of us, preferring his usual teaching method of just letting us figure things out on our own unless we were seriously off the mark. But it wasn’t long after Nae Il and I settled down in Salzburg that Yoon Hoo and I began to use this technology for something else: something just for us students.

 

Every Saturday morning – Saturday evening in Seoul – we would all gather for a mass video chat. Nae Il would set up my laptop on the coffee table in our living room, Yoon Hoo would set his up in a reserved room at Yoo Il Rak’s father’s restaurant, and we would take this brief moment once a week to catch up. Officially, on the Seoul end of things, anyone who knew Nae Il and I from Haneum was free to join; however, it was usually just a small core group: Choi Min Hee, Ma Su Min, Il Rak and, of course, Yoon Hoo himself.

 

This time, when Nae Il finally calls me over, I am just about finished getting the soup started. Hurriedly, I turn the bubbling pot down to a slow simmer, set the kitchen timer, and make my way to the living room. Once we are both settled on the couch, Nae Il turns on the webcam and clicks the call button.

 

Within seconds, we get a response, and a window opens up to reveal the others.

 

Wordlessly, I wave as Nae Il greets everyone enthusiastically, wishing them all a happy Christmas in advance, today being the last Saturday before the holiday.

 

“How are things?” she asks.

 

Usually, I let her do most of the talking and updates, unless there is something I really want to say.

 

“You know; the usual,” Yoon Hoo replies. “By the way, have you heard from Il Rak yet?”

 

This time, I cut in. “His flight arrived in Vienna last night; he called us as soon as he reached Jung Si Won’s place.”

 

The two of them are the envy of Haneum right now for being able to maintain their long-distance relationship for so long: she spending the final year of her studies in Vienna, and he taking her place as the new concertmaster for the Rising Star Orchestra. This Christmas, during the brief school break, Il Rak has made arrangements to visit his girlfriend and spend the holidays with her.

 

“We’ll be heading over to visit them soon,” Nae Il butts in over me. “Two days and one night: New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.” She tries but fails to suppress an excited squeal as she claps her hands in glee. “It’ll be so much fun seeing them again! I’ve never been on a double date before!”

 

Yoon Hoo and Su Min both smile, but I have to smother a laugh with one hand when I see Min Hee roll her eyes instead. For a moment, unnoticed by the others, our eyes meet, and we both shrug at each other, in utter confusion at Nae Il’s antics.

 

“Oh, by the way, Mini Min Hee,” Nae Il starts again, “I saw the new designs you posted on Instagram – they’re so pretty!”

 

Min Hee has kept up her job as a barista at my mother’s coffee shop, and has recently begun experimenting with latte art designs for customers who order their drinks for here rather than to go. She’s proven to be quite skilled at it, oftentimes creating seasonally-inspired designs or small drawings that match with the café’s musical theming.

 

“I know you did,” Min Hee retorts bluntly. “You always ‘Like’ everything I post, remember?”

 

We all laugh at that.

 

“What plans do you all have for the holidays?” I ask once the laughter has passed.

 

They all answer with their respective plans – mostly centred on spending time with their families – before Yoon Hoo fires the question back at us.

 

I cough as my voice catches in my throat. “Well, you already know about our plans to go to Vienna….”

 

“Are you going to go to the Christmas market?” Su Min cuts in eagerly. When the other two glance over at him in curiosity, he continues, “Come on – everyone’s heard of the Christmas markets; they have those all over Europe!”

 

Nae Il gasps, then rounds on me, her eyes wide and gleaming. “Can we? I’ve heard so much about it: the stands and the food, and the absolutely gorgeous lights, and –”

 

I turn to look at her. “Nae Il-ah…”

 

“Can we, juseyo? It’ll be so much fun!” She clasps her hands in front of her face in a begging gesture and tilts her head back to look up at me with a pout. “Come on, Orabang…” she whines, wriggling in her seat like a small child.

 

“Ya, Seollebal!” I dart my eyes sideways at the computer screen where the others are still watching us, wide eyes twinkling with mirth and barely holding back their laughter at my predicament. “Cut it out; this is embarrassing.”

 

When she doesn’t stop whining, I turn to look helplessly at the other three on the computer screen. Silently, so Nae Il couldn’t hear, I mouth, “Give us five minutes. I’ll call you back.”

 

Without saying a word, Yoon Hoo nods and winks knowingly at me. He gestures “Okay” with one hand, and then disconnects the call. In a flash, the window on my computer screen disappears.

 

I’d hated how easily he could see my thoughts and get under my skin before, but I must admit that his ability comes in handy sometimes. Like now.

 

By this point, Nae Il has noticed that something is wrong. Her eyes dart back and forth accusingly between the computer screen and me.

 

“What’d you do? Orabang!”

 

Quickly, I put a finger to her lips to shush her. “Gwenchana – they’re still there. I just need to talk to you alone for a second. We’ll call them back later, arasseo?”

 

She nods glumly, but crosses her arms and huffs at me with a pout.

 

Thank goodness the others can’t see me like this. Gesturing helplessly in the air, I fumble for a way to smooth things over. “Look, Nae Il-ah…you can’t just put me on the spot like that.”

 

She gives a small whine in displeasure. “But…”

 

“Don’t you hate it when other people do that to you?”

 

That stops whatever retort she had in its tracks. As my words sink in, she takes a few deep breaths, then slowly relaxes. “You’re right,” she says with a nod. “Mianhaeyo, Orabang. I’ll try not to do it again.”

 

I look closely at her expression for a moment, just long enough to see that she really has calmed down. Then, smiling gently in reassurance, I stretch out one arm towards her. “Come here.”

 

She doesn’t need any further invitation. Immediately, Nae Il scoots closer and I pull her sideways into a hug, my arm wrapped around her shoulders. I give her a little squeeze as she lowers her head onto my shoulder. Gently, I brush my free hand against her cheek and she snuggles closer.

 

I know that time’s running out before I have to reconnect the call, so I try to make this quick.

 

“You know, Nae Il-ah, I was going to hold off on telling you this.”

 

Her eyes flicker up at me in curiosity. “Mm?”

 

I breathe out a sigh. “But since we’re already on the subject…I was planning on taking you to the Christkindlmarkt tonight,” I say firmly, calling the market by its German name. “But I couldn’t well bring that up to the others; that would have ruined the surprise. And I know you like surprises.”

 

It takes Nae Il a moment to process what I had just said, but once she does, her entire demeanour transforms. Yelping in delight, she gives me a fierce hug, and I once again have to fight to pull her off of me. Fortunately, just then, the timer in the kitchen goes off, and I use that as my excuse to convince her to let go. As she pulls back, I scramble to my feet and dash off to the kitchen, telling her over my shoulder to call the others back and continue without me.

 

Maybe letting Nae Il in on the surprise early wasn’t such a bad idea after all. As I check on the soup, I hear her gush excitedly about it to the others. And her joy is clearly infectious, because I hear them all chattering happily in the background.

 

Unfortunately, though, the thing about Nae Il is that when left on her own, she has a tendency to go a bit too far as her imagination runs wild. One of the others, I’m not sure who, must have asked her whether anything else happened during those five minutes we had to ourselves.

 

All I know is that I freeze in my tracks, my eyes widening, as Nae Il’s voice carries over into the kitchen.

 

We...we most certainly did not do that!

 

Still holding the ladle in my hand, I dash into the living room as quickly as I can.

 

“Ya! Seollebal! I – I did not – get your mind out of the gutter!”

 

Startled by my interruption, Nae Il freezes and glances up at me, adopting her most innocent expression, but looking sheepishly guilty because of it. As for me, I feel the blood rushing up to my face when I hear Su Min and Yoon Hoo burst out laughing on the other end.

 

Just on the edge of my awareness, I hear Min Hee’s voice ring out, “Called it. Seol Nae Il, when will you ever learn?”

 

If only the floor could just swallow me up now.

 

~~~~~

 

Although it is Nae Il’s first time going to the Christkindlmarkt, it has also been many years since I have been here.

 

After walking down the winding streets strung with Christmas lights, taking that first step into the Residenzplatz is like entering a fairy tale world. The entire perimeter of the square is lined with brightly lit stalls selling local handmade crafts, Christmas decorations, souvenirs, and a vast array of traditional winter drinks and snacks, their warm glow beckoning out into the darkness to attract customers. The stands, too, are topped with evergreen garlands and strings of lights stretching out to a second cluster of stalls in the centre like the points of a star. Music fills the air as brass ensembles take turns playing carols from the watchtowers overlooking the square. And in the middle of it all, an enormous Christmas tree proudly stands guard over everything, its twinkling lights a beacon to all who enter.

 

My parents used to bring me here every Christmas during the years we had lived together in Salzburg. I was still small then, and am much older and wiser now, but the familiar sights and sounds bring me back.

 

I had loved this place once.

 

I had thought, because of the accident, that I would never see it again.

 

But now, thanks to Nae Il’s help, I can.

 

And here we are.

 

Walking together now, hand in hand so we could not be separated in the crowd, I wonder if this was how abeoji had felt all those years ago: young, the woman he loved by his side, and a bright future ahead. I wonder, too, if eomma was ever as excited or as giddy as Nae Il is now: weaving her way through the crowd, pulling me along beside her, just trying to take everything in.

 

We’re not just wandering around aimlessly, though. Tonight, we’ve come here with a goal: to stock up on decorations.

 

Nae Il had been surprised a few days ago when, after we had bought a Christmas tree and brought it home, I had asked her to wait before decorating it. I’d told her then about how my parents and I had celebrated Christmas here when I was younger, including the Austrian tradition of waiting until Christmas Eve to decorate the tree. “My parents used to surprise me like that,” I’d said. “Most of my friends’ parents did it in the evening, but not them. Instead, they would wake up early in the morning to set it up, and it would be the first thing I saw when I came out of my room.”

 

Before leaving the apartment, lest we became overwhelmed by the array of choices available at the Christkindlmarkt, we had brainstormed for ideas. We’d settled on a traditional colour scheme of red, white, and gold, and knew that we wanted something that would reflect the love for music that had brought us together.

 

As we make our way through the market now, it isn’t long before we find items that match what we are looking for: red glass baubles, a spool of white ribbon shot through with silver thread that Nae Il offered to make into bows, a variety of rustic-looking wooden ornaments carved to look like angels and snowmen, and – our favourite – an assortment of brass ornaments made to look like musical instruments. With the addition of a silver star topper to crown the tree, and the box of small clip-on electric candles that we had already purchased in advance, our shopping was done.

 

Most of the time, I let Nae Il do the talking, calling for the attention of the stall keepers when we find something that catches our eye, thanking them after I have handed them the money, and wishing them a happy holiday.

 

It is, after all, good practice for her.

 

While I had grown up speaking both Korean and German fluently, that was not the case with Nae Il. In fact, before coming here to Salzburg, the only German phrase she had known was “Auf Wiedersehen,” courtesy of The Sound of Music. And while students at Haneum were encouraged to study a foreign language – either German, Italian, French or English – as an elective, she hadn’t done so, since her earlier dream of teaching music had not required it.

 

But the Mozarteum required its students to be able to understand German, as that was the language the professors spoke; and Nae Il’s admission to the piano performance program here, the position she had won in the competition, depended on her ability to pass a German proficiency test first. That was why we had come over so early in advance in the first place: both of our placements only officially began this October, with the beginning of the school year, but I had suggested that we come in the spring to give Nae Il a chance to pick up the language in time.

 

And she did not disappoint me.

 

Her ability to learn music perfectly by ear extended to language as well. Filled with a determination to pass the test, lest she be sent back to Korea while I remain here, she immersed herself fully into the task. Whenever she wasn’t practicing the piano, she kept the television on in the background, or worked her way through online language courses. Her extroversion also helped here; unlike me, Nae Il was never shy about making a mistake, and she would try to speak German at every opportunity, even if it meant using the wrong grammar or fumbling to find the right words.

 

By now, although she still struggles with the local dialect – media and learning materials usually used a more standardized version of the language – she can get by: not only able to pass the test, but to communicate in everyday life as well.

 

As we continue walking, each of us lugging one of Nae Il’s signature canvas tote bags filled with our purchases, she moves from holding my hand to linking arms with me, pulling me close.

 

I stop and glance down at her. “Are you cold?”

 

“Gwenchanayo, Orabang,” she says, snuggling even closer. “I feel warmer when I’m beside you like this.”

 

But still. That just won’t do. I scan over the area around us, trying to see if there is anything that could warm her. Just then, I spot the perfect solution: a stall selling roasted chestnuts. Pointing it out to Nae Il, we both head over towards it; after I have bought some, I place the paper bag into her hands. She smiles in thanks, then hugs the bag close to her chest.

 

“Remember to eat them while they’re still hot,” I remind her. “The warmth lasts longer that way.”

 

“Ne.” Shifting the bag to rest in the crook of her arm so that her hands are free, she immediately fishes one morsel out of the bag. Deftly peeling off the shell, she pops it into her mouth. For a moment, the chestnut is so hot that she keeps her mouth open to cool it, but she soon manages, chewing and swallowing with a contented smile.

 

Meanwhile, something else has caught my eye: a stand selling glühwein, the classic Christmas drink made from red wine that has been simmered with a mixture of citrus fruits and spices.

 

Another childhood memory floats in my mind. I remember that my parents used to love glühwein – or at least I think they did. They would each buy a cup whenever we came to the Christkindlmarkt, and although they would let me smell its heady aroma, they always refused to let me try any. “When you’re older, Yoo Jin-ah,” eomma used to say.

 

Well, I am older now, and I am still curious. I head towards the stand, Nae Il following just a step behind. Before placing an order, I ask her if she wants any, but she declines.

 

No surprise, there. I have always liked the taste of red wine more than her. And on the few occasions when I would indulge in a glass after dinner, she would brew herself a cup of tea instead.

 

So I order just one cup for now, watching in anticipation as the woman running the stand spoons a ladleful into one of the market’s signature blue mugs. When she finally hands it to me, I cannot resist doing what I had done many times as a child. I bring the mug up to my nose and let the steam wash over me. It is just like I remember it: heavily scented with cinnamon and cloves, with the tartness that could only come from cooking fruit.

 

Cautiously, I take a sip.

 

To be honest, I am not quite sure what to make of the taste. I think this is one of those times when being Korean really helps: the warmed wine is sourer than I had anticipated, but not in a way that is unpleasant. There is also a strong sweet undertone from the added sugar, and the faint bitterness that only alcohol could bring. The glühwein, served straight from the pot, is comfortingly warm as I swallow, and the spices leave a lingering trail of heat down my throat.

 

All this time, Nae Il is watching me in wide-eyed curiosity. Chuckling at the sight, wondering if that was how I had looked watching my parents as a child, I hold the mug out to her. Just like I had done all those years ago, she instinctively steps closer and sniffs.

 

“Wa…” she gasps, looking up at me in wonder. “Orabang, it…it smells like Christmas!” After a pause, she adds, “That is, if Christmas had a smell.”

 

“Would you like to try it, then?”

 

She nods and I hold the mug steady as she takes a sip. I can tell immediately that she doesn’t like it, although she is careful not to let it show too much on her face. Flicking her tongue between her teeth, as though trying to get the taste out of her mouth, she takes a step back.

 

“You can have the rest.”

 

Fair enough, then.

 

We move together to a spot several feet away so as not to get in the way of others passing by. There, tucked away into a corner to ourselves, I continue sipping the glühwein as Nae Il munches on her chestnuts.

 

We stay like that for a while in companionable silence before I feel her nudging me. Turning to look at her, I see that she is holding out one of her peeled chestnuts. “You let me try some of yours, Orabang, so it’s only fair.”

 

But when I reach out to take it, she snatches her hand back. “Ah, ah, ah…” she says in a sing-song voice, wagging a finger like a schoolteacher. “Just open your mouth.”

 

I scoff and roll my eyes. “Really, Nae Il? That’s so childish.”

 

“Come on, Orabang – just this once! It’s not like anyone can see us – and even if they do, we don’t know them, nor do they know us. So what does it matter?”

 

“Alright, then. But only because it’s you.” Closing my eyes, I lean towards her and let her pop the chestnut into my mouth. As I chew and swallow it, I open my eyes again to find Nae Il glancing at me expectantly.

 

“It’s good, isn’t it?”

 

“Ne,” I answer with a nod, shielding my mouth with one hand.

 

Good food and drink to warm the body; good company to warm the heart and soul.

 

What could be better than this?

 

~~~~~

 

As I step into the living room, wearing my coat and carrying Nae Il’s in my arms, I find her sprawled on the couch. Lying on her stomach, her chin resting on her arms folded upon the armrest, she is staring intently at our Christmas tree.

 

Today is Christmas Eve, and we had just spent the morning making and sharing a special brunch, then decorating the tree with everything we had bought at the Christkindlmarkt several nights ago. It is now midday, and although it is still light outside, I reach over and press the remote to turn on the electric candles scattered among the tree’s branches. Just to see what it might look like. As we expected, the twinkling lights glint off the red glass and brass ornaments, and catch the silver patterns on the white bows Nae Il had made.

 

From her place on the couch, Nae Il sighs in content. “It’s beautiful!”

 

“Indeed,” I reply, switching off the lights. Best not to waste the electricity now; we will definitely turn them on again tonight, after all.

 

I walk over to her and place a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Nae Il-ah,” I say gently. “Let’s go out for a while.”

 

She turns her face towards me, then, noticing for the first time how I am dressed. Languidly, she sits up. “Wae? Are we going somewhere?”

 

I feel a smile tugging on my lips. “It’s a secret.”

 

That piques her curiosity. Immediately, she scrambles up and takes the coat from me. As she puts it on, I remind her, “We’ll be walking for a while, so make sure you’re dressed warmly.”

 

She stays just long enough to nod at me, then dashes off to her room to get her scarf, and gloves.

 

Once Nae Il is ready, we both set out. The streets of Salzburg are, for once, almost entirely deserted. Most people spend Christmas Eve attending mass or at home with their families, and many of the shops and businesses are closing up now in order to allow their employees the time to celebrate. But the streets and storefronts are still decorated with garlands, and snowflakes are slowly drifting down from the sky. With only a handful of tourists still out and about, it is as though we have the entire city to ourselves.

 

Just enjoying each other’s company, we walk up to the old fortress overlooking the city centre. We make it just in time to be among the last people allowed in before it, too, closes early. And by the time I lead Nae Il to the terrace on its north side, we are, once again, alone.

 

When we step out onto the large stone balcony, Nae Il seems to understand where we are. Slowly, then with quickening steps, she makes her way to a familiar spot on the ramparts, just a short distance away from the watchtower on the corner.

 

Leaning forward against the wall, she peers out at the city laid out below. As I come up behind her, she turns to look at me in wonder.

 

“This…this is the spot where you gave me my ring, isn’t it.”

 

I give a nod in reply, then, just as I had done the last time, I give her a boost up so she can sit facing me on the stone wall.

 

Together, we gaze out over the place that we have called home for months. For a long moment, I try to think up the words to express what I want to say, but I can’t. So, instead, I simply reach into my coat pocket and take out a small hinged box.

 

Nae Il’s eyes light up as soon as she sees it. “Or- Orabang…”

 

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” I quickly blurt out. “This isn’t a proposal or anything. It’s just that…well, this is the first Christmas we’re spending together like this, so I wanted to make it something special.” Taking one of her hands in mine, I press the box into her palm. “Merry Christmas, Nae Il-ah.”

 

Peering up at her, I watch as she slowly opens the box, and the look of sheer delight that crosses her features tells me I had made the right choice.

 

Inside the box is a simple gold necklace, with a hanging pendant in the shape of a treble and bass clef intertwined into a heart. At its centre, a small crystal sparkles in the sunlight.

 

Seeing that Nae Il is still speechless with wonder, I carefully take the box out of her hands. Lifting the necklace off of its bed, I reach behind her and fasten it around her neck. The pendant sits oddly on the knot of her scarf, but neither of us is willing to properly tuck it in just yet. Instead, she takes it in her hand and turns it around to look at it right-side-up.

 

Usually, she would hug me at a time like this, or even try – and fail – to kiss me, but she does neither. Rather, after a long moment, Nae Il turns once again to look out over the city. “Komapsumnida, Orabang,” she says wistfully. “This – this gift, this Christmas, everything we have done these past few days – it’s beautiful.

 

“But you know what would make this even more magical?” she adds, turning to look at me once again, a mischievous twinkle starting to form in her eyes.

 

I think I know where this is going. Nae Il is Nae Il, after all.

 

“What?” I ask cautiously.

 

“Music,” she says firmly. “Sing me something, Orabang.”

 

All right – I had certainly not been expecting that.

 

I raise an eyebrow at her. “What? Now?”

 

“Why not? I like hearing the sound of your voice; it’s far better than mine, after all.” She glances around behind my shoulder. “And besides, there’s no-one else here.”

 

I sigh in defeat; this girl simply knows me too well. “Arasseo,” I reply, lifting up a finger. “But just this once. I won’t be doing this again.”

 

I take my eyes off her, gazing out over the wall as I try to think: what song should I sing?

 

An answer comes to me in the form of yet another memory from my childhood. Closing my eyes, I see in my mind an image of eomma and me sitting at the foot of our Christmas tree in our old home in this very city. She, too, had once asked me to sing for her like this: the song that I had just learned at school.

 

From deep inside my memory, my own childhood choirboy’s voice rings high and clear in my head. Matching it with my own deeper voice now, I begin.

 

“Stille nacht, heilige nacht; alles schläft, einsam wacht…”

 

As I continue through the old Christmas carol, I cannot help but reflect. Traditionally, this is a song that is reserved for the evening of Christmas Eve. I know that I am early by several hours right now, yet…yet nothing feels more fitting.

 

Because this is Austria. Because this song, “Stille Nacht,” is the sound of Christmas here. Because this is home: first for me, and now for both of us.

 

My voice trails off into silence as I finish the first stanza of the song. I’m not sure if I should continue or end it here. But before I could decide, I feel a hand brush the hair back from my forehead, and then someone kisses it from above, just as Eomma had done all those years ago.

 

For a split second, I wonder if, somehow, my childhood memory has come to life. But I know that’s impossible.

 

Cautiously, I open my eyes. There is Nae Il, just pulling back from the kiss now. In the soft winter sunlight, her eyes sparkling and her hair lightly dusted with snow, she looks almost like an angel come down from heaven.

 

She’s beautiful.

 

I don’t know how I must look right now, but Nae Il breaks eye contact first. Hurriedly, she glances down bashfully, fidgeting with the ends of her scarf.

 

“Mianhaeyo, Orabang,” she murmurs. “I know you don’t like it when I do that, but I just couldn’t help myself.”

 

I know what I should do. I know what, under normal circumstances, I would do. I know that I should reprimand her, remind her once again of the promise I had made, tell her that hugs are fine, but that I don’t want to go any further than that.

 

And yet…and yet….

 

It is like I am not fully in control of myself. Because instead of dong any of that, I find myself reaching out with one hand and lifting Nae Il’s face back up so she is once again looking directly at me. Then, that same hand moving to the nape of her neck, I lean forward, standing on tiptoe, and press my lips up against hers.

 

Our kiss is pure, chaste.

 

Both of us know it to be an act of love rather than lust.

 

So although our eyes close in contentment and our lips part slightly as we take each other in, and although she places her hands on either side of my head to pull me deeper, I do not use my tongue, nor does she use hers. Yet, perhaps because it is our first time, even just that little bit is electrifying. The hand that had been placed on her neck now slides down to her waist as she leans in close enough that our bodies touch.

 

Time seems to stand still. I do not want to move. I do not want to breathe.

 

We both linger a beat longer than we should before we drift apart. As I hear my pulse racing in my ears and feel the blood coursing hot through my veins, my mind seems to return to me.

 

In a flash, I tear my eyes away from Nae Il and gaze down towards the ground. Slowly, wordlessly, swallowing in disbelief, I run a finger along my bottom lip.

 

What have I done? We are playing with fire, Nae Il and I. This was the most that either of us had ever done with each other. Any further, and we would both have come undone.

 

I shoot Nae Il a guilty glance, wondering if she feels the same way as I. She is swaying in her seat, mouth slightly open in surprise, her hands stretched out on either side to brace herself against the stones.

 

For a moment, she seems to struggle to form words. Then, finally, she gasps out, “Or- Orabang, that was…that was….”

 

But then, to my surprise, she beams in the same delight that I see whenever we play the piano together.

 

“That was amazing!”

 

Before I could stop her, she throws herself at me: her arms wrapped around my neck, and her legs around my waist. Quickly, I move to support her so she doesn’t fall, even lifting her up higher until she is seated comfortably in my arms.

 

Tilting my head back to look her in the eye, I reach out and give her a light tap on the nose with one finger. “Now, don’t get ahead of yourself, Seollebal,” I chide her. “That’s the most that you’re ever going to get from me until your father says otherwise.”

 

She smiles in response, a devilish twinkle in her eye. “I know. So I’ll just take what I can get.”

 

With that, she leans down for yet another kiss. And this time, for the first time ever, I let her.

 

Author's Note (in "Hidden Contents" because of Spoilers)

 

Spoiler

Personally, I think I've taken a huge step in my fanfic writing, because in all my years of writing fanfiction (both here and the stuff I'd done and since deleted years ago), I have never done anything like this before.

 

My first sequel. My first romance. My first kiss.

 

So writing something like this has definitely come with its own unique set of challenges, but it has also been a lot of fun and extremely rewarding.

 

In this behind-the-scenes Author's Note, there are two main things I want to give you guys a glimpse into:

 

1. Setting the story in Salzburg, Austria

 

This part, in all honesty, was a dream come true for me. I've mentioned before that I absolutely love classical music, so Salzburg is one of those places that I have wanted to visit for as long as I can remember. It hasn't happened yet, but that means that I spent a lot of time looking into what there is there in hopes to make the characters' world that much more realistic and believable.

 

So that included things like, as previously mentioned, placing Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il in real-life locations. The Mozarteum is real, the Christkindlmarkt in the Residenzplatz is real, the fortress (which I don't mention by name, but is called the Hohensalzburg Fortress) is real.

 

I think that now's a good time to point out that, in writing the last scene, I was heavily inspired by this particular behind-the-scenes photo from the filming of "Nae Il's Cantabile":

 

 

That last scene, though, is also a really good example of how, sometimes, real life gets in the way of imagination. What you see in this version is a re-write; I had initially started writing it to take place at night, both because I thought it would be more romantic (the Hohensalzburg Fortress, too, is lit up with Christmas lights), and to tie in with the reference to "Stille Nacht" as the traditional carol sung on the night of Christmas Eve. However, I discovered during my research (as I write, I search online for things I need to know on the side), that the fortress actually closes in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, as do many of the other attractions in the city. So, although some of the ambiance had to be sacrificed, I moved it up to take place in the early afternoon instead; the events, however, remain the same as in the earlier version.

 

One last thing that is sort of real, but not really: the apartment. I wanted to have some sort of layout in my head that I could work with in visualizing Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il together at home, so I did a bit of pseudo-real-estate hunting. And, after searching around for a while, I settled on this particular listing (the site's in German, but Google Translate works decently well): http://www.planreal.at/immobilien-planreal/moderne-4-zimmer-mietwohnung-im-salzburger-stadtteil-nonntal.html

 

Let me clarify: I don't think that they would have been in this literal apartment. I felt its location was a bit too far out from the city centre, nor did I think its interior design/decoration would match the characters' style. However, what I did end up using was the floorplan.

 

[EDIT - Dec. 2020] Since the floorplan and photographs disappeared after that property was rented out (a development that, in hindsight, I really should have seen coming), I've since tried to do my own quick mock-up using an interior design computer game (forgive the watermark - I was using the free edition of this software):

 

 

So here, from top to bottom, we have the music room, then Yoo Jin's bedroom, Nae Il's bedroom, the central foyer/hallway, and the kitchen and living/dining room with a small balcony.

 

Okay, moving on to the second behind the scenes feature for today:

 

2. The Music

 

Although "Nae Il's Cantabile" already focuses a lot on classical music, and characters' love for it, I actually borrowed a lot from "Secret Love Affair" in writing this story.

 

Both dramas are among my favourites, and both deal a lot with the emotional effects that both listening to and playing music can have. We see it in "Nae Il's Cantabile" in both cartoonish and surprisingly poignant ways: the former in the way that Nae Il decides she's completely in love with Yoo Jin after playing the first Mozart duet with him, as well as how Il Rak decides he's best friends with Yoo Jin after their own duet; but also the latter in the magnetism of Yoo Jin's piano performance, which is echoed in Nae Il's attempts to replicate it, and the pain and unrequited love reflected in Yoon Hoo's duet with Nae Il.

 

I had mentioned in the "Author's Notes" from my other fanfics for "Nae Il's Cantabile" that I believe music has a very sensual quality to it. And whereas I had held back and reined that in a little in my writing in the past, this time, given that Yoo Jin and Nae Il are a couple, I went all the way and tried to express that level of intense emotion and intimacy in full.  

 

To do that, I needed some help from "Secret Love Affair", which, in comparison with "Nae Il's Cantabile", really emphasized this component of music-making. Most notably, that's where I took the piece that I have Yoo Jin and Nae Il play in the piano-playing scene: Schubert's Fantasie in F-minor. In "Secret Love Affair", this piece is the first duet played by the two leads - and although they are not yet in love, it being their first real meeting, there is an immediate connection of minds and souls that shows through in the music.

 

I guess that I can't really put into words what that would look or feel like, so what I suggest is for you guys to see for yourselves.

 

(EDIT): Found a clip of the actual scene! It's from Episode 2 of "Secret Love Affair"

 

 

The piano-playing scene is done in a montage, so you don't see or hear the whole thing, but the producers did a good job of showing what I have tried to describe in this story: the close proximity between the two pianists, their intense absorption in the music, both the exhaustion and the thrill that comes as a result - and, ultimately, its erotic potential.

 

(By the way, if you have the time, I also strongly recommend the first ten minutes or so of that episode of "Secret Love Affair" as well, because that's when you first see the characters creating that emotional bond, as one listens to the other playing.)

 

And, for anyone who is interested, here is the recording of the full piece that I listened to as I was writing. There's no picture here, so you can just play it in the background while doing something else.

 

 

The other major piece of music I featured here is "Stille Nacht", or "Silent Night" in English. I don't think I need to say much more about it, save that it is a really big deal in Austria. That's because that's where the song originated from: it was composed and first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small town of Oberndorf, just north of Salzburg. Because of that, despite its international popularity, it holds a special place of honour in Austria - to the point where no-one sings or plays it publicly prior to Christmas Eve.

 

(There is, by the way, a superstition in Germany and Austria that extending good wishes too soon in advance can bring bad luck - so, for instance, you never wish someone "Happy birthday" before the actual birthday or "Merry Christmas" before Christmas Eve. I don't know if the tradition surrounding holding off on singing "Stille Nacht" until then is related. Maybe, but I'm not sure.)

 

And, for those of you who are wondering, yes, I just included that bit to "make JW sing", even if just in our imaginations  

 

A few more behind the scenes tidbits that didn't fit anyplace else

 

1. The Christmas decorations - minus the electric candles - are based off my own Christmas tree at home. What can I say? I am one in a family of classical music lovers; I might as well make the most of it

 

2. The necklace that Yoo Jin gives Nae Il was inspired by this one here, although you can probably tell from my description that the one in the story would be more expensive and ornate. But at least you could see what I meant about the intertwined treble and bass clefs here.

 

 

Finally, once again, if you want to access my other fanfics as well as various other Hallyu-related writings, a master list is in the "About Me" tab of my profile page. Enjoy!

[moonstrike]

On 12/23/2017 at 2:09 AM, kittyna said:

Found a whole collage of photos of JW with kids, including the one we'd shared earlier that looks to feature Baby Moon (i.e. his nephew)

Its so cute... looks like joo won will be a good father in the future. I also found this post on instagram. The caption is so true.!! He hold the baby like that is a precious things in the world. He embrace the baby carefully... 

 

 

This one too... its from his chinese drama love express.. so lovely

 

Talking about baby moon.. we can forget this post tho. Its from joo won's instagram. The comment is so funny. The fans said its her baby with joo won. But actually, its his nephew from his older brother. The picture is so beautiful...

 

I also have seen some people comment in 2011 when ojakgyo is airing and the fans are shipping joo won with uee said that joo won and uee will make beautiful moon baby. Lots of them... if they married. Makes me giggle while read it. Here is the photo:

 

 

 

By the way, it makes me want to meet him even more. I want to hear his voice for real not with my speaker and want to see his face with my own eyes and not from my handphone screen. I also already heard from fan diary or another fans that said joo won is more handsome in person rather that in the tv. If you see he is chubby, in real life he is slim and has the right weight. And you know that his waist is so small too.

 

 

On 12/23/2017 at 2:09 AM, kittyna said:

The Nongshim CF is so cute - although it's funny that we're watching this in the middle of winter.  It reminds me of when I was little, and I tried to hypnotize my friends and I into being warmer by thinking of hot things (like a hot summer's day, or the burning sun, or fire). Not that that ever actually worked, but it was worth a shot.  

It makes me craving for a cup of noodle too... while i'm here sitting with empty stomach watching joo won slurping the noodle with that cute face...

 

On 12/23/2017 at 2:09 AM, kittyna said:

 

lol - Watching the "Niko" clips feels so weird to me, because I just cannot get into the character. I just keep going, "OMG, that's JW's voice!" and then I get distracted and don't pay attention to the video  

Yeah... everytime niko start talking, i will just paying attention to the voice. I feel that the voice and the animation is something different while they should unite to make the audience feel and understand the story but i just can't do that. 

 

And hearing joo won talking with his aegyo voice or his baby voice while act as niko is exciting. We can imagine him act something with that voice.

On 12/23/2017 at 2:09 AM, kittyna said:

I don't remember where, but I saw a news article about that story before. It's so sweet to know that JW is there for his friends like that  

I envy him tho. Having friends like joo won beside him is like a blessing.

 

Its amazing and i proud of him that even shin dong yeob, acknowledge joo won as being a good and kind person. That means joo won is really a great person that even makes shin dong yeob acknowledge him.

 

On 12/23/2017 at 2:09 AM, kittyna said:

I know we've talked about JW resembling a bunny once, but before then, when I'd first joined this forum, I thought of a kitty cat, like in this pic

Owhh... so cute. The pout is really similiar tho.. hahaha. By the way, i found this too: joo won that has same expression as animal...

https://s.amsu.ng/Am3TxmTWL4kN

And this

https://s.amsu.ng/caQTohbWirJN

 

On 12/23/2017 at 2:09 AM, kittyna said:

Another laughing pic

His laugh make my day alot more happy.

 

On 12/23/2017 at 9:08 AM, kittyna said:

Title: The Sound of Christmas

Drama: "Nae Il's Cantabile"

Characters: Cha Yoo Jin, Seol Nae Il

Premise: It's the first Christmas since Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il have moved together to Salzburg, Austria. As he rediscovers his childhood memories of living there with his parents, Yoo Jin also wants to make new ones with Nae Il.

Finally!!! Your first romantic fanfic. Its really good. You portray the scene really detailed.. and it makes me imagining what will cha yoo jin and naeil do after this??? 

 

The romantic scene is really cute. The hugs, holding hands, looking at starry night and stare at each other. 

 

Actually i never expect that will be a kiss scene is this fanfic, since you said that its not your style. But i think you have a talent to make this kind of story. Story that has cute romantic scene and also warm conversation. Kind of kissing that you portray in the fanfic is kiss that have pure feelings that makes the reader feel what is inside the character's heart. 

 

I'm hoping that you can make this kind of story again. Its great!!! You can try different character like park shi on (this character is really fit the cute romance like your fanfic) or even lee kang to (you can make the character more intense but still has some happy stuff in it). Good Luck!!!

 

My picture time!!!

 

Ugghh... so cute!!!

 

This photoshoot is really great. Joo won with glasses!

 

Look at his height!!! Not kidding!! He is so tall.. the person that upload this said that joo won is so handsome..

 

Kind joo won... waving his hands and giving sign to his fans even though he is in hurry. And he smile while looking at the camera!! Like he is looking at me now.! By the way, he looks more handsome after months being in the army. 

 

Comparing his height again!! He still look SO tall even though the girl is wearing high heels.

 

[kittyna]

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Its so cute... looks like joo won will be a good father in the future.

 

More pics of JW with kids, this time from what looks to be an event related to "Ghost":

 

Spoiler

 

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

By the way, it makes me want to meet him even more. I want to hear his voice for real not with my speaker and want to see his face with my own eyes and not from my handphone screen. I also already heard from fan diary or another fans that said joo won is more handsome in person rather that in the tv. If you see he is chubby, in real life he is slim and has the right weight. And you know that his waist is so small too.

 

I've noticed a lot of people saying that about JW, even other celebrities who have watched him on TV say so when they meet him at a drama set or on a variety show.

 

I think that JW's just one of those people whom you have to see in 3D in order to really get a good sense of how they look. We can tell from different photographs, even from the same drama, for instance, where JW's features, face shape, etc. can look drastically different based on lighting, camera angle, etc. That means that there's something about, say, the contour of his features that just cannot be captured in 2D.

 

So, for instance, in a collage like this, you can see how JW's face can go from looking chubby to looking really sharp just due to the lighting and camera angle - there's no way he could have actually changed his appearance, since they're all from the same event:

 

 

It's funny, because I do see the occasional comment where someone's wondering if he's gotten plastic surgery partway through his career, because they found a recent photo that doesn't look like how he did in the past; but I'd say no, because then an even more recent photo surfaces where his face matches the really old one  

 

I agree about the narrow waist as well. My observation of JW so far is that his skeletal structure isn't actually all that broad - so, for instance, his shoulder blades are not as wide as a number of other actors', and a small waist suggests, to me, a narrower pelvis as well. But when JW does bulk up, it's mostly in his arms and legs - and those arms of his can definitely make his entire upper body look broader by comparison.

 

It's why there was that time I posted several photos from filming "Nae Il's Cantabile" where he looked really slim in a blazer, but really buff when just wearing a T-shirt: the blazer would really show where his shoulders are while visually slimming down his arms, but once his arms are exposed...dang!

 

(In case anyone has forgotten, here are the pics)

 

Spoiler

With the blazer:

 

 

Without the blazer:

 

 

And this photo, which I've never shared before, really shows what I mean about JW's build: his shoulders and torso are quite narrow for someone with limbs as muscular as his. I've also noticed that his shoulders slope down a bit rather than being really square like a number of other actors', and that also creates a slimmer line, visually.

 

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Finally!!! Your first romantic fanfic. Its really good. You portray the scene really detailed.. and it makes me imagining what will cha yoo jin and naeil do after this??? 

 

The romantic scene is really cute. The hugs, holding hands, looking at starry night and stare at each other. 

 

Actually i never expect that will be a kiss scene is this fanfic, since you said that its not your style. But i think you have a talent to make this kind of story. Story that has cute romantic scene and also warm conversation. Kind of kissing that you portray in the fanfic is kiss that have pure feelings that makes the reader feel what is inside the character's heart. 

 

Thanks! I wasn't really sure how this story would be received, since it is, after all, my first shot at this sort of thing.  

 

For the most part, I'm okay with writing skinship in general, as well as cute and fluffy stuff. And that was, at first, my intention. I'd had a couple of sillier moments planned that ultimately didn't make it into this story, and that's because, more than any other fic I've posted on the forum so far, this one evolved the most as I was writing it.

 

I think I first realized this story was going to be different when I wrote the piano-playing scene, read it again, and wound up blushing. I mean, it's not explicit, it's not a bed scene, it's not any of that, but when I realized how much into detail I was going with the physical elements of that scene (e.g. the hands touching, the way they were moving and breathing in sync, the heart racing, etc.), I knew that things were going to get...interesting from here on out.

 

The kiss scene came into my mind soon after that. To be honest, I still don't really know where it came from, and I'm still surprised that I'd ended up with one at all. But as soon as that whole sequence of events (the forehead kiss to the first real kiss to the second one at the end) appeared in my mind...I don't know how to put it, but it just felt perfect. And I have enough experience as a writer to know that if my imagination gives me as complete a picture as that, then I should go with it  The only challenging part was figuring out how to write it, then. I know that many kiss scenes in fanfic are the lead-up to bed scenes, but that wasn't where I wanted to go with that - but that also meant that I didn't have much to go by in terms of reference (i.e. how to describe a kiss that isn't meant to be steamy). Ultimately, I thought of the first kisses we tend see in the K-dramas themselves - the ones that are romantic, but that aren't necessarily very passionate. So, I'm talking about the slow, tender, camera-stays-still-for-several-seconds sort of kiss. And that helped a lot

 

By the way, a little Easter Egg about that scene, although I imagine you noticed it already: the position that Yoo Jin and Nae Il are in the end (i.e. him holding her in his arms as she bends down to kiss him) was this story's throwaway reference to the real-life actors. In this case, it's an homage to all the times that JW has said he liked scenes like that in movies (e.g. "The Notebook")  Again, since it hasn't happened yet, let's let him have that in our imaginations, at least. 

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

I'm hoping that you can make this kind of story again. Its great!!! You can try different character like park shi on (this character is really fit the cute romance like your fanfic) or even lee kang to (you can make the character more intense but still has some happy stuff in it). Good Luck!!!

 

I do have some vague ideas for both of those characters as well - it's just that the Cha Yoo Jin-Seol Nae Il pairing's version was the first to reach a complete enough state in my imagination that I could actually write it out.

 

And now, for my new pics:

 

Spoiler

This one's just really cute

 

 

Since we're on the subject of kissing scenes, here's a great one from "Ghost"

 

 

Love this shot from "Nae Il's Cantabile" - From this Instagram slideshow by Huayi Brothers: https://www.instagram.com/p/BbOL8ZbF_-j/?taken-by=huayibrothers

 

 

 

JW in a taekwondo(?) uniform - does anyone know the story behind this one?

 

 

This one's so cute, too!

 

 

Finally, I love the slightly grittier and edgier atmosphere in this photo

 

 

[kittyna]

Understandably, a lot of people are probably busy with Christmas stuff right now, so I'm just popping by quickly to add a few more photos before going off to do that myself  

 

These aren't actually Christmas-related - I think I've temporarily exhausted my creative juices on that front with the recent fic - but are just various random photos that I've recently come across and liked.

 

Spoiler

I really like the double exposure in this pic:

 

 

Cutie bubble gum

 

 

I like this collage of character portraits from "Nae Il's Cantabile"

 

 

Well, I should at least have some nod to the winter season here  

 

 

 

I also have a brief announcement regarding fic writing - my most recent story (i.e. the "Nae Il's Cantabile" Christmas Special) will be continued to include the New Year's trip to Vienna that the characters hint at   There are a few reasons for that: one, to have a chance to write a few more of the supporting characters from the drama (I really enjoyed writing Il Rak's bit roles in these fics, and want to do more with him; and the Il Rak-Si Won couple is also just totally cute), and two, to explore further where Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il may go post-first-kiss

 

So I hope to have that done in time to, again, be released a bit before the holiday itself.

[valinor500]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ^___^

 

To you, my dear Soompi Friends, and  to our Joo Won!!! 

 

Thanks for all the news, photo, video and your beautiful words!

 

Special thanks to you, Kittyna!

 

*many hugs from Italy*

 

 

[moonstrike]

Hello...!! I found something funny yet interesting on instagram.. 

 

If joo won has a son or he back to kids again, will his kid have this kind of cute face? Same like him.... its so cute!!! I can hold my face straight while looking at this!

 

Or he has a daughter that have this beautiful face? (By the way, wondering joo won as a girl while looking at this photo is so funny too)

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

I've noticed a lot of people saying that about JW, even other celebrities who have watched him on TV say so when they meet him at a drama set or on a variety show.

Me too... i remember in 1N2D when joo won racing with the member and meet a group of ahjumma (episode where kim seung woo is leaving 1N2D a.k.a last episode of bird PD) the ahjumma said that joo won looks chubby on screen or tv but looking at him in person is different. He looks slim and more handsome. 

 

I also remember when he do the festival in October (his latest event) many fans and people said that he is more handsome in person. Even girls said that he is prettier than her.

 

In fanmeet, many fans write a fan diary so other fans that can't come to the event can feel the happy that joo won give to his fans in the fanmeet. From all fan diary that i read said that he is more handsome in person. They said its unfair that photos can't show his awesomeness.

 

Reading and hearing this often makes me believe it even more. And makes me want to meet him even more. How awesome is he and how amazing is he. Because they said that joo won has different aura. Aura that makes you know that he is in the room when he come in. Cool and calm kind of aura but makes you feel that he is near you.

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

 

I think that JW's just one of those people whom you have to see in 3D in order to really get a good sense of how they look. We can tell from different photographs, even from the same drama, for instance, where JW's features, face shape, etc. can look drastically different based on lighting, camera angle, etc. That means that there's something about, say, the contour of his features that just cannot be captured in 2D.

Yeah. I have many experience where i feel that joo won is become chubbier in one scene but become slim again in the next scene. Even though there is some interval between the scene, but it can't make someone face become different so drastically. I believe that is camera angle or lighting that makes his face become more chubbier than real life. 

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

It's funny, because I do see the occasional comment where someone's wondering if he's gotten plastic surgery partway through his career, because they found a recent photo that doesn't look like how he did in the past; but I'd say no, because then an even more recent photo surfaces where his face matches the really old one  

Its funny... we know that joo won is not that kind of person but if he does, how can his face now become more like when he debut? I feel that his appearance (his face shape and body) is become more like when he start debut in drama or when he do spring awakening. (#Justmyoppinion but we know that is true he is not getting any plastic on his face)

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

It's why there was that time I posted several photos from filming "Nae Il's Cantabile" where he looked really slim in a blazer, but really buff when just wearing a T-shirt: the blazer would really show where his shoulders are while visually slimming down his arms, but once his arms are exposed...dang!

Yeah.. i also feel that when he wears a blazer or suit when he go to award ceremony. I feel like he become slimmer in that clothes but when he go back wearing sweater or t-shirt again i feel that he become chubbier. A fan said that she will looking to joo won's thigh when she want to know if joo won become slimmer or chubbier. 

 

By the way, you make me remember that he is doing weight lifting to make his arm bigger and the shoulders become more wider. He has been doing that for a long time (i think its start in 2014). And i feel he is success!!!

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

The kiss scene came into my mind soon after that. To be honest, I still don't really know where it came from, and I'm still surprised that I'd ended up with one at all. But as soon as that whole sequence of events (the forehead kiss to the first real kiss to the second one at the end) appeared in my mind...I don't know how to put it, but it just felt perfect. And I have enough experience as a writer to know that if my imagination gives me as complete a picture as that, then I should go with it  The only challenging part was figuring out how to write it, then.

Actually me too! When i first saw that you update a fanfic, i immediately read it. First i enjoy the fluffy and cute momment between the character but when i almost finish the fanfic, i kinda surprised and excited that i found out that the fanfic will have a kiss! (Btw..It makes me happy because i like this kind of story. Story that has cute, fluffy, and romantic momment that makes you smile. I still tolerate story that has bed scene but i prefer it to not too detailed and exposed. it makes myself embarrassed and blushed when reading it if the bed scene is too detail.)

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

JW has said he liked scenes like that in movies (e.g. "The Notebook")  Again, since it hasn't happened yet, let's let him have that in our imaginations, at least. 

Yeah..  joo won has a dream that he wants to have a love story like in Notebook movie. He also said that he wants to act in drama that the character is fall in love to each other very deeply that they can do anything to be together. But since joo won has never act in this kind of drama or movie, we just can imagine it in our head while reading fanfics. So i hope you can write more beautiful fanfics and share it with us!

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

I do have some vague ideas for both of those characters as well - it's just that the Cha Yoo Jin-Seol Nae Il pairing's version was the first to reach a complete enough state in my imagination that I could actually write it out

Will wait for it!!! I'm curious about your next fanfic especially in that different character because since you stepped to another level, i really hope and expected that the story will be more interesting and has more cute fluffy romance in it! 

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

Since we're on the subject of kissing scenes, here's a great one from "Ghost"

Kissing scenes in ghost!! I found the video! 

 

 

The one with ivy..

 

This is quite special because they kissing in the dark with such a beautiful lighting. And this is funny too! They has to kiss with such a romantic situation but after they kiss the PD is want to joke and play a wedding song that makes joo won and park ji yeon (the girl) laugh. And then joo won jokingly ask the PD "is this wedding ceremony?" (In my head i scream yesss!!! And hope its true that joo won will have this kind of wedding... )

 

And this is touching... because this is their last performance, park ji yeon is crying so you can see that joo won is strokes her head and hugs her with affection to make her calm and then kiss her! Such a lovely and romantic man!

 

And this is video that fans made because they ship joo won with park ji yeon. The picture is lovely and beautiful tho!

 

On 12/24/2017 at 2:21 AM, kittyna said:

JW in a taekwondo(?) uniform - does anyone know the story behind this one?

I think its joo won when he learn to do martial art for drama or when he shoots drama 7 grade civil servant. i'm not sure either. By the way, he looks good with that uniform. In fact, he looks good with any uniform! In chef uniform, in police uniform, in army uniform, in taekwondo uniform, and many more!

 

My photo time!!!

 

This is so cute!!!

 

Joo won's selfie! 

 

He looks so happy!! And i love his eye smile!!

 

He looks awesome and he is not change at all..!

 

Last one, joo won wearing glasses zoom in! He is great with this glasses and his legendary round glasses too.!

 

 

 

Remember when i said that the third MC in win win is rude. This is what other people thinking.. even though he doing his job as an MC but he can't make fun of joo won like that! He said what? He said joo won is girly? Good that joo won is really patient and pure so he just sit there fanning himself from embarrassment while smiling. Its not like other celebrities that will be mad and talk back to him if he make fun of his guest. Actually i was really annoyed when i watch that video! You can find it in comment section...

https://soulsrebel.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/win-win-joowon/

 

AND FINALLY ITS TIME FOR ME TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS HERE!!! I HOPE YOU GUYS AND JOO WON HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS THERE!!!

[kittyna]

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

First of all, just thought I'd share this - it's part of the multi-entry collage posted by Mind Bridge (so, the entire horizontal row would have spelled out "Merry Christmas", but that's kind of impossible to see with any one post):

 

 

And now, replies first - then more pics later  

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Or he has a daughter that have this beautiful face? (By the way, wondering joo won as a girl while looking at this photo is so funny too)

 

That reminds me: didn't JW say that he took more after his mom (whereas his hyung took more after their dad)? 

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Yeah. I have many experience where i feel that joo won is become chubbier in one scene but become slim again in the next scene. Even though there is some interval between the scene, but it can't make someone face become different so drastically. I believe that is camera angle or lighting that makes his face become more chubbier than real life. 

 

My guess is that there's a bit of an optical illusion going on based on camera angle, lighting, clothes, hairstyle, makeup...the whole shebang. You see it in other actors while watching dramas, too - but I do think the actual range of difference is more pronounced for JW than a lot of others.

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Its funny... we know that joo won is not that kind of person but if he does, how can his face now become more like when he debut? I feel that his appearance (his face shape and body) is become more like when he start debut in drama or when he do spring awakening. (#Justmyoppinion but we know that is true he is not getting any plastic on his face)

 

I can definitely notice how his features have changed over time - so I don't think he's going back to what he looked like before, exactly. But I think that what we're seeing is natural maturation/aging, not something more drastic than that.

 

It can also be a change in style rather than in terms of actual physical features as well - people change up how they want to present themselves over time, and maybe a look that you thought worked for you a few years ago isn't what you want to convey now.

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Yeah.. i also feel that when he wears a blazer or suit when he go to award ceremony. I feel like he become slimmer in that clothes but when he go back wearing sweater or t-shirt again i feel that he become chubbier. A fan said that she will looking to joo won's thigh when she want to know if joo won become slimmer or chubbier. 

 

By the way, you make me remember that he is doing weight lifting to make his arm bigger and the shoulders become more wider. He has been doing that for a long time (i think its start in 2014). And i feel he is success!!!

 

[continuing from my reply before this quote]

 

Which ties into what you'd said about the weight training, actually, because that's definitely something that I noticed JW changed his mind about partway through his career. Again, I don't expect him to end up, say, with shoulders as broad as someone who may have been doing weight training while he was still growing (as opposed to starting as an adult), but there should be a difference over time, and I started noticing it from 2015 onward, with images from "Fatal Intuition" and "Yong Pal". He really bulked up for "Fatal Intuition", but even though he lost some weight afterwards for "Yong Pal", he never quite goes back to how slim he was several years ago. And that's perfectly fine by me; he's said he wanted to present a more grown-up image from now on, so I like that he's actively taking steps towards that goal.

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Btw..It makes me happy because i like this kind of story. Story that has cute, fluffy, and romantic momment that makes you smile. I still tolerate story that has bed scene but i prefer it to not too detailed and exposed. it makes myself embarrassed and blushed when reading it if the bed scene is too detail.

 

I don't want to write that sort of bed scene either. I'm not someone who's afraid to be upfront about more risqué stuff (for instance, I've commented several times on how I think the entertainment/fan industry sexually objectifies both male and female celebrities way too much), but I'm also not someone who gets excited reading steamy stuff, so that's why I don't write it. I actually end up feeling more turned off than turned on, which sometimes makes me feel like a bit of a freak within any fandom culture....

 

Besides, it's love I want to explore further, not lust. Not that something like a bed scene can't take place within a purely love-focused context, but to make sure that the story stays with the atmosphere I'm trying to create, I have to be more subtle about it than that.

 

Not to mention that I know that there are probably people of a variety of ages and backgrounds reading this thread, so I would prefer to err on the side of caution. Hugs, kisses, cutesy skinship, I think, are pretty widely accepted - but something steamy may not be.

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Will wait for it!!! I'm curious about your next fanfic especially in that different character because since you stepped to another level, i really hope and expected that the story will be more interesting and has more cute fluffy romance in it! 

 

Not quite yet - they're still fuzzy, and I go where my imagination takes me, not the other way around  - but starting in January, yes.

 

As of right now, my next one will be, as I'd said before, a follow-up to my Christmas fanfic - I'm expanding it to include a New Year's Special as well  I'm still trying to figure out if I want to make it more friendship-focused (Cha Yoo Jin and Yoo Il Rak) or romance-focused (Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il), although I already know there'll be both elements there.

 

Spoiler

For those who haven't figured it out already, yes, I do always give JW's character either first or second male lead in these things. It's what keeps the stories relevant to this thread, after all!

 

And I think it's safe to say in advance that it will have yet another Easter Egg based on JW's own comments about romance  

 

I actually find I love including these little Easter Eggs in my fics now - i.e. working in small details based on the real-life actors. So things like making Lee Yoon Hoo a Christian because Park Bo Gum is very openly devout - to the point of including "God Bless You" in his autographs, which is just cute - or giving Cha Yoon Seo an oppa because Moon Chae Won has one, or, in this most recent example, giving Cha Yoo Jin and Seol Nae Il a "Notebook"-style kiss because JW himself likes it. It adds a fun extra layer of challenge, and also helps flesh out the characters and make them more three-dimensional.  

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

I think its joo won when he learn to do martial art for drama or when he shoots drama 7 grade civil servant. i'm not sure either.

 

Maybe...? I know he learned martial arts for "Gaksital", but it was a different form (taekkyeon, which uses a uniform similar to the actual Gaksital costume). So maybe it's for "Level 7 Civil Servant"? Your guess is as good as mine  

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Remember when i said that the third MC in win win is rude. This is what other people thinking.. even though he doing his job as an MC but he can't make fun of joo won like that! He said what? He said joo won is girly? Good that joo won is really patient and pure so he just sit there fanning himself from embarrassment while smiling. Its not like other celebrities that will be mad and talk back to him if he make fun of his guest.

 

Remember what I'd said about there being a generation gap between these hosts and JW in regards to gender roles? This is what I was referring to - the things that JW thinks are fine make some older guys think he's girly. Or his way of expressing his close friendships with other guys by using aegyo make some people think he's gay (I remember such comments regarding his relationship with Uhm Tae Woong from Dramabeans readers, for instance).

 

Personally, I think that that's something JW knew already about how he differed from other people. But he sees himself as a straight man, and as far as I'm concerned, his self-identification should be what counts most.

 

More photos!

 

Spoiler

JW offering presents (No, this wasn't for Christmas, but I don't care. Presents are presents!)

 

 

Christmas-themed pic

 

 

I love when JW's just having fun

 

 

Aegyo hearts greeting (cameo by Shim Eun Kyung)

 

 

This behind the scenes shot from "Level 7 Civil Servant" is cute, too. It's like JW's just going, "Who, me?"

 

 

This one from the same set is also adorable

 

 

"Harry Potter glasses" pic - This was from the "My Sassy Girl" auditions

 

 

This shot looks to be candid, but is so well-taken anyway!

 

 

 

[moonstrike]

19 hours ago, kittyna said:

That reminds me: didn't JW say that he took more after his mom (whereas his hyung took more after their dad)? 

Yeah... i remember that too. I always remember his hyung features when he appeared in 1N2D episode. My first impression is his hyung looks so manly and calm. I also already seen his father, his father is kinda handsome actually. Same like his sons.

 

But i never see his mother except in his family picture when 1N2D team came to his home. I'm very curious about his mother. What kind of person is his mom that make a perfect son like him? And what kind of person is his father that makes joo won polite and kind like him? Joo won already said in some interview that his father is his role model. He said his father is so polite and kind so he wants to become like his father and imitate his father's behavior. We can see the result now. He is known for his kind and pure honest heart in korean industry. 

 

Joo won is really private about his family because he doesn't want his family uncomfortable and be cautious because of him. 

 

And because i have a trip tomorrow, i will just make it quick and skip it to picture time!!! Enjoy...

 

In just a few days we will live in 2018... so it means that award ceremony will be hold just like some years ago. I hope joo won win some award even though he is in the army. Big or small award doesn't matter for me.

 

Our handsome prince!!! Hwang tae hee..

 

He looks so cool and more handsome when he is in serious mode..

 

I like this video! So beautiful...

 

Another picture of joo won wearing glasses.... he looks so good with it and i want to see more picture like this.

 

His meong face... hahaha. So cute!!

 

Smiling Gu Ma Jun!! The rarest thing we saw in the drama... but once he smile, it will make your heart melt like ice cream. So you might be forget about all of his evil deeds after you saw his smile...

 

 

And last, i found an interview that talking about joo won. The one that interviewed is joo won and the PD, the writer, and other actors that work him him in baker king kim tak gu. 

 

Its good that even the writer, the staff, and the PD is amazed by joo won. Especially the writer, i think she was saw something in joo won's heart and believe in him. And she is right for choosing joo won to be gu majun. She can see that joo won is really doing his best to show and perform as gu majun so he will not disappoint the viewers. Even joo won's honesty and sincerity makes the PD's heart that against him to cast as gu majun like him after seeing him working in the drama. His heart is always makes other people heart melts and love him..

Here is the link:

https://joowoncutie.wordpress.com/interviews/baker-king-guide-book/

[kittyna]

3 hours ago, moonstrike said:

But i never see his mother except in his family picture when 1N2D team came to his home. I'm very curious about his mother. What kind of person is his mom that make a perfect son like him? And what kind of person is his father that makes joo won polite and kind like him? Joo won already said in some interview that his father is his role model. He said his father is so polite and kind so he wants to become like his father and imitate his father's behavior. We can see the result now. He is known for his kind and pure honest heart in korean industry. 

 

Yeah, I remember reading in one of JW's really early interviews that he'd described himself as taking after his mom in terms of appearance, and his dad in terms of personality.

 

Other things that JW's shared about his relationship with his dad that I just think are adorable:

• His dad either coming up with or at least being involved in creating his stage name, especially when you consider just how much thought must have gone into it and its meaning. I know that Chinese families oftentimes choose names for their kids that reflect the parents' hopes for them, and I imagine it's similar for Korean families as well
• The time on "Healing Camp" that JW mentioned how he used to go running with his dad every morning when he was growing up - since he talks so much about chatting with his mom in other interviews, I liked seeing that he had a lot of one-on-one time with his dad, too
• The time the 1N2D hyungs stopped by JW's place and Lee Su Geun pretended to be JW's dad to get him to show the kind of aegyo he did for his dad specifically.

3 hours ago, moonstrike said:

Yeah... i remember that too. I always remember his hyung features when he appeared in 1N2D episode. My first impression is his hyung looks so manly and calm. I also already seen his father, his father is kinda handsome actually. Same like his sons.

 

JW's hyung was a lot of fun to watch in that episode - it's funny that both brothers were a bit on the quieter side, though, so neither of them spoke much in the massive group chat that resulted.  The 1N2D hyungs said that JW got even quieter than usual when his real hyung was around, which is saying something, since he was already quiet to begin with.

 

I think the moment that cracks me the up the most was when they were leaving and the staff had, just to film the closing, rigged JW's hyung's car full of cameras. His hyung looked a bit surprised at that, and JW then started pointing out all the places the staff would put cameras during a shoot (e.g. on the dashboard, the backs of seats, etc.). And then JW asked his hyung if he was nervous because it was his "first time meeting celebrities", his hyung said "Yes." 

 

And I started laughing when I watched that, because I was just like, "I guess little brother doesn't count as a celebrity, huh?"  

 

3 hours ago, moonstrike said:

In just a few days we will live in 2018... so it means that award ceremony will be hold just like some years ago. I hope joo won win some award even though he is in the army. Big or small award doesn't matter for me.

 

Personally...I doubt there will be one. Not because I don't think JW did a good job in "My Sassy Girl", because I do think he did, but it was not the ratings juggernaut his other award-winning dramas have been. Yes, awards should be based in merit, but they're oftentimes just as strongly based on popularity and profitability - and as of right now, "My Sassy Girl" isn't offering either to SBS. It was neither a big hit in terms of ratings, which would lead to popular pressure for the network to grant it awards regardless of its actual quality, nor, to put it crassly, do I think a television network would give an award to someone they can't earn money off of in the following year because he physically won't be around until 2019.

 

If "My Sassy Girl" had strong ratings, then an award, I think, would have been possible - but without that, I doubt it. Let us as JW's fans honour and respect his achievements, but I'm not putting any hopes on there being any official recognition this time around.

 

3 hours ago, moonstrike said:

And because i have a trip tomorrow, i will just make it quick and skip it to picture time!!! Enjoy...

 

@moonstrike Have fun on your trip! I'll just keeping doing my usual daily dose of pics until you get back - and in the event that I do end up posting a fic while you're away, I'll make sure to let you know when you return so you don't miss it  

 

And now, time for pics!

 

This time, I'm doing something a bit different, inspired by one of the JW fans I follow on Pinterest. Recently, they've posted a number of photos from the summer of 2014 - which we know to be that time in between when JW did "Ghost" and "Nae Il's Cantabile". What's different this time around is that all the photos were time-stamped, so I could actually see when exactly they were taken.

 

That summer, since it was a relatively "slow" one for JW - okay, in reality, it was still super-busy, with photo shoots and Mandarin classes and all the prep work for "Nae Il's Cantabile", as we can see in "Life Log" - but because of that, it's probably one of the most gradual transitions/transformations between roles we get a chance to see. Usually, if JW takes on two projects back to back, which he usually does, he has to change his appearance (e.g. hairstyle, how he dresses, etc.) just as quickly in order to play both roles. But this time around, we get to see a slower transformation from Sam Wheat to Cha Yoo Jin  

 

Spoiler

JW as Sam Wheat in "Ghost" - Photo from March 26, 2014

 

 

JW at a fan-signing for his McCol endorsement - Photo from June 18, 2014

 

 

JW at Yuk Hyun Wook's wedding - Photo from June 30, 2014

 

 

JW returning to Korea from a function in Japan - Photos from July 27, 2014

 

 

 

JW at the premiere of the film "Sea Fog" - Photos from July 28, 2014

 

 

 

(At this point, the Pinterest user who was doing this stopped for today - but I was able to find some more from other places)

 

JW at the "Tazza 2" film premiere - Photos from August 8, 2014

 

Honestly, by this point, I think the transformation's complete - JW already had the hairstyle down in the previous bunch of photos, but not the overall "look". In these photos...you could have told me it was a promo event for "Nae Il's Cantabile", and I would have believed you  

 

 

 

And filming for "Nae Il's Cantabile", to the best of my knowledge, started soon afterwards:

 

 

By the way, Dramabeans did something similar to what I'm doing here, with a collage of the violin and conducting practice photos in particular:

 

[kittyna]

For some reason, making a point of popping by with more pictures every day makes me feel like I'm running a podcast  Or hosting a show with regulars like @moonstrike

 

But, to the best of my knowledge, it's just me today.

 

So here are, once again, some more miscellaneous photos

 

Spoiler

Just came across this photo for the first time today, and in my opinion, it's gorgeous. There's something so private and intimate about this shot, where JW looks to be so deep in the "zone" that it's almost like he's slipped into a trance.

 

 

Really cute expression in this shot! It's like the "meong" face, but not quite.

 

 

Interesting photo editing here

 

 

Note the photo on the right. Is that a Cha Yoo Jin "meong" face, or just the real Moon Jun Won coming through? You decide  

 

 

He looks so suave and debonair here

 

 

And this photo from the 2014 KBS Drama Awards is just adorable

 

 

On the one hand, I get why a number of East Asians gesture with their middle fingers as opposed to their index fingers (e.g. pointing with the middle finger, because using the index finger is rude), but sometimes things take an unexpectedly hilarious turn when that happens  

 

(I wonder if anyone told him what that ended up looking like afterwards....)

 

 

From a concert in Thailand - I'm not sure about the year, though

 

 

Cute screenshot from an ad JW did with Kim Young Kwang for GGIO2

 

 

 

[kittyna]

It's Throwback Thursday time!

 

Today, it's miscellaneous old photos again - enjoy!

 

Spoiler

Most of these appear to be from prior to his television debut

 

 

 

 

 

 

This next one's so cute!

 

 

Finally, a few post-debut throwback pictures I want to share:

 

First, this collage from the filming of "King of Baking, Kim Tak Gu"

 

 

And secondly, this cute duck face on 1N2D - he's still one of the handful of people I can actually stand this expression on.  

 

 

 

[moonstrike]

Hey... i'm back! Thanks for keeping this thread alive while i'm gone, @kittyna!

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

Yeah, I remember reading in one of JW's really early interviews that he'd described himself as taking after his mom in terms of appearance, and his dad in terms of personality.

Yeah.. he said that when he first interviewed by media. He said his brother and him is different. He said his hyung is like Fedora (is it right?), big and muscular, but he is thin and doesn't have any muscles at all. But i think if you look at their face, you can tell that they are brothers. 

 

I'm very amazed and impressed with their brotherhood. they never fight and play together. They always seem to get along well together. Joo won said that they always play basketball, badminton, and other sports play. They also helping their mother's course at home together. 

 

And I've heard Joo Won said that his mom is short. I wonder where he got that unusual height? I think because he lives a healthy life and always working (since he is making his own stage and helping the sunbaes if he doesn't work) or maybe because of his father's gene.

 

I was always curious about his family but joo won rarely or even never talked about his family, i mean their features because some celebrities is having their parent's photos in public. We just saw his brother in one of 1N2D episode. And that's it! We don't see him again after that. 

 

Seems that he really does not want to make his family exposed to the outside world. because he once said that he didn't want to make his family uncomfortable.

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

His dad either coming up with or at least being involved in creating his stage name, especially when you consider just how much thought must have gone into it and its meaning. I know that Chinese families oftentimes choose names for their kids that reflect the parents' hopes for them, and I imagine it's similar for Korean families as well

Very happy to hear that his father gave a stage name that is very full of meaning. There's hope of his parents and also the name is mentioning god. it's not like they pick a name by any chance or a name that just makes people feel cool.

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

The time on "Healing Camp" that JW mentioned how he used to go running with his dad every morning when he was growing up - since he talks so much about chatting with his mom in other interviews, I liked seeing that he had a lot of one-on-one time with his dad, too

Yeah... he is close with all of his family and even his friends and colleagues. His mother, his father, and his brother. All of his fans is acknowledge that he has a great and harmonious family and never get into fight. 

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

The 1N2D hyungs said that JW got even quieter than usual when his real hyung was around, which is saying something, since he was already quiet to begin with.

Maybe because he was embarrassed that his hyung is there and watching him live. I think i can relate to that. Its a bit embarrassing that your family or your close friend (who is not a celebrity) watching you talking if you have personality like joo won. 

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

I think the moment that cracks me the up the most was when they were leaving and the staff had, just to film the closing, rigged JW's hyung's car full of cameras. His hyung looked a bit surprised at that, and JW then started pointing out all the places the staff would put cameras during a shoot (e.g. on the dashboard, the backs of seats, etc.). And then JW asked his hyung if he was nervous because it was his "first time meeting celebrities", his hyung said "Yes." 

Me too.. I laughed very loud that his hyung was surprised when suddenly there was a camera on his car dashboard. And The experienced joo won told him that when they were filming, more cameras were installed than that. While joo won explain it, his hyung just like "oohhh"..

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

And I started laughing when I watched that, because I was just like, "I guess little brother doesn't count as a celebrity, huh?"

Because joo won will always be his cute little brother in his eyes. Even though Joo won become a big star like now, his family will always see joo won as cute maknae. That is how harmonious his family. 

 

Joo won's friend and colleagues that already work with him in the past is always say that joo won is never change. Even though he become more popular than when they work together, his behavior is still the same. They said he doesn't get star-syndrome. 

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

If "My Sassy Girl" had strong ratings, then an award, I think, would have been possible - but without that, I doubt it. Let us as JW's fans honour and respect his achievements, but I'm not putting any hopes on there being any official recognition this time around.

Yeah.. i'm just hoping that he will get an award while he in the army. But if he doesn't get any, it's okay because we know that he put a lot of efforts in this project, that is worthy, and always there in our heart. 

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

JW at the premiere of the film "Sea Fog" - Photos from July 28, 2014

His style is always simple and neat! He always wear shirt, long pants, or just t-shirt and long jeans. 

 

On 12/27/2017 at 3:29 AM, kittyna said:

 

Honestly, by this point, I think the transformation's complete - JW already had the hairstyle down in the previous bunch of photos, but not the overall "look". In these photos...you could have told me it was a promo event for "Nae Il's Cantabile", and I would have believed you  

 

Looks like its not joo won but Cha yoo jin that attend the premiere of a movie. The hair and the clothes have the same style as yoo jin.

 

On 12/28/2017 at 1:25 AM, kittyna said:

Just came across this photo for the first time today, and in my opinion, it's gorgeous. There's something so private and intimate about this shot, where JW looks to be so deep in the "zone" that it's almost like he's slipped into a trance.

He looks so serious when he doing his work especially when he memorize the script. Its like he is in the different world.

 

On 12/28/2017 at 1:25 AM, kittyna said:

 

And this photo from the 2014 KBS Drama Awards is just adorable

His smile is so cute. Its like a kid is smiling at me and not a 27 years old man! 

 

Finally my picture time!

 

Joo won when he's startled... its so funny.

 

This is cute too. My baby!

 

And his expression will be suddenly change in just a blink of an eye. 

 

And back again to his real cute face!

 

How do I describe this photo. this is just so lovely.

 

[kittyna]

@moonstrike - Welcome back! I hope you had fun on your trip  

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

I'm very amazed and impressed with their brotherhood. they never fight and play together. They always seem to get along well together. Joo won said that they always play basketball, badminton, and other sports play. They also helping their mother's course at home together. 

 

I remember the 1N2D hyungs asking JW's real hyung about that - they'd asked him what JW was like as a brother and if they ever fought, and his hyung said no. It's like that time on Win Win", when the hosts grilled Park Ki Woong for anything bad about JW, but he couldn't give any.

 

Another moment from that bit on 1N2D that just came to mind: that JW's hyung said he watched everything JW was in. JW himself has mentioned in a number of interviews how supportive his family has been of what he's doing and that they always watch his dramas, films, and musicals - I can't remember where I saw it, but in one such interview, he even said that his grandmother, while watching "Level 7 Civil Servant", started worrying about him because she was afraid he was actually getting kicked in the balls whenever his character was.  (Of course, it's actually faked - and the show chooses to be really obvious about how they fake it - but I thought that was cute that his grandma got concerned.) Or, there was the time he'd said, in reference to "Ojakgyo Brothers", that when the scene in the first episode appeared where Hwang Tae Hee was doing aegyo to his grandma over the phone, his family who watched it were all like, "Yeah, you do that all the time!"

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Maybe because he was embarrassed that his hyung is there and watching him live. I think i can relate to that. Its a bit embarrassing that your family or your close friend (who is not a celebrity) watching you talking if you have personality like joo won. 

 

As I'd said earlier, I also think that both brothers are a bit shy as well - not to mention that, at the moment, both JW and his hyung were the maknaes of the entire group (Kim Jong Min is the second-youngest in the 1N2D cast, but he's actually older than JW's hyung).

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Because joo won will always be his cute little brother in his eyes. Even though Joo won become a big star like now, his family will always see joo won as cute maknae. That is how harmonious his family. 

 

That does make me wonder how his family felt watching JW in his dramas, especially in cases where his character is not a good son or brother - so, like Gu Ma Jun, for instance. Just a thought.

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Yeah.. i'm just hoping that he will get an award while he in the army. But if he doesn't get any, it's okay because we know that he put a lot of efforts in this project, that is worthy, and always there in our heart. 

 

That would, of course, be nice

 

But right now, I'm more than satisfied that JW has become the army's poster child  It's more than I could have expected, given just how many celebrities have enlisted so far this year. The stuff he's featured in and recognized for isn't talked much in English K-ent news sites like allkpop, Dramafever, or even Soompi, but at the same time, there's so much meaning to that particular form of recognition.

 

I remember seeing one person comment in regards to his decision to withdraw his application to the military police in favour of active duty as a soldier that as long as JW doesn't get into a scandal later on, his success has been set for life and the Korean public will always love him because of his patriotic choice - and I can see that coming true as we speak  

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Looks like its not joo won but Cha yoo jin that attend the premiere of a movie. The hair and the clothes have the same style as yoo jin.

 

LOL! Okay, if Cha Yoo Jin were to go to a movie premiere, I think he would be more dressed up than that  But JW's look there does match Yoo Jin's casual style from the drama  

 

1 hour ago, moonstrike said:

Joo won when he's startled... its so funny.

 

Does anyone know why he startled awake like that, actually? I know that he startled again because he was surprised to find the toad right next to him, but the waking up bit was before that.

 

By the way, the caption right when he sits up describes him as being "meong"  

 

I'll save pics for tomorrow - just wanted to get the actual chatting part started up again as soon as possible  

 

But what I will do, @moonstrike, as a "welcome back" gift, is a fic preview. Again, just to set the stage a little bit, this is a continuation of the Christmas story I posted:

 

Spoiler

I turn away from her then, rubbing my own lips as I swallow instinctively. That’s right. It was just a week ago that Nae Il and I had kissed for the first time. I still don’t know how it had happened, what had come over me then to make me do something so rash, to let go of my reason so completely.

 

And yet, despite all of that, I don’t regret it one bit.

 

Still, that doesn’t mean that that kiss had not been a point of no return for Nae Il and I. It was a progression in our relationship. I had already come to accept other forms of affection in the year we have been together, but redrawing our limits to include kisses has made all those other thresholds we’d reached thus far – holding hands, backhugs – seem like child’s play by comparison.

 

It’s why I don’t resist now when Nae Il suddenly leans forward and gives me a light peck on one cheek.

 

“Komapsumnida, Orabang.” She wraps her arms around me in a warm hug. “I shall cherish your gift forever.”

 

At that moment, our train pulls into the station and, as though for the first time, I notice where we are and the glances we are attracting from other passengers. While many of the young people don’t pay us any heed, and I catch a teenager rolling her eyes at Nae Il’s display, I also see kind smiles from some of the more elderly passengers.

 

Perhaps we remind them of what they had been like in their youth.

 

[...]

 

Heading over to my luggage, I take out the two scarves that I had brought with me from Salzburg: one white, and the other black. I weigh them for a moment in my hands before passing the black one to Il Rak, keeping the white for myself.

 

“Here. You might need this.”

 

Il Rak looks back and forth between the scarf and me in confusion. “Wae? Are you worried that we’d be cold?”

 

“Ani.” Draping my own scarf over my shoulders so that the ends hang down in the front, I take his scarf and do the same for him. “It’s not for you; it’s for Si Won. Offer this to her when she takes her coat off, so she’ll have something to cover up with if she needs it.”

 

“I see,” he replies, absentmindedly feeling the silken fabric with the fingers on his right hand. “By the way, where did you learn all of this? You know: the bowties and fancy scarves and all that stuff.”

 

For an instant, I feel myself tense involuntarily. Then, before Il Rak could notice that something is amiss, I respond with a casual shrug. “I just looked it up online,” I say in as nonchalant a tone as I could manage. “It’s not that hard once you’ve read up on the subject.”

 

But that’s a lie.

 

In truth, I had learned it from my parents.

 

[...]

 

The spell is broken by the sudden click of a camera shutter. Startled, I tear my eyes away from Nae Il and scan the room for the culprit.

 

It was Il Rak.

 

Somehow, while I had stood there spellbound, he had left Si Won and snuck behind Nae Il. And the phone he is holding at the perfect height just over her shoulder tells me exactly what had just happened.

 

In an instant, Nae Il is beside him, peering at the phone. Whatever she sees there makes her burst out laughing, one hand pressed firmly over her mouth, no longer an angel but the girl I know once more.

 

“Orabang,” she gasps out between her giggles. “Your face!”

 

“Huh? Let me see,” Si Won says, moving to join the others. Sure enough, one look at whatever is on that screen, and she starts laughing as well.

 

Finally, my voice comes back to me. I take an urgent step forward towards them. “Ya, Yoo Il Rak – what did you do?”

 

He peers up at me, a mischievous grin on his face. “Do you want to see?”

 

I shake my head vigorously with a shudder. Then, with as much dignity as I could muster, I stretch out one hand at him. “Give me the phone.”

 

“Wae?” Il Rak asks. He darts a few steps away, holding the phone just out of my reach, when I lunge for it. “You’re just going to delete the photo anyway – what’s the fun in that?”  He peers closely at the screen once again, before saying to himself, “Now, who should I send this to?”

 

“Ya!”

 

So that's three separate not-too-spoilery excerpts that I hope give a good hint at the overall tone of this story. It'll be a pretty even split between friendship and romance, but possibly leaning more towards the latter...?

[moonstrike]

12 hours ago, kittyna said:

 

I remember the 1N2D hyungs asking JW's real hyung about that - they'd asked him what JW was like as a brother and if they ever fought, and his hyung said no. It's like that time on Win Win", when the hosts grilled Park Ki Woong for anything bad about JW, but he couldn't give any

Yeah.. When the host asked what was the worst thing you saw that joo won did, I was wondering what he would say. but after seeing that park ki woong think very hard to find it. And what he found just when joo won who only slept during the filming. Which I think it's not naughty at all. so we can conclude that joo won rarely do naughty things and maybe the most naughty thing that park ki woong can see joo won did just teasing his staff in set and talk banmal with the PD (but i still think that his behavior is not naughty enough if you compare it with other people).

 

And joo won also once said in win win that when his brother was cleaning but he just relax, his brother will scold him and it makes him immediately jump and help clean the house with his brother. this proves that they always cooperate and help each other. So, of course they are never quarrel.

 

When I heard this, I compare him to myself which when my sister is cleaning the house sometimes I do not help her at all. 

 

12 hours ago, kittyna said:

there was the time he'd said, in reference to "Ojakgyo Brothers", that when the scene in the first episode appeared where Hwang Tae Hee was doing aegyo to his grandma over the phone, his family who watched it were all like, "Yeah, you do that all the time"

Yeah! I remember that. Maybe when his family watch that episode on tv, they feel its joo won and not hwang tae hee. Its like joo won is looking and talk to them with his cute aegyo voice. 

 

But can you send me the link of that interview? I don't remember which interview is that.

 

12 hours ago, kittyna said:

 

That does make me wonder how his family felt watching JW in his dramas, especially in cases where his character is not a good son or brother - so, like Gu Ma Jun, for instance. Just a thought.

I also sometimes think like that. but I once read one of his interviews saying that his family said that Joo Won looks weird when he is act as gu majun. hihi seems the family is not used to see joo won play as a bad guy that time.

 

12 hours ago, kittyna said:

remember seeing one person comment in regards to his decision to withdraw his application to the military police in favour of active duty as a soldier that as long as JW doesn't get into a scandal later on, his success has been set for life and the Korean public will always love him because of his patriotic choice - and I can see that coming true as we speak

I also remeber that. i also have seen some comments that say joo won will be everyone's favorite hyung and he will be love by korean audience after he comeback from military. His carrier will become more success after he come out. I can feel it. Because he will work again like when he debut a.k.a like he usually do a.k.a he will put a lot of efforts and do all his best to work harder than ever. His patriotic label might be also help him in the future.

 

12 hours ago, kittyna said:

 

Does anyone know why he startled awake like that, actually? I know that he startled again because he was surprised to find the toad right next to him, but the waking up bit was before that

There is a scientific explanation about it. I often like that. it's like when you dream of falling from a high place like a building, a ravine or even from your own bed even though you're in the middle of it and not on the side of the bed. So it will shocks you and then wakes you up so suddenly. but the scientific explanation is that because your body is asleep but your brain is still working and still not ready to sleep so you will feel such a shocking thing. 

 

By the way, he is cute when he is in shock. And his "meong" face tho. 

 

12 hours ago, kittyna said:

But what I will do, @moonstrike, as a "welcome back" gift, is a fic preview. Again, just to set the stage a little bit, this is a continuation of the Christmas story I poste

Woo... i'm waiting for that sequel since I finished reading your previous story. Its going to be good. You better finish it quick because i'm waiting here like i'm waiting for my Christmas gift. So excited!

 

And my picture time!

 

Feel the cuteness again! Cutie in his army uniform.

 

When joo won is cooking, he will concentrate fully on it!

 

Another photo of dreamy cha yoo jin 

 

His gaze is so evil yet hot!

 

And you see different gaze again here. 

 

Who is this hot guy?! ❤❤

 

This is the english version. So happy that joo won become the one of the nominees for daesang (grand prize award).

 

 

[kittyna]

4 hours ago, moonstrike said:

Yeah.. When the host asked what was the worst thing you saw that joo won did, I was wondering what he would say. but after seeing that park ki woong think very hard to find it. And what he found just when joo won who only slept during the filming. Which I think it's not naughty at all. so we can conclude that joo won rarely do naughty things and maybe the most naughty thing that park ki woong can see joo won did just teasing his staff in set and talk banmal with the PD (but i still think that his behavior is not naughty enough if you compare it with other people).

 

Yeah, falling asleep on set isn't all that bad, and it sounds like something that happens to all Korean actors at some point or other. So, for instance, if you see a character in a show is asleep or unconscious, chances are the actual actor is asleep, too  It comes from the super-busy schedule and not having much time to rest.

 

Talking in banmal could be really naughty, depending on the situation and the person who's doing it. Like, if it's done out of disrespect for authority. But JW's not like that, and his sunbaes know that he's not like that - so they don't mind his using banmal once they get to know him. However, that's not a behaviour that's generally excusable in Korean culture, so I'd say it could actually be really bad.

 

lol - The bit about teasing the staff was funny. I remember JW saying on "Win Win" that he would sneak coffee from the audio director's cup, sometimes to the point of drinking all of it. And, yes, he teases his own staff, too; I remember some examples from "Life Log", such as when he jokingly argued with his make-up artist about how much she was putting on him (i.e. "That's a lot." "It'll wear off." "No, it won't." "Yes, it will," etc. ), or the time he mentioned sneaking photos of his stylists when they were sleeping. Then again, his staff tease him right back, so I just think it's a very friendly environment all around.

 

5 hours ago, moonstrike said:

And joo won also once said in win win that when his brother was cleaning but he just relax, his brother will scold him and it makes him immediately jump and help clean the house with his brother. this proves that they always cooperate and help each other. So, of course they are never quarrel.

 

lol - I remember that! And I, too, just went, "Well, JW's a better maknae than me, then!"

 

JW did say, while telling his story, that his hyung was scary when he's mad, though.  

 

5 hours ago, moonstrike said:

Yeah! I remember that. Maybe when his family watch that episode on tv, they feel its joo won and not hwang tae hee. Its like joo won is looking and talk to them with his cute aegyo voice. 

 

But can you send me the link of that interview? I don't remember which interview is that.

 

I...don't remember where I saw it, either. Sorry!  

 

5 hours ago, moonstrike said:

I also sometimes think like that. but I once read one of his interviews saying that his family said that Joo Won looks weird when he is act as gu majun. hihi seems the family is not used to see joo won play as a bad guy that time.

 

Yeah. Gu Ma Jun was the bad guy, and he was also a very rude maknae to his noonas and hyung. 

 

But apparently, JW did a good job playing that character, so he's said on a number of occasions that even though he was just acting, fans or even the other cast members would get mad at him for real. I remember, for instance, that he said on the episode of "Happy Together" he did for "King of Baking, Kim Tak Gu" that when they filmed the scene where Ma Jun blames Tak Gu for making a big mess in the bakery when it was actually him, that as soon as the filming ended, the other actors hit him because his performance made them so mad - but I don't have a link to the video right now.

 

5 hours ago, moonstrike said:

There is a scientific explanation about it. I often like that. it's like when you dream of falling from a high place like a building, a ravine or even from your own bed even though you're in the middle of it and not on the side of the bed. So it will shocks you and then wakes you up so suddenly. but the scientific explanation is that because your body is asleep but your brain is still working and still not ready to sleep so you will feel such a shocking thing. 

 

Thanks for clearing that up  

 

And now...pictures!

 

Spoiler

He looks so happy to see his fans here

 

 

Cute bunny face from the same event:

 

 

I really like how these turned out, especially the shot on the right:

 

 

Nice shot as Han Gil Ro in "Level 7 Civil Servant"

 

 

"Nae Il's Cantabile" Behind the Scenes - The secret to Cha Yoo Jin's hair  

 

 

Another mask shot that I like

 

 

I don't know when or where this photo was from, but it's cute

 

 

 

[moonstrike]

19 hours ago, kittyna said:

Talking in banmal could be really naughty, depending on the situation and the person who's doing it. Like, if it's done out of disrespect for authority. But JW's not like that, and his sunbaes know that he's not like that - so they don't mind his using banmal once they get to know him. However, that's not a behaviour that's generally excusable in Korean culture, so I'd say it could actually be really bad.

Sometimes talking banmal is naughty but in joo won case it's different. You can feel that he talk like that not to "humiliating" his senior but to show his affection towards them. So that is what i mean that his behaviour to talk banmal to his senior is not naughty at all. even his friends that older than him, his senior and staff on set is feel that he is doing that to show his love or even showing that he is comfortable with them.

 

Even yoo hae jin, asking joo won to talk casual with him because he feel upset that joo won doesn't talk like that with . Maybe he feel different that joo won not talk banmal with him like he talk with others. And thinks joo won doesn't do that because he doesn't feel comfortable around him. 

 

But actually joo won don't talk banmal because he think that his behaviour is not good and will makes people that don't know him misunderstand. So he deliberately wanted to change his habit. But what makes him happy is yoo hae jin wants joo won to talk banmal with him. Even yoo hae jin is asking on his own which means that he is also want to be close with joo won.

 

If you open the link that i gave, you might be already read this.. there is a fan that confused about joo won's habit of talking banmal (casual) to person that older than him and this is the answer:

 

First of all, JW is not contradicting himself at all when it comes to the importance he places on respecting his elders. how you speak to your elders is just a little part, how you behave towards them is the most important part of all. his manners towards elders is what makes him a polite and respectful person. he bows almost half way. like 90 degrees. hardly anyone bows like that anymore. Uee does that too. even within her group, she makes sure the new younger members show respect to the older members even when they eat or sit. JW is the same way. I bet money when he goes around with his grandparents, he is very attentive to them and their needs. probably even with his own mom. even on 1n2d, he might speak banmal to the hyungs, but watch his manners. when he hands something to them, he uses both hands like polite younger people should do. aside from when it’s part of the games, if giving up a seat means someone older can sit, he will stand. that sort of thing. so the part about showing respect in actions, no one can disagree that JW has manners. now to clear up the way he speaks.

From what I know about hangul, there are degrees of banmal and jondae. For jondae the polite speech, there’s the way JW speaks to someone who is way older like a grandma or grandpa. it’s pure jondae and very respectful with no cute aegyo short cuts. Then there is the way he probably speaks to his dad’s friends on that soccer team. I bet he mixes in some jondae with some casual wording at the end sometimes cuz he has known these guys for years. by now he must think of them as his own father so I have a hard time believing he would use straight jondae every single time. then there is the way he addresses the hyungs on this show. on camera, he does use jondae at times, but when it’s their relax time you hear him slip into his casual speech – mixed banmal jondae. He knows how far to take it so it doesnt offend. even when he asks someone off camera about the food, you can hear him using mixed banmal and jondae speech. sometimes when he is hungry, he forgets himself and just pouts like a kid using banmal, but I doubt anyone is offended by it. I still remember on the first episode, he used mixed banmal jondae with that PD who seemed to be crushing on him. but when he was eating ramen at that stranger’s home, that elderly couple, JW only spoke jondae from start to finish. he never mixed in banmal to them. that’s when I realized just how super polite he is with strangers. on the gakistal set, with one of the camera guys during JW’s kiss scene in the forest, JW spoke banmal to him, but the guy was young – like early 30s so I think they got close during filming by then. Se Yeon never once spoke banmal to anyone, but that’s cuz the girl is only 19 or something. if she mixed in banmal it would make her look bad. she did mix in banmal with JW towards the end though, but he didnt seem to mind at all.

if you hear enough Korean from the dramas, you get a sense of when the characters are speaking straight jondae or mixed in with some banmal. like half the sentence is jondae and the rest banmal. that sort of thing is common. that’s why on dramas when a character is mad at the other person and doesnt want to use jondae, they reluctantly add the “yo” at the end which makes what they say jondae. even on 1n2d, JW might speak banmal with all the hyungs, but he still speaks jondae with Bird PD. if the camera guy is young, JW calls him hyung and speaks mixed banmal too. but if the camera guy is older than SW, then JW speaks only jondae. I think that must be his cut off age or something cuz older than 50 he usually wont dare to speak any sort of mixed jondae if the other party is male. like he said on this interview he is close with the woman who played his mom on Kim Tak Gu and he texted her using mixed jondae, but some banmal like the way he would speak to his own mom. I sort of have a feeling his mom might get jealous of that woman a little. he speaks so well of her all the time and texting her often and stuff. wouldnt you want your son to text you instead and share that great view with you and not another mom? let’s hope his mom is not petty about stuff like that. in my view she did a great job raising both of her sons.

So in essence, JW is every bit the polite person he claims to be – the one we all know and love. his reputation speaks for itself and everyone who works with him loves him. just watch how he interacts with the film crew and staff. if he was rude no one would be smiling at him. Older Koreans take manners in speech seriously. that’s why guys like KSW and UTW were so surprised at first to hear JW speak like that to them, but they quickly got over it cuz they realized JW never meant any disrespect. if anything he is showing how much he respects and adores them by talking like that. if he doesnt like them he would probably speak straight jondae like he does on interviews. he never mixes it up there cuz those people are strangers to him. even the younger ones he speaks to with formal speech. LMH is like JW as well. as soon as he arrives on set, he goes around speaking mixed banmal/jondae as often as he can to make everyone feel close and chummy. he has the same mentality about it as JW in a sense. but the other 86 or 87 guys like KSH, KHJ, and LSG hold off using mixed banmal/jondae pretty much all the way till the end of the drama. I have never heard LSG address his director using banmal yet. he only spoke some mixed banmal with his costars. LSG is old school – he would never dare to address anyone that old with anything less than straight up jondae. that’s why it was so funny hearing him speak banmal once to kang ho dong when KHD made him get his shoes wet again in a pond.

part of the reason why I like JW is cuz he is like this. he has a way of putting people at ease right off the bat. I still remember how he shared his coffee with the woman who played his grandma on OB. the way she spoke about him with so much love, you just know they got really chummy and how much you wanna bet he mixed up his jondae with her too cuz I swear I think he thought he was her real son or something the way he treated her. I never heard how JW speaks on the phone with his dad, but normally if he speaks banmal with his mom, he might not with his dad. you can usually tell just from what he calls them. if he calls his father “dad” then he speaks banmal but if he says “father” then he speaks jondae. for some reason, most guys grow up doing that. at least one parent – normally the dad -they speak to with jondae esp after they are grown like JW’s age. Uee’s case is the opposite. I heard her refer to her dad as “father” so I dont know if it was cuz of the camera or what, but she spoke jondae to her dad. but with her mom she spoke banmal like all girls tend to do. I dont know a single woman who speaks jondae with her mom.

 

19 hours ago, kittyna said:

lol - The bit about teasing the staff was funny. I remember JW saying on "Win Win" that he would sneak coffee from the audio director's cup, sometimes to the point of drinking all of it. And, yes, he teases his own staff, too; I remember some examples from "Life Log", such as when he jokingly argued with his make-up artist about how much she was putting on him (i.e. "That's a lot." "It'll wear off." "No, it won't." "Yes, it will," etc. ), or the time he mentioned sneaking photos of his stylists when they were sleeping. Then again, his staff tease him right back, so I just think it's a very friendly environment all around.

Yeah.. i think his style of teasing is like a dad teasing his children or like kid playing with his friends. I was giggling while watching him teasing his staff and makes her embarrassing. Even though she is asking him to lowing his voice because the camera is shooting them but joo won is still doing his action. I think its very funny and cute. I remember that the staff and the actor is said that joo won is always making the atmosphere on set feels more happier when he appear.

 

19 hours ago, kittyna said:

lol - I remember that! And I, too, just went, "Well, JW's a better maknae than me, then!"

I always have that though when i watch joo won..  He is too good and kind. because of that he was called the nation maknae. I'm proud of him that he has "nicknames" that has "nation" in it.

 

19 hours ago, kittyna said:

But apparently, JW did a good job playing that character, so he's said on a number of occasions that even though he was just acting, fans or even the other cast members would get mad at him for real. I remember, for instance, that he said on the episode of "Happy Together" he did for "King of Baking, Kim Tak Gu" that when they filmed the scene where Ma Jun blames Tak Gu for making a big mess in the bakery when it was actually him, that as soon as the filming ended, the other actors hit him because his performance made them so mad - but I don't have a link to the video right now.

Yeah. He was doing a great job playing as a cold-hearted and lonely man that even actor and staff in there want to hit him. He doing it when he first debut on tv, by the way. 

 

He deserves to be called a good actor for performing extraordinary acting on his first drama. Even he is considered really bad by people because of his unbelievable acting. joo won once said that he was often hit on the back while walking and also often not given service when visiting restaurant. Poor cutie...

 

By the way, i was impressed and touched that joo won is crying while watching yoon shibyoon receive an award. He said he is crying because he know his hyung suffers while working the drama. So sweet and kind of him...

 

 

My photo time!

 

Beautiful!

 

This photo is taken yesterday.. he is doing well! 

 

The difference between drama and real life. But i think you can't see the difference. The two of it is very cool especially the real one. He's indeed really cool and has a unique aura.

 

 

This is cute.. look at his smile and his up-close face..hahaha.

 

His child-like expression! And don't forget his meong face is is also there too!

A fans write this and i think its relate to all of joo won's fans so i want to share it.!