call me baby. 

name » Ban Joowol/Pan Meishi

nickname(s) 

» Meishi (her Chinese name)
» Mei'er (it's just the 'Mei' taken from her Chinese name 'Meishi'. The 'er' addition is similar to '-ah' in Korean, except it's in Mandarin. Lu Han used this name on her starting from their first night on the same bed. It was actually quite awkward the first few times since the words just nonchalantly slipped out from his lips, belatedly realizing that being Chinese, both of them knew this 'er' is usually used by men to address their lovers)
» Jjool (some random nickname Yerim came up with. Joowol returned the favor by calling Yerim 'Yeye')

birthday » 09 March 1995

Birthplace » Beijing, China
hometown » Seoul, South Korea

ethnicity » Korean-Chinese

language 

» Mandarin I Fluent I she kind of lived in Beijing for the first 18 years of her life so... DUH?
» Korean I Conversational I She's half Korean. Okay. But all her life, both her parents have only spoken to her in Mandarin, so her chance of learning the language was only achieved when she came to Korea for college

face claim » Yoon Sohee

backup face claim » Lee Yeol Eum

 

appearance » Standing on 161 cm for 48 kg, Joowol wasn't a freakishly huge girl, but she wasn't a stick woman either. She was just... normal. She's a bit on the skinny side, though, since she was a vegetarian and stuff. But enough with the body; let's talk about the only thing that stood out most when people looked at her: her rather y face. I mean, no, no, I assure you that she's NOT a (fun fact: she's actually more of an anti-social shy bunny); it's just that not being used to socializing and stuff, Joowol usually found her tongue tied away and her expression hardening everytime she met new people. Not because she disliked the company, of course, but because her mind mainly went blank in the presence of strangers as she mostly didn't know what to say to start off conversations. And if that wasn't bad enough, her common 'blank' face just somehow give off some 'y' vibes (if you know what I mean; if you don't, then behold, this is her 'blank' face). Because of this, people usually judged her too quickly, labelling her as a rude before they even tried to talk to her when she's really not. Joowol never really liked getting her body pricked with needles so she practically has no piercings nor tattoos in sight. Well, sticker tattoos maybe.
 

style » Not being an eccentric fashionista doesn't necessarily mean that Joowol's fashion would be carelessly thrown all over the place, okay. Even though she might not be the type that loves to experiment with her fashion much, but Joowol took notice of what she wears and must I say, she has quite an eye for matching out her clothes prettily. Being a college student, Joowol wasn't a big fan of anything too complicated. Everything simple, but still fairly nice to look at, like cute t-shirts and skirts, cardigans, shorts, and those kinds of stuff were what you can find hanging around in her closet. She likes her stuff mature, but still have that girlish vibe to it. In her words, "I'm not an ahjumma.... yet" ( X X X X X )

 

" Expecting too much can lead to so much disappointment. "

 

 

what if...

      

 

INtroduction » growing up sheltered and protected behind her parent's care had resulted in Ban Joowol's difficulties in making friends and acquaintances. And the rather rude vibe she was giving away in front of her social-shyness was of NO help at all. Joowol had hoped all this while that someday, there will be a Prince kind enough to see through her soul and find out her inner self. Sadly, during the whole 20 years of her life up until now, not one, NOT ONE guy had even tried to do so, crushing all of the remaining hopes in her. Now this, my friend, is exactly what made her determined to seek the help of the matchmaker: to see for herself if there was truly no one for her in this huge world. She was more prepared of failure though.

Traits » (+) quirky, mature, loyal (-) pessimistic, introverted, straightforward (o) submissive

 

personality »

(introverted) Everybody knew Ban Joowol. The rather pretty girl with Chinese accent who was always curled up in a ball wayyyy at the corner, looking like she hates every living being her eyes might catch. That was how people see her. Yes, everybody knew her, but not everybody is friends with her. Ban Joowol was not someone too great in making friends. She was awkward with meeting new people, and she has no idea how to start a friendship. And her naturally y face that scared people off at first glances were of NO help at all. So in the end, the friends Joowol had managed to collect were very very few, considering the rare occasions some people would actually dare to approach her despite her usual disapproving expressions and tried to get along with her.

 

(quirky) When you actually get to know her, though, you'll find that she was actually a really good company to have around. Despite her usual introverted persona, Joowol was really a cheerful, creative girl with lots of imaginations inside, always full of great ideas that mostly just got kept and locked inside as she could never find the courage to speak them up, unfortunately. But overall, it was a nice experience having her around, especially considering the fact that she was someone who knew when to shut and listen to what people had to say when she needed to. Despite being socially troubled, Joowol surprisingly knew just when and how to encourage people and make the sad happy again. Nobody knew why, but it seemed like people who are sad and helpless were the only ones Ban Joowol would not hesitate nor cower away from starting a conversation with.

 

(loyal) But how sad is it that only a very few people cared enough to see this side of her. But maybe it was also because of that particular reason that Joowol learned to treasure every friend she can make. Wanting to keep them put by her side, Joowol learned that the best way to keep someone by your side was by keeping yourself by their side too. Joowol learned to stand firm by her friends and by anyone she considered as a loved one in general, siding with them when they were right and telling them off when they were wrong, Joowol tried her best to be a loyal friend, and a true friend, both in joy and in pain.

 

(pessimistic) Too bad though, that however great she was at being a good friend and healing people's wounds, she was not that great when it came to herself. At most occasions, Joowol was known to be someone who has absolutely no confidence in herself. She was someone who would give up before a fight, always thinking of the worst possibilities imaginable beforehand, insisting that with her terrible luck, the possibility of bad things coming her way would be far greater on her. Thankfully, she didn't spread those pessimistical thoughts to others. In fact, she was the type of person who always say "Ï can't do it. You're better than me so you do it" to people when in fact, she was as any bit eligible to do tasks as any of those other people. It just came along that she was a bit too caught up in her bad thoughts to acknowledge it. 

 

(submissive) It was no surprise that despite any capabilities she might have, Joowol always refused to be appointed as a leader. Joowol just didn't feel she was the leader type, that's all. She felt better being ordered around than ordering people around and being forced to make decisions she herself wasn't sure of. Even during fights and arguments, she would always be the one who would voluntarily give up, even when she was the right one. She was also the one who would always take the worst stuff for herself if by that means other people could have the better stuff.

 

(mature) She was quite a bit like a mother figure in that, if I should say. Knowing when to prioritize people over her own needs and diligently helping them with their problems, putting herself in their shoes and imagining their problems as her own. Her friends usually knew they could rely on her in times of problems, because they knew that Joowol was a girl matured quite a bit beyond her actual age, having wise and logical thoughts for any occasions imaginable. There were times when they even came as far as asking for her advices, in which they will always get from her after a series of convincing and begging and pushing and pulling and at least a thousand times warning of the worst possibilities as the outcome of asking for her advices.

 

(straightforward) Hence, a 20 year old would always be a 20 year old, however wise she is. Joowol might know how to soothe breaking hearts and give nice solutions to problems, but she sure knew nothing on keeping people's feelings in tact. Joowol wasn't trained to control . She was only trained to speak nothing but the truth, and that was exactly how she conducted her conversations with people. She usually just said everything that crossed her mind right then and there without thinking or processing them first. Sometimes people appreciated her honesty, but there are also times when she just ended up hurting people's feelings. Especially when she's pissed off; ohohoho prepare for daggers piercing through your chests. So if by now you're thinking of her as the wise and mature angel who was all perfect and stuff, then think again. With strangers, though, we can never know if she'd still be this kind of straightforward girl. Since, well, she had NEVER dared to hold a proper conversation with strangers aside from a few polite, empty greetings and a few short replies to any kind of questions that might be thrown to her.

 

         

 

trivias »

Likes

— the color white (because it's the color of the angelllssss)
— hot dudes (who doesn't?)
— story books (novels, fairytales, name it!)
— vanilla (compared to any other flavor and scent, vanilla is muuuuccchhh better)
— Chinese food (reminds her of mommy's cooking)
— hospital scent (a mixture of antiseptic, medicine, and blood. Yep, call her crazy)
— K-dramas (especially the hospital-centric ones. Oh yeah)

 

Dislikes

— sports ("I just can't see the point of people actually wanting to get all sweaty and stuff. Gross.")
— crowd (not really great with socializing, soooo)
— meat (umm... she's a vegetarian?)
— cooking (not that she can't, she's just lazy)
— making people wait (the feeling is SO not great. She'd rather be the one who waits for people instead)

— blind dates or being set up in general (she got rejected enough. She made a deal with Yerim that this matchmaking thing was going to be the last time ever)

— being informed that someone has a new boyfriend/girlfriend ("are they seriously trying to rub it on me?")

 

Habits 

— daydreaming (Anywhere. Anytime. Mostly about her dreams that never came true *cough* getting a boyfriend *cough*)

— sleeping with the lights out. The darker the better

— starts cursing in Mandarin when she's pissed off

— laughs with her whole body (thumping her feet, clapping her hands, etc. She kind of looked like an epileptic sometimes)

Hobbies

— reading

— daydreaming

— watching K-dramas

Trivias

— doesn't have an ideal type. She gave up on those years ago (still starstruck everytime she'd lay eyes on a handsome dude though)

— sport noob. And no don't listen to any reasoning she sugar-coated for it; she's just lazy that's what

— can't ride a bicycle without supporting wheels. Last time she tried to learn it she jumped right off the moving thing (yeah, laugh at her)

— is a vegetarian (there's really nothing to it, tbh. She just happened to come across a book during the second year of middle school talking about the benefits of being a vegetarian and she believed it just like that)

— has a thing for hospital-centric dramas like Doctor Stranger because it made her feel cool being a doctor-to-be (*cough* and because Lee Jongsuk-Jin Seyeon is just hearteu *cough*)

— her role model is Han Seunghee from Doctor Stranger (she started memorizing drugs like heparin, warfarin, epinephrine, etc because of her)

— often times when she daydreams, she can have serious confusion as to which one was the real world

— starting to learn English because most medical books are written in English /sobs (Her level is still on "Hello, name I am Joowol. I fine, thank you" so I didn't even put English as her language -___-)

— her best score for PE back in high school was a C. Get how bad in sport she is?

— has accounts for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram but none of them came to use 

 

el dorado.

   

 

background » Born as the first child from a Chinese father and a Korean mother, Ban Joowol was a child well sheltered and nurtured since she was very young. Being the first child in the family, her parents had wished for her to grow up well and become the family's pride and joy. Since she was little, Joowol grew sheltered and protected inside the thick walls of her parents' house, unable to go around freely and play with other kids her age. Why, you ask? Well, she always had courses inside, that's what. Thus, growing up in this kind of care, Joowol came to be the introverted girl-next-door she was now. Above average looks, well-off family, fairly bright brain, aces this and that, Joowol had many times been told by family members and acquaintances that she would grow into a heartbreaker later in her life. Little Joowol, of course, collected every praise open-handedly. Because, hey, who doesn't like getting praised, right?

 

During her days growing up, Joowol was unfortunately doomed as an introvert who had difficulties in her social life, thanks to her parents' ways of locking her up inside the house all the time during her childhood, limiting her contact with people, not knowing that contacts were actually important essences of life. And now they had made their beloved daughter's life lack that one important essence. Even when she started attending public schools at the age of 6, she was still the always timid introvert who was scared of society (if not scaring people away), always taking the seat right in front of the teacher in every class so that she wouldn't have to get engaged in conversations she didn't know how to participate in. Hence being an anti social being, Joowol still liked the outside world very much. During her teenagehood, she had became acquainted with books of different kinds, and stories of different genres, all quickly becoming the friends she never had, and also the very window that she utilized as her telescope to the outside world. She began to learn ways of life and more. This hobby of hers affected her much, if I should say; Joowol became someone alive and jumping with dreams, someone full of liveliness and imaginations. And it was soon enough that she discovered love. Teenage Joowol was a curious cat when it came to this topic as she began trying to find her own real life prince charming, crushing on this guy and that guy, waiting and expecting day by day for a boy she truly liked to appear in front of her and asked her to be his lover. But he never came. Day by day passed, and with each passing day, as one by one her friends got in and out of relationships, Joowol began to realize that in the end, nobody had actually wanted her. No guy had gained a sense of liking her more than mere platonic relationships. She was unwanted. Her highschool days came and go just like that, with the bitter fact that she was just unable to love becoming more and more realistic by the minute. Joowol entered college with that mindset, that she was just that oddball who couldn't date no matter how much she wanted to.
 

That was how she found this particular matchmaking service. Her friends in college had tried to hook her up a few times, but none had worked out thus far. Too bad though, she had sincerely liked a few of those guys. Her roommate, Yerim, had recommended the Matchmaker for her, which she had (forcefully) accepted with blank and skeptical mind, with the pessimistic talk that even the great and well-known Matchmaker could never change her terrible luck in the love department, but she commenced to it anyway, being so sure she could never again find love in this huge world. She had decided to join to prove to Yerim (who was seriously getting tired of Joowol's "I will NEVER be able to find a boyfriend, Yerim. Stop trying to set me up, it's getting painful") that there was indeed no man who'd want her however much she was trying. To press on her point, Joowol had sent a letter of application to the Matchmaker that said things along the line of "Hi, I'm Ban Joowol. I'm 20 years old and have never dated before. No man wanted me; I am aware. Actually, I'm already thinking of wasting my life on volunteering for charity works when I graduate from college. You know, since I probably won't ever find a guy who's willing to marry me after all. Oh right, my friends said that you're a well known matchmaker with a 100% success rate? I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend you, but I highly doubt you can change my bad luck in love. I mean, 20 is quite a late age for first loves right?  But alright, if you want to try and match me up, I'm fine. Not expecting it but okay, go ahead, although I'm worrying I would scratch that success rate of yours with my failure. You know what, just give me anyone who's willing to make me his girlfriend and I'll be fine. I won't care about his appearances or personality. You're good enough if you can find someone who's willing to take me in. Okay, well... good luck with that I guess? Bye!". Get how desperate she is?

current lifestyle » oh right now? She's just comfortably living as a regular college student. Flying as far as her second homeland, South Korea, to attend Yonsei University's School of Medicine, her college life had been quite hectic yet fairly fun (to her, at least). Her well-off parents had bought her a small apartment near her university so the she could get around more easily. But life could get lonely sometimes, especially when she was only living on her own while her parents stayed put back in Beijing. So in the end she had decided to invite one of her friends, Kim Yerim, to share the apartment with her. The girls all came from well-to do families so even though they indeed lived a life of normal college students, they were more on the elite half of college student lifestyle.

 

family 

   

» Father I Pan Mengbao I 53 I supervising manager at a Chinese oil company | wise, clueless sometimes, tough, has a soft heart for his loved ones | he was the kind of father who loved his daughter from behind the curtains. Why so, you ask? The answer is: even though Pan Mengbao was a smart man many people looked up to (see what he do for a living and you'll understand), but he was ironically pretty clueless about how to express his love to Joowol. Sure, he loved her, very much even; he just didn't know how to let her know about it. Thus, to Joowol's eyes, her father mostly seemed like a distant person, only staring at her for the longest time without saying a word and putting on that poker face of his. But truthfully, it wasn't because he didn't want to talk; he didn't know what to talk about. In result, he could only save his pain to himself, being unable to love his own daughter the proper way. Joowol didn't know, of course, how many buckets of tears had this father shed because he had to scold her; how many sleepless nights had he experienced while taking care of her when she was sick; how many extra working hours had he taken only because she asked for a toy that caused a bomb; how many times he had suffered because of her. If only she knew though... if only she knew...

 

   

» Mother I Na Sunghee I 45 I senior editor for Elle China | supportive, understanding, objective, laid back | if there was one woman we can name as the most supportive mother, then it's gotta be Na Sunghee. Through everything; every twists and turns, she was always the one with the words of encouragement for her dear daughter Joowol. Even if the world would end, she would still support her if she felt like it was the right thing to do. She always tried to teach Joowol to see things not from their subjects, but from their object, and to trust her heart to choose the bestest decision for her own. Hence, Sunghee never forced anything on Joowol; she let her little girl make her own choices, respected it, and let her take the consequences alone while she would only be cheering from behind.

 

   

» Little Sister I Ban Jaerin/Pan Xiaomei I 15 I  Student I hyper, tomboy, whiny, loud I like the cat and the mouse they were. I mean, sure, they love each other and all, but the funny thing is that they expressed that 'love' by bickering non stop all the time. Over the TV remote, over the computer set, over where to eat, over who gets the fluffier pillow, over whether to turn on the aircon or not, over what scent of soap, or over Jaerin borrowing Joowol's lip balm. Name it, they've argued about it. Still, all these bickering were exactly what bonded them together; it was their way of knowing each other better. So of course, if they were separated from one another, a series of 'missing you's would definitely be found appearing on their SNS statuses

 

friends

   

 

» College Friend + Roommate I Kim Yerim I 20 I College Student, Psychology major I cheerful, clumsy, hardworking, quirky I with a friendship that started with the fussy-bee-as-always Yerim being the first person in Korea to actually dare to approach -faced Joowol in class, Yerim was also the first person in Korea to find out that this girl wasn't really as y or rude as people thought she'd be, and Joowol is forever thankful for that. Nonetheless, even after a while of knowing each other, Joowol still found herself being unable to rate this girl, tbh. She was just so bipolar that even Joowol herself (who technically lived under the same roof as her) had difficulties keeping up with her constant mood swings. I mean, one minute, Yerim could be that one great friend who's all "I'm here for you" and stuff, but the next minute she can turn into a nagging ahjumma who had zero care of people's feelings. It had been constantly swinging at a love-hate relationship between the two girls, actually. While Joowol could totally love her during the often times when Yerim would lend her shoulder for her to cry on when she needed it or simply doing nice things like massaging her head, cooking for her, or helping her with homeworks, everything could crumble down like they never happened when Yerim started rubbing it in on Joowol's single status by continuously trying to hook her up with various boys when she herself knew just fine that Joowol was just simply charmless and unwanted by any male alive. They'll make up after Yerim buys her some vanilla Baskin Robins, though.

 

rivals 

» N/A

 

Others 

» N/A

 

love me right. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

love interest » Lu Han

 

backup love interest » Zhang Yixing

 

traits » (+) emphatic, cold-tempered, loyal (-) doubtful, oblivious, thin-skinned (o) childlike

 

personality »

(childlike) Most people usually mistook him as a middle schooler when they first met him. Sure, with that baby face, who wouldn't? I mean, look at those eyes (like, I swear, ZOOM THIS ARGH)! Who wouldn't want to hold his hand and coo at him, help him find his mother or just kidnap him right away? As a plus, Lu Han was someone whose demeanors were visibly very very innocent, looking as oblivious to the cruelty of the world as a five year old playing at the park holding a huge rainbow lollipop. He also got excited at the smallest of things pretty easily, although not to the point he would jump up and down all over the place, ahem.

 

(oblivious) Most of the time, people would find it cute that he acted like there were no problems in this world, like life was only filled with fun and games, joy and happiness. It was quite visible that Lu Han had grown in an environment full of love and harmony, oblivious to the cruel world beyond his own little paradise. Only after those people from Seoul FC discovered his talent in soccer and eventually persuaded him to play for them during his second year of highschool did Lu Han finally learn some real life. He had finally learn that life was not all goodness like he thought it was. He came to find that not everyone will like him. In this team, for example.

 

(thin-skinned) During the first few years of his career in the foreign land, he had truthfully received some harsh treatments from his fellow teammates who were purely annoyed that this freaking foreigner was even playing for the same team as them. And if that wasn't enough, it came to a pass that Lu Han finally realized that some of the girls he had attempted to date during his time in Korea were only using him for his fame. I mean, the new hot Chinese soccer player? Forget love. Which crazy girl wouldn't want to date him? It was then did Lu Han finally stumbled upon the fact that finding someone who would love him for who really is was hard. Very hard. And for Lu Han who gets easily pained by the slightest harshness, it was without a doubt much much harder.

 

(doubtful) ever since then, Lu Han had been paying really careful attention on anyone who wanted to approach him. He was traumatized by the fake friendships those people from his early days had to offer, and thus it made his suspicion grow for every other people alive, scared to get wounded again.

 

(loyal) But of course, that didn't mean that he had no friends at all. He just didn't have that much since not many people can pass his tight filters. That was why he treasured the friends he has now, never planning to let them go. In this situation, he was more-less similar to Joowol. Also, still having the shock and trauma of finally meeting what we call hypocrisy in this life, the least Lu Han had wanted to be was a hypocrite, so he was determined to act exactly the way he felt to people, befriending people for who they were and not because of their fame or wealth, and truly becoming a true friend who'd stick by his friends' side through every twist and turns this life had to offer.

 

(emphatic) Having experienced such treatment, Lu Han had become quite aware of the pains people around him was experiencing. While he might be oblivious to the scars they hide behind fake smiles and "I'm fine"s before, he was way more sensitive now. And as he had experienced what it was like being treated badly and get his heart broken, he was now more than happy to always be the shoulder for people with the same miseries to lean onto. He became someone who was ready to help whenever he was needed.

 

(cold-tempered) The best part though, was that he didn't differentiate people. However annoying or infuriating those people were, Lu Han was always fine with helping them if they were in trouble. Not saying that he'd be fine in befriending them too, though. But this kind of explains how he put up with Joowol's dating frenzy. Heh.

 

" Let's make a deal. Ten years from now, if we're both still single, let's just marry each other. "
 

first meeting » Those freaking people actually set them up on a bus. Yes, a freaking bus. How cliche is that? They told both Joowol and Lu Han to get on bus no. 7 (the one that leads to their newly shared apartment), and hired a whole bunch of people to fill the bus up so that there were only 2 seats left where Joowol and Lu Han ended up sharing the seat without knowing the person beside them was their match. Not like they knew it then and there, though. I mean, Lu Han didn't really care while Joowol of course fangirled inwardly that this handsome dude was sitting beside her. But doesn't she always? They finally found out who each other were when they finally reached the front door of the apartment they were supposed to be sharing. It was awkward, of course, suddenly sharing a house with the person you just met on the bus? But that was what happened.

 

The first day of their meeting was wasted in silence as they just continued to unpack their stuff quietly for the rest of the day. I mean, truthfully, both of them had wanted so badly to come near the other and probably exchange one or two words so that the tensing awkwardness wouldn't be so thick (bring a knife if you want to visit them at this time, to cut the atmosphere, I mean). But hey you know Joowol, when she couldn't even find her voice with female strangers, how could she do so with a male one? And Lu Han, well, he did attempted to approach her, to be honest, but as soon as he appeared in front of the guest room door where she was staying, she gave him another one of that 'blank' expression of hers and Lu Han eventually cowered away, thinking that she had already hated him at first glance. So much for your perfect match, huh? 

 

love story » They freaking wasted almost a whole month as strangers being put in one house. One word: AWKWARD. Joowol wasn't the queen bee who could make friends as easy as 123. And Lu Han being a godly handsome dude wasn't of any help. AT ALL. Well, a help of the awkwardness, sure. So with Joowol still being as introverted as she always was, and Lu Han keeping on repeating his same mistake from their first meeting (cowering away at the sight of her seemingly distasteful expression, thinking to himself that he'd try again the next day when he knew tomorrow will be all the same), they came out pretty badly at that. The both of them had been doomed to a situation wherein neither of them actually dared to start a conversation that came further than some few polite sentences.

 

They merely started to actually talk (and by 'talk' I mean 'have a proper conversation that actually has a point') when they entered their second month together. It was only then did the friendly relationship between them grew. Joowol wasn't someone who was too unapproachable, so she quickly grew comfortable with Lu Han quite easily with time. Heck, that time was also around the time when Joowol finally found out that this guy living with her was the famous superstar from a soccer team (you can probably blame the fact that this particular girl is just a certified sport noob, but okay). And that, my friend, was how they wasted their second and third month. By being friends. Heh.

 

At the end of the third month though, was something else. Let's just say that was the of their whole relationship. It all happened one afternoon when Lu Han was just reading out his emails on the couch and Joowol suddenly came up to him, throwing herself on the space on the couch beside him, and saying "Let's get married" out of the blue. Lu Han choked. It turned out, Joowol wasn't done. She was meaning to say that she was offering him a deal: she was someone unwanted and she doubted she would ever find a guy who would want to marry her later in life, and Lu Han had trust issues with girls who might only want him for his fame so it HAD to be difficult for him to find a wife too. So why not they just unite and marry each other if ever the both of them still came out single in ten years? Sounds good, no? Lu Han had laughed it off at first, thinking she was joking. It was exactly 15.7 seconds later that he realized she was serious. It was cute, and Lu Han didn't really mind spending the rest of his life with this girl, so he agreed. Well, not entirely, though, since up until now, he still kind of thought this was something like a joke even though he had witnessed firsthand the seriousness in which she had proposed this idea with. I mean, come on, they were adults! Who would believe this wasn't a joke? (Little did they know, this was exactly the start of their 5 years of stalking each other's SNS accounts, making sure the other was still single for the deal, before one of them finally broke loose and just demanded the deal to commence right away. Guess who.)

 

The story that took place after that was quite funny and cute at the same time, actually. Promising each other to be 'Just friends', they just end up wasting their remaining months of living together as 'Friends with benefits'. Oop, hold up your dirty thoughts, you ! I didn't mean 'that' kind of 'friends with benefits'. What I meant was that they went out on dates and kissed and whatnots, like what lovers would do, but they always said that they were still 'just friends' whenever people would ask the about it. Cute, right? Yeah, cute and suffocatingly depressing at the same time. It all started only because they were talking about random stuff one day on the early fourth month and Joowol blurted out that she had never been kissed before. Lu Han, who took pity of her, then offered that he didn't mind giving her one kiss; you know, since they're friends and all and friends help each other and stuff? Joowol was stunned. Completely. But she happily agreed, knowing that offers like these wouldn't come twice in life (she always thought that her first kiss would come in a CPR procedure since she was going to be a doctor and all), and kissing the hot Lu Han sounded SO much better than any other first kiss scenarios she had in her head. The worst kinds. And so they kissed. But hey whadduya know, even for her first kiss, Joowol was a natural, leaving both of them aching for more even when they parted. And that, my friend, was how they ended up as kissing partners. Heh.

 

After that though, both of them had become quite assured that the other party was harmless, and the best part came around for Joowol with the fact that Lu Han was the first ever person she had ever encountered who didn't mind doing couple stuff with her, even when they're technically NOT a couple. Joowol, of course, didn't want to waste this gem, and eventually came to utilize him to the max, dragging him to dates and dinners and movies, just so she could experience what it was like having an actual, real life lover, who's not a mere fraction of her wild imaginations. It was quite a nice experience for the two, actually. Unfortunately, both of them had been resting so assured that they would NEVER EVER EVER fall in love with the other and vice versa that they ended up wasting their own feelings by going out as 'just friends' continuously. But hey, the people in the picture would never be able to see the whole picture better than the people who were outside of the picture, right? Pity, pity. If only they had realized what those tummy butterflies and all the blushing and the heart thumping meant, they might actually be able to save up 5 years of their time being the 'some' couple. Tch. 

 

interactions » for the first month, they started out small. With Joowol being the introvert as always, and Lu Han continuously getting scared off by Joowol's usual y face while a small, very small part of him couldn't help being as insecure as he always had with girls who might only want him for his fame (in which we know for sure Joowol wouldn't since she didn't even like sports). That was how they built the base of their relationship: as strangers. I mean, don't we all?

 

It was only by the start of the second month did they finally find themselves able to hold a proper conversation with the other for the start of their polite friendship. Branching out from Joowol's loud reactions after finding out about the identity of this guy who was living with her as a famous athlete ("SO YOU'RE THAT HOT CHINESE DUDE FROM SEOUL FC MY FRIENDS' BEEN FANGIRLING ON AND ON ABOUT?! OH MY GOSH I'M SO SO SORRY I DON'T WATCH SOCCER THAT MUCH BUT I'LL WATCH YOU LATER I PROMISE OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH EOTTEOKHAEEEE??!!"), Lu Han eventually found out that this girl wasn't as y or as cold as he first thought she'd be. In fact, after that particular incident, he started thinking of her as.... cute. Not that he said that out loud, of course. His actions alone were enough for her, though, as he tried to approach her more and talk to her more, suspecting that she was just shy around an opposite gender. And not that he was wrong about that tiny fact, too.

 

They became polite acquaintances for the next two months, already working on the foundation for a further relationship, exchanging small talks here and there and getting to know the basics for each other. They were exceptionally comfortable with each other in terms of language and culture, though, considering that they were both Chinese and both also spoke fluent Mandarin (which was exactly one of the three qualities Lu Han was searching for in his potential soulmate, the other two being 'not caring about his fame' and 'love him for who he truly is', and Joowol has it). Joowol, particularly, became more and more comfortable in her actions toward him as she started to unleash her inner quirky and straightforward self to him, trying her best to talk to him every chance she has. Lu Han was not much different, as he started to trust Joowol more by the day, slowly believing that she sincerely wanted to become friends with him; not because he was a famous football star (he became quite clear about that when she literally screamed the fact that she didn't know who he was up until recently), but because she truly wanted to get to know him. Thus, he too started to open up to her, telling her about his day at the fields or bringing movie DVDs to watch together when he got home after training in the evening, which she gladly complied to. They still sleep in different rooms as of this part, though, just so you know.

 

The two of them became ridiculously closer by the speed of lightning after Joowol's "let's get married" proposal though, by some means nobody could exactly decipher, they had suddenly became best friends overnight. Lu Han and Joowol fooling around, teasing each other, and sharing friendly skinship suddenly became an everyday sight for other people who saw. Weird, I know; for people who spent one whole freaking month of living in the same apartment before their first actual conversation, these two were at it quite fast. Record time, actually. Best part was that it was just about to get weirder. Continuing on with the fourth month after their first meeting, the two were already doing couple stuff and acted like normal couples out there: going on dates, with Joowol clinging on Lu Han's arm like a snail, and then hugging, major skinships (including sleeping in the same bed), and kissing. Ohmaigawsh can you believe that? They KISSED. Out in the open. Only after FOUR months. Man these two ran fast. Be careful though, it gets weirder after this: everytime they were asked if they were finally officially together as a couple, they always say "we're just.... friends." *cricket* *cricket* *cricket* *MIND BOOM*

 

my answer.

   

 

HOW would you describe your ideal love and relationship?

» I...  I don’t have any ideals. *bites lip and takes a deep breath* I mean I HAD some before, I guess, but now? I think I’ve learned my lesson from all the waiting and expecting I’ve done these past years, and getting heartbroken over and over again. *twitches lip* I don’t like getting heartbroken. Nobody does. That’s why I’ve decided to just take what I’m given and forget about all the ideals. It’s safer that way. *looks down and plays with her fingers*

 

How did you react to getting the matchmaker's white envelope? HOw did your family react?

» I cried. *looks down and puts one hand to her reddening cheek* I’m so childish, right? *laughs forcefully* (interviewer: why did you cry?) I don’t... really know... *pouts and thinks* Maybe because of the fact that they actually found a match for me? *shrugs* Or maybe the thought that I'm just going to screw this over again and I'll get heartbroken again? *scratches the back of her neck* I’m not sure. *blinks and sits still, ready for the next question* (interviewer: *getting impatient after 2 minutes* how did your family react?) oh! *jumps lightly and put one hand in front of * My family... right... umm... *eyes widen* oh my gosh. Ooooh my gosh. That reminded me... I haven’t told my parents about this. *bites lip* I thought this was only a joke so only my roommate Yerim knew... *scrunches nose* They will really be very angry if they found out, though... eotteokhaeyo?

 

what was your first impression of your match? Has that changed?

» ”WOW”. *sighs dreamily* To be honest, the only thing I could think about when I saw him on that bus was how handsome he was. *blushes* I don’t think that I will ever think otherwise *tilts head*

 

some may be skeptical of the matchmaker's ability to find the perfect match. do you believe in true love?   

» *chuckles nervously, thinking the question was purposely asked to trap her* well, umm... true love... umm.... I- umm... *clicks her nails nervously* simply put, I do believe in true love. Like the love of parents to their children or the love among lovers *thinks back to the dramas she watched* It’s just that I don’t think that ‘love’ is something for someone like me... I don’t think it’s something I can have just because I want it. *presses her lips into a thin line* I... learned that the hard way.

 

Since the matchmaking process tends to be very public, you and our match will become quite well known around the country. how do you feEl about your private life becoming the topic of interest among the media?

» It’s not like my photos will spread around the mass, right? *glances at the interviewer hopefully* (interviewer: *not knowing what to say* uhhh...) *eyes widen* wait.... it WILL spread around the mass? *drops jaw* oh my... *rubs her hand to her lap and her lips* okay, umm... that’s... fine, I guess? *shrugs, puffs her cheeks* What difference will it make in my love life anyway? *smiles weakly* 

 

promise.

      

 

comments/suggestions » oh wow I can't believe I've finally done this thing! >< I'm sure this isn't the best app you guys will receive, but I just hope that you guys will like Joowol (because look at that poor thing! ><). That's it then?Ciao! ^_^ (oh, and p.s, Joowol's storyline was inspired by a fanfic called 'The Girl with No Charm' by Goddess)

scene requests 

» Lu Han taking Joowol to her first soccer match ever, only to laugh at her who knew nothing but to mimick the screams of the other supporters confusedly like a lost child
» Joowol watching a drama and starts to get annoyed at the characters; cue Mandarin curse words. Unexpectedly, Lu Han was passing behind her when that happened, and so she went like "Damn it. Forgot that the guy's Chinese too" 
» Joowol crying, thanking Lu Han for letting her experience what it's like having a boyfriend

password » Let's love!