이혜진 IS READY TO RETURN

tw : bullying and body shaming

lee hyejin

lee hyejin

mumford & sons
hopeless wanderer

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the face

nicknames.

- hye / almost everyone call her by this name as it's simply a shortened version of hyejin

place of birth. tongyeong, south korea

uality. heteroual

languages.
- korean / native / it's her mother tongue
- english / fluent / it's an international language and she knows if she want to travel around the world she must be fluent in this language. she can carry conversation in english though when it comes to writing, her grammar still need much improvement
- japan / fluent / she was an exchange student on her sophomore year back then and spend a year there. she picked up the language pretty well

appearance.

hyejin has long black hair and hazel eyes. has a toned stomach and basically proportional body shape due to the work out she does every morning. always wears couple ring given by junghee on her right ring finger. many people may mistake that as an engagement ring.

style.

she is usually seen wearing tank top and sport training pants because she prefers comfort over anything in this world. when the weather gets colder, she changed her style into oversized pants and outwear. but still, sneakers would be her choice as a footwear. her pantone would revolve around blue, beige, black, and white.

the core

personality : hufflepuff & isfp

(+) sweet, caring, hardworking, creative, calm
(-) shy, secretive, gullible, insecure, impulsive

hyejin is incredibly diffident and soft spoken. she is filled with a desire to be liked by her peers and to fit in. unfortunately, hyejin's introverted nature sometimes makes this difficult and she often keeps her emotions and problems to herself. she is capable of getting angry, though. but she will never blurt out her anger. yes, she's the type who'll give you silent treatment. no matter how much you ask or things you do to please her, she'll stay silent for whole day, different from how she usually acts. you need to figure out by yourself why she is upset. hyejin can sometimes be too trusting which ultimately caused the bullying incident. aside her weights, she also get bullied by those called she's a fool. she's still being nice though those 'fake friend' badmouthed her behind her back. she's the loyal type. she probably will give you her allowance thinking you really need it while in fact, you just want to use her kindness and trust.

we live in an uncertain world, and one of the ways that people express this is by holding on tight to anything and everything they own. whether it's monetary wealth, possessions, or even their own time, some people just aren't willing to part with what they have. they typically act this way out of fear. a fear that they may someday need or rely on these and other things. but hyejin, is not only happy to sacrifice something if it can help another. she often seeks out opportunities to do so. she will look for good causes and donate her time, energy, money, or possessions to them. she, too, understands the uncertainty of the world we live in, but she is strong enough to look past her own needs to those of others. she knows that whatever tomorrow brings, there is certainty in her ability to help others today.

due to the bullying she experienced in her school days, she often questions her own self-worth. what is her strength? does she actually has something she can do well? because she thinks she lacks of everything, then she become a person who always focus in growing her capabilities, knowledge, and skills. she always wants to learn more and advance herself.

due to her trusting her guts all the time, she stopped relying on logic. she does things that she feels right at the time. she doesn't think about the repercussions because she believes that every mistake can be fixed.

she is imaginative and curious. quietly always thinking and reflecting on the things that hold her interest. hyejin looks for middle ground options rather than being all or nothing. for example, if she doesn't have time to do all of a task, she'll do a little bit rather than avoid getting started.

background.

when she was a child, she was a kind of this cutie chubby girl. the one you'd give a pinch on their cheeks just because of how cute they are. too bad, her friends didn't think so. they said she was ugly. she was as fat as pigs. those she became the target of their bullying. they abused verbally and physically. they even did the online bullying as well. simply said, her childhood was a nightmare. she felt like her life was like in hell. too bad, her parents were too busy handling the work that they couldn't' even spare their time to hear her problems.

later on, she met junghee in her third year in middle school. lee junghee was the first person who stands up for her. she even invited her to join her group of friends. at that time, hyejin thought junghee was like a literal angel sent by god to save her life as she nearly to do some self-harm. junghee was also the one who told her to not do that. she brought a laugh to her life. she was the best companion she ever had. a literal angel. really.

high school was the point where everything finally gets better. she was no longer bullied. she started to learn how to do a healthy diet with the help of the group. also, she finally had time to think about what she likes and what she wants to do in the future. traveling. she imagined one day she'd be able to step on every inch of this world. her notes filled with various places with the dream of being able to travel to them all. nowhere is too far. she planned to start her traveling as soon as she graduates high school. she'll start from the nearest country, stay there for a couple of months, get a job there to afford her life and saving for the next adventure. she'd do that repeatedly until she finally able to visit all countries. probably would take online college so she won't completely ignore her education. the group fully supports her of course. they never say such things like 'it's impossible' or things like that. another reason why she'd say her friends are the reason she alive that day.

too bad, her own parents crushed her dream. they strongly opposed the idea. instead, they send her to seoul so she could learn the field they work in, to be an architect. she was devastated. but she could do nothing. in the end, she left the city and go into college. she learned what asked by her parents though her soul wasn't on it. she lived a life like a zombie. she just went with the flow. will she finally be able to get a life she wanted someday?

likes.
- hamburger, pizza, and all kind of meat
- white and blue color
- romance, comedy, and horror movies
- R&b soul and jazz music
- english books to improve her vocabulary and communication skills

dislikes.

- soondae
- tea for unknown reason
- messiness as she's a very neat person
- bright neon color
- discrimination and bullying

habits.

- fidgeting her hair piercing when she's nervous
- covering with her hand when she's laugh
- biting her nails when she's bored

hobbies.

- travelling
- watching movies
- watching theater plays

trivia.

- her favourite drama of all time is iris. she bought all the episodes and used to secretly watch it in class

- is a religious christian
- she's pretty good at babysitting. on her college days, she took part time job as a nanny
- hyejin loves to melt chocolate and eat it with strawberries. it's her kind of 'snacks'
- she rarely uses a mirror since back then the bulliers hates her appearance
- she gets panick attacks when she feels too pressured
- she is not a morning person
- can be overly emotional with movies
- she's a decent cook
- has a driver license but still, will offer herself the last when it comes to driving

the relationships

lee junghee. bestfriend. 23.

junghee was the one who invited her to join the group. it's a bless since junghee always treats her well and takes good care of her, she always being there for her through all the hardships she faced. she always thinks junghee as her own sister. as she can tell everything to her, literally everything either it's her happy or sorrow moments. a fact that junghee is no longer in this world hit her deeply. she feels like she lost her other half.

heo raon. bestfriend. 22.

both are quite person. unlike with junghee, hyejin need a long time before she finally can get along with her. raon in a first glance might seem cold but as time they spend together, she's getting comfortable enough to share some burden on her shoulder to raon though still she couldn't as open as when she's with junghee. hyejin is raon's #1 fans. she always admire her art. they aren't in touch again nowadays. though hyejin missed her a lot. still, she's not a type who'll reach out first. afraid she might disturb raon.

the daily life

occupation. senior student in architectecture major in seoul national university, currently on her internship in a firm while finishing her final research

daily schedule.
normally, she wakes up at 6 am and goes to get a shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast. she's at her doorstep ready to head to office by 7. during break, you would certainly find her in her desk, eating her lunch with some of her co-worker. sometimes they would go around the building and find quiet place to eat when they need some fresh air. when all of her work done, she gets home and having dinner on her own. then she goes to her room and make a video call with junghee sometimes. when they hang up, she gets to her bed, watching youtube or streaming drama before sleep.

weekends are time for her to sleeps in. she could sleep 'till seven hours long. other than that, she'll go to gym to and spends few hours to work out, or when she's too bored with gym, she'll go swimming or just running around her apartment's complex.

struggles.

she's kind of losing her identity, her desire, her dream. ever since her parents chose the path she has to going through after high school, she feels like living her life like a robot. she just go with the flow.

she might done well with her college. she graduated with good gpa. she tried her best to love her major. in the end, still she felt nothing. she did great just because she doesn't want get scolded by her parents. well, she thought after she finished her college, at least she could do some travelling as she had fulfilled her parents' request.

too bad, her parents' demands isn't stop there. they asked her to get a job. they even send her cv without her knowing to some consultants. soon she get hired. even until now, she feels like she does her job without putting her heart into it. she simply her parents' robot. will she be able to pursue her dream in travelling the world? or will she stay as a robot?

junghee is the only person who knows hyejin's struggle. as hyejin is a secretive one. it's not she doesn't trust her friends. she just doesn't want to burden them. with junghee, it's different. junghee always ensure hyejin that she can tell everything to her. she never sought any help as well. same reason, she thinks people already have their own problem and she doesn't want to add their problem.

the lover

kim muyeol

park jinyoung

nicknames.

- boss / it's not an insult for his bossy attitude though. it's a term of endearment hyejin likes to use with him

date of birth & age. june, 10th 1998 || 21

place of birth. seoul, south korea

hometown. seoul, south korea

nationality. korean

ethnicity. korean

occupation. senior at yonsei university majoring in law

personality.
muyeol draws a lot of people in with his charming character. his good looks are part of it while a majority of people are drawn to his friendly and confident ways. he's assertive, clearing expressing his opinions and view points while being as respectful as he can of other's points of views, which doesn't always happen but he tries. he has a proneness to be judgemental, something he was made aware of in high school. he's particular about the way he likes things and the expectations he has of himself are huge, thus those expectations he has of himself transfer onto others. because of this, he tends to be bossy and demanding over others and of others. he enjoys to have things done his way and will expect others to adjust and conform to his standards. when others don't conform or they don't understand what he wants, he is quick to show anger and irritation. he is quick to irritate and when it comes to any sort of argument muyeol is usually the first to show he is annoyed or angry. his temper normally only manifests when others are disagreeing with him.

a clever and witty man, muyeol has often out witted and out smart many parties. it is something he enjoys even if he insists that he doesn't. for ever snarky remark he may hear, he has a witty and clever remark of his own. he's adaptable and few things stump him. if he's in an uncomfortable situation he'll find away out of it. if he's stuck in a tough situation he'll conform in whatever way he needs to in order to get out. if only he would be adaptable in his thoughts and opinions.

many people around muyeol will tell you that he's strong-willed and ambitious. once he sets his mind to doing something there is very little that will be able to change his mind. some things that have and consistently make him stop and think are his parents, siblings and close loved ones. he doesn't want to disappoint anyone and it is only when he thinks he'll disappoint someone he loves that he will hesitate. muyeol always has his eyes on higher accomplishments. when he accomplishes one thing, he is already thinking about another thing that he would like to achieve. a part of him believes that the more he can accomplish the more his parents and those he cares about will love him.

restless is another word that comes up when people are asked to describe muyeol. he has a difficult time relaxing and letting go. always on the go, needing to be doing something. whenever someone manages to get him to sit down and let loose it's a miracle. he doesn't enjoy taking breaks because there's always "bigger and better things to be done". if he can't physically do something he'll be checking up on those he cares about. sometimes it's too much as he'll ask "how are you?" every five or ten minutes just so he has something to do. secretly he hopes someone needs assitance with something so he can swoop in and help just so he's doing something.

background.
+ he was born in seoul and lived there until he was 9. his father was offered a job opportunity to be head of cardiology at tong yong seoul hospital. his mother is an accountant.

+ as the eldest child he had a lot of pressure on him to set a good example for his siblings. he was a very obedient child and held himself to high expectations. many of those expectations he has carried with him into adulthood. his sister is two years younger than him and his brother is four years younger than him.

+ he initially thought raon was cute and seeing that junghee was friends with her, he wanted to become friends with the two of them. he was lucky that junghee had her sights set on him, seeing that he was having difficulty making friends and just like that, he was swooped up into the friend group. what was an elementary crush on raon turned into a platonic friendship. muyeol has always been intrigued by raon and although they don't see eye to eye at times, he enjoys the intellectual banter and arguments. he loves junghee to death and when he can catch her not checking up on others, he's checking up on her.

+ muyeol enjoyed not being the eldest in the group, in fact he was one of the youngest. however, that didn't stop him from acting like the oldest of the group. always trying to stop them from doing reckless and at times illegal things, but he'd fail all the time. without his friends he probably would be the resident class president that was despised by everyone for having a stick up their a**.

+ straight a student who was involved in student government. he was always ranked in the top 5 of his class. he was class president his senior year of high school. his friends kept him from becoming too invest in his "power". his friends were also there to listen to his concerns of not knowing if he wanted to become a doctor. something he was scared about sharing, but all of his friends were very supportive.

+ he left for seoul to attend university at yonsei university. he was a medical student his first year of college, but decided that just wasn't the career path for him. he switched to law for his second year and he hasn't regretted that switch since.

+ he knew from a young age that if he wanted to become a doctor he'd have to leave tongyeong. sure tongyeong has a lot of education for traditional medicine, but that was not the medicine that he wanted to pursue, nor was it the type of medicine that his father was working in. leaving tongyeong in high school was a no brainer. as much as he did not want to go into the medical field, he did want to get away from the pressure of his parents. despite leaving tongyeong he still felt pressure from his parents. it took him a lot of courage to finally stand up for what he wanted.

current relationship status. one sided crush from hyejin to him

their love story.

thanks to junghee, she got to know and having muyeol around in her life. even on their first meeting, hyejin already set her eyes on him. well, he is a good looking one, and ever since he was a child, he had been the most strong-willed one, and that charm of him, appealed for hyejin who lost her identity for almost all the time. he was the one who guides her. helped her to find who she is. her love for traveling. also, the one who always support her for whatever she did.

too bad, she's too shy to show her affection to him. out of the three, muyeol was actually the one whom she wasn't really close with. she was just suddenly felt awkward whenever he's around. thus, she chose to keep her feelings as a secret crush for years. she somehow also had this kind of thing: it's impossible for the great kim muyeol will ever reciprocate my feelings. she thought the feelings would disappear when she reduces the intensity of meeting him. but god seemed had destined them to meet again since they went to seoul for college.

there were times when muyeol asked her to hang out together or simply call her in his free time. but again she didn't want to get her hope up. she knew muyeol has always been like that. he's nice to every girl. to everyone whom he's close with. and with all the bullying she'd been through. she knew her position. there is no way she'd end up with him and she didn't want to get a heartbreak because she hopes too much.

talking about their interaction, there's nothing much different from how they interact when they were a kid. muyeol is still the same old muyeol. he cares for his friends. he always does his best to help them with anything. don't want to mislead by his act, hyejin kept her distance. she will only admire him from afar. thus she couldn't deny she kept this fluttering feelings whenever he's around. but still, she will be the first person to offer her ear to listen and a shoulder to lean whenever muyeol needs them.

ending. surprise me?

trivia.
- though but hyejin and muyeol lived in seoul since they get into college, they aren't really often going out together. much because hyejin is too shy to hang out just with two of them.
- for his last birthday, hyejin gave him a book titled bleak house by charles dickens
- muyeol's number is saved as '#1 muyeol' in hyejin's phone
- one day, they bumped into each other, end up with muyeol give her a ride to her apartment. it's a simple yet memorable scene for hyejin that she make a reminder about that date on her calendar
- hyejin secretly ever made a sketch of her dream house with muyeol

the interview

are you ready to return to tongyeong? why or why not?

"ready or not, still i have to do that, right? i have to because it's junghee's funeral. as much as i hate meeting my parents again, still i won't miss a chance to 'see' her for the last time."

did you keep in contact with any of your friends in the group? if yes, who did you keep in contact with? if no, why didn't you keep in contact with your friends?

"i used to keep in touch with junghee. there is no single day passed without her text or call. sometimes muyeol would text me too. with raon, sadly it's been a while since last we talk to each other. i never be the one who initiate to contact them first though." that's because of her nature, she always hesitates to contact her friends first as she's afraid she might disturb them.

what were you doing when you received the news that junghee passed?

"i was..." hyejin looked at the interviewer with teary eyes. "i was working." the memoar of that scene played on her head. "i thought it was a prank, or i was dreaming." she mused. "clearly one of the worst situation i've ever experienced."

is there anything you wish you would have told junghee before she died?

she hesitates at first. "thank you. thank you for saving my life. thank you for everything."

what is your favorite memory with junghee?

she face the interviewer and smiles. "when she took me outside tongyeong. it was my first time going out of the town. though it only took a half hour bus ride, still, going to somewhere foreign place is exciting for me. moreover, junghee always know how to liven up the mood!"

what would you say is your way of coping with stressful and emotional situations?

she inhales. "truth to say? i don't know how. i felt stressful. i felt emotional. i bottled them up and act as if nothing happened. as time goes by, i will feel okay. or at least accepting the fact that the stress has become a part of me."

is there anything you'd like to tell your friends?

"thank you for saving me back then." hyejin says shyly. "you guys are the one who coloring my days. at least, i felt how was it like to be alive. i hope we can talk a lot like we used to do. sorry if i'm being too shy to reach out for you. let's being together for a really long time." she bites her lip to stop herself from talking.

if you were asked to stay a few more days, maybe even a week for your friends, would you be willing to stay?

"for my friends, yes of course. as hard as it is to deal with my parents, at least i know i have them beside me."

final goodbyes

guguvixx. dea. 7/10.
turn in. back to story. cheatsheet.

comments/questions/suggestions. i hope you like hyejin and have some fun in develop her arc. i don't know what to write in muyeol's trivia so i just put trivial things about him and hyejin instead. hope you don't mind that.

scene requests.
- hyejin finally having a breakdown in front of her parents
- the group team up and pranking the one who's having their birthday
- a signal interuption in the town. they have no choice but to talk to each other instead of busy with their own gadget
- hyejin finally confessed to muyeol perhaps? but of course it was by accident

password. remember when there's a sudden math quiz and junghee pretended get possessed which caused scene that made the quiz cancelled?