JANG MI ATTENDS THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSAN 🎒📚
i mean, sure, i have my bad days, but then i remember what a cute smile i have.
— chandler bing, F.R.I.E.N.D.S
#quote
get to know me !
(+) well-intentioned, loyal, optimistic, outgoing
stubborn, naive, inexperienced, ignorant (-)
stubborn, naive, inexperienced, ignorant (-)
personality
everyone can agree that jang mi has a loud personality. not that she's literally loud in volume (though that can also be the case sometimes), but her presence is just always known. whether that's good or bad tends to vary, but if it's bad, it's usually just because of miscommunication or lack of information. though she's a little naive and can sometimes seem sort of ditzy, there's really so much more to jangmi than she lets on. she's very smart (though she tends to take her intelligence for granted) and can be insightful at times (though those times can be a little...rare before she starts to mature), but people find that it's easy to just label her as that talkative, outgoing countryside girl. and they're not wrong! but it just takes a little time and effort to see the depth to her.
admittedly, though, jangmi can be a little dense at times. she's rather inexperienced in life, having grown up in the same closeted neighborhood her whole life, blessed with a loving family, so she can be a little ignorant when it comes to bigger problems that other people go through that she's never experienced. it takes a little time and exposure for her to understand that there are so many different kinds of people and struggles in the world, but before that, it's easy for her to come off as a little insensitive, which may rub people the wrong way.
really, though, she's a well-intentioned girl. she never means to hurt people with her unintentional ignorance and may just come off as over-bearing because she really cares about her friends. it all comes from a good place - jangmi is extremely loyal to those she's fond on, but she does tend to tread the line because...she tends to not know where the line is. it can be a little rough to change her mind and educate her, just because she's rather optimistic about life (given that she's had a lot of reason in her life to be positive...but yes, it prevents her from easily understanding people whose minds just work differently. ahseob has been the only source of different circumstance that has educated jangmi prior to ulsan.) and also a little stubborn, especially when it comes to believing that some people are really just bad (but also just in things like letting ahseob win bets). she's the type to give people the benefit of the doubt and believe that there's good in everyone, even if someone's wronged her.
admittedly, though, jangmi can be a little dense at times. she's rather inexperienced in life, having grown up in the same closeted neighborhood her whole life, blessed with a loving family, so she can be a little ignorant when it comes to bigger problems that other people go through that she's never experienced. it takes a little time and exposure for her to understand that there are so many different kinds of people and struggles in the world, but before that, it's easy for her to come off as a little insensitive, which may rub people the wrong way.
really, though, she's a well-intentioned girl. she never means to hurt people with her unintentional ignorance and may just come off as over-bearing because she really cares about her friends. it all comes from a good place - jangmi is extremely loyal to those she's fond on, but she does tend to tread the line because...she tends to not know where the line is. it can be a little rough to change her mind and educate her, just because she's rather optimistic about life (given that she's had a lot of reason in her life to be positive...but yes, it prevents her from easily understanding people whose minds just work differently. ahseob has been the only source of different circumstance that has educated jangmi prior to ulsan.) and also a little stubborn, especially when it comes to believing that some people are really just bad (but also just in things like letting ahseob win bets). she's the type to give people the benefit of the doubt and believe that there's good in everyone, even if someone's wronged her.
background
jangmi is born in gurye, jeollanamdo, south korea unto a lovely couple and a warm neighborhood. she is kindly welcomed into her community and cared for tenderly by her parents - jang sojung and jang junshik. they were high school sweethearts and loved each other dearly, but their time together ends much too soon. junshik passes away from a heart attack at the ripe age of 31, when his daughter is only 2 years old. sojung and her parents (jangmi's grandparents) are heartbroken at the loss, but do their best to raise jangmi with enough love to compensate for the absence of her father.
of course, as a toddler, jangmi doesn't register the impact it has on her life. she faintly remembers him and only understands what happened once she's older, but she chooses to be optimistic about it, grateful that she's had her mom and grandparents to take care of her since then. this is quite indicative of how the three adults raised her - to be cheerful in the face of adversity! she's been a lively character ever since she was a child, and though she's sad that she never got to know her father, she tries to hold on dearly to the fond fragments of memory she has of him, aiming to live to honor his name.
from all the stories her family has told her, jangmi has found out that she's just like her father. he was just as rambunctious and outgoing as she is, though he, according to her mother, matured tremendously once he fell for her and realized he had to grow up a little if he wanted to have a serious relationship. jangmi keeps that in mind as she goes through life, always trying to act like a grown up, but frequently falling victim to her inherent childishness.
she's an energetic kid and is easily amicable, so making friends at school is no problem for her. jangmi grows up surrounded by joy and laughter (and the smell of bread, courtesy of her family bakery!), which isn't surprising considering her current happy-go-lucky personality. with no other extreme turmoil apart from the early death of her father, she maintains her innocence and her pure, if not a little naive, heart, throughout her teen years. she's quite closeted, though she won't realize this until she goes to college, but at her core, she's just a genuine, fun-loving country girl!
of course, as a toddler, jangmi doesn't register the impact it has on her life. she faintly remembers him and only understands what happened once she's older, but she chooses to be optimistic about it, grateful that she's had her mom and grandparents to take care of her since then. this is quite indicative of how the three adults raised her - to be cheerful in the face of adversity! she's been a lively character ever since she was a child, and though she's sad that she never got to know her father, she tries to hold on dearly to the fond fragments of memory she has of him, aiming to live to honor his name.
from all the stories her family has told her, jangmi has found out that she's just like her father. he was just as rambunctious and outgoing as she is, though he, according to her mother, matured tremendously once he fell for her and realized he had to grow up a little if he wanted to have a serious relationship. jangmi keeps that in mind as she goes through life, always trying to act like a grown up, but frequently falling victim to her inherent childishness.
she's an energetic kid and is easily amicable, so making friends at school is no problem for her. jangmi grows up surrounded by joy and laughter (and the smell of bread, courtesy of her family bakery!), which isn't surprising considering her current happy-go-lucky personality. with no other extreme turmoil apart from the early death of her father, she maintains her innocence and her pure, if not a little naive, heart, throughout her teen years. she's quite closeted, though she won't realize this until she goes to college, but at her core, she's just a genuine, fun-loving country girl!
FUN FACTS !
likes
bread, persimmon, ice cream, bubble tea, pretty much...eating in general, animationS (ghibli movies, cartoon tv shows), city pop, dad jokes
dislikes
cucumbers, celery, other vegetables that taste like crunchy water, asmr, country music
habits
biting her nails, cracking her knuckles, letting one sleeve of her flannel uncuff and bother her ocd friends, making dumb puns that don't make sense half the time
hobbies
cafe/bakery exploring, knitting (once she attends the club a couple times, she starts enjoying making small gifts for her friends), reading thriller/mystery webtoons
MISCELLANEOUS
- back home, her mom and grandparents run a bakery called mishik bakery. they opened it a couple years after junshik passed away and the name is a combination of the 'mi' from jangmi's name and the 'shik' from junshik. 'mishik' also actually means 'delicacies', so the double meaning is quite significant! the aesthetic is a little retro, but still pretty modern for gurye - like this!
- definitely the type to make jokes that are either too lame or just don't make sense and then laugh by herself for a while before fading out because no one else is laughing.
- she's actually very smart, but she doesn't let on. honestly, part of it is because she doesn't even realize that she's smart. things just tend to come easily to her and she doesn't understand that it's not like this for everyone.
- she kind of really wants to dye her hair a wacky color someday...maybe blue or purple or bright orange...and maybe she'll do it someday! (refer to elly's various hair colors)
- she might actually work at c factory for a semester! if that works out. the distance is super convenient and she thinks it's a cool themed place.
- other than c factory, jangmi takes a convenience store job for one semester, but starting her second year, she works at a cafe/bakery called aurora that's about a 10 minute walk from campus and her apartment. she ends up really liking it there and keeps working there for the rest of her time at ulsan!
- she lives in the dorms on campus with a random roommate her first year.
- jangmi gets a good amount of scholarship money and financial aid, which helps her small business family pay for their first-gen college student.
- definitely the type to make jokes that are either too lame or just don't make sense and then laugh by herself for a while before fading out because no one else is laughing.
- she's actually very smart, but she doesn't let on. honestly, part of it is because she doesn't even realize that she's smart. things just tend to come easily to her and she doesn't understand that it's not like this for everyone.
- she kind of really wants to dye her hair a wacky color someday...maybe blue or purple or bright orange...and maybe she'll do it someday! (refer to elly's various hair colors)
- she might actually work at c factory for a semester! if that works out. the distance is super convenient and she thinks it's a cool themed place.
- other than c factory, jangmi takes a convenience store job for one semester, but starting her second year, she works at a cafe/bakery called aurora that's about a 10 minute walk from campus and her apartment. she ends up really liking it there and keeps working there for the rest of her time at ulsan!
- she lives in the dorms on campus with a random roommate her first year.
- jangmi gets a good amount of scholarship money and financial aid, which helps her small business family pay for their first-gen college student.
scene requests
- ahseob and jangmi go on (1) luxurious, fancy date!! they dress up, go to a nice restaurant, act civilized for the night. it's almost fake because it's so unlike them, but they have fun! nari styles her up for this one, too, and it's a tad better than soomi's work just because nari knows how to do makeup for an individual to accentuate their flattering features, and needless to say, ahseob is stunned.
- jangmi making lots and lots of friends because that's all really all she's tryna do here - meet people and have fun!
- jangmi getting a temporary tattoo/henna of a rose to match with ahseob (who she of course makes fun of when she hears the origin story of his sleeve) and maybe making it permanent later ??
- jangmi making lots and lots of friends because that's all really all she's tryna do here - meet people and have fun!
- jangmi getting a temporary tattoo/henna of a rose to match with ahseob (who she of course makes fun of when she hears the origin story of his sleeve) and maybe making it permanent later ??
#trivia
ask away !
which high school did you graduate from?
i graduated from gurye high school!! jang mi, 18 years old, class of 2016!! she spreads her hands in front of her face like a ray of sun peeking out from behind clouds and laughs. that's how they called my name at the ceremony - jang miii~! she stretches her name out like any good announcer and cups her hands around , looking off into the distance as her voice resounds.
why did you choose this major?
ah, you see, back home we have a bakery - my mom and my grandparents and, well, basically me, too, since it's like my second home! she chuckles fondly upon remembering the warm building that always smelled so comforting. you know, i actually fell asleep there once! it's that homey!! she laughs, then remembers the question. oh, but yeah, i'm hoping i can learn stuff about managing a business and all that so i can help out back there in terms of...the, uh, more...how do you say...important stuff. not just ringing people up for their bread. though that's fun too! she beams.
what do you hope to gain out of college life?
well, i sure hope i'll be gaining an education! she barks out a laugh, slapping her knee before seeing the interviewer is confused. never mind- oh, wait, like college life? like, college...living? the interviewer wonders what else she thought that meant. hmm, well i'm definitely looking forward to meeting lots of new people and making new friends and eating new foods...lots of new experiences! i'm excited! but a little nervous. but mostly excited!
what is one word that you would want people to describe you as?
mmm...well, a lot of people say i'm cute, so i guess i'm okay with keeping that description! she shrugs exaggeratedly, a playfully smug grin on her face as she spreads her arms wide, like she's saying "what am i supposed to do?"
what part-time jobs are you undertaking now or plan to undertake in the future?
ohhh yeah, a job! now that i'm pretty much on my own out here, i've figured i'll be needing a way to fund my, you know, luxurious lifestyle. she's joking, of course, because her countryside lifestyle is far from glamorous and she knows it. but she does want to make her own form of allowance. i've never had a real part-time job before - working at the bakery doesn't really count because i didn't really get paid... she rolls her eyes dramatically. but maybe i'll work at one here!! i am planning on stalking- or, er, exploring different cafes and bakeries here in the city to take intel back home, so working at one could be even better research! her eyes light up and start to get dreamy - she has just thought of this and is now strongly considering it because it sounds like such a good idea.
how do you cope with stressful situations?
stressful...situations?? she wrinkles her nose, the word unfamiliar on her tongue. uhh, i don't think i really...get stressed. there's always a bright side to things, so why focus on the bad parts? she shrugs, her eyes wide and innocent, because she really does just think it's that simple!
what is your take on drinking, clubbing, and nightlife activities?
mmm well...sometimes i'll drink makgeolli at home with my family! you know, when we're making rice wine bread and have some leftovers~ she grins as she thinks back on those late nights where her family would gather around the table, drinking home made rice wine and eating pajeon as they waited for the bread to bake. but i've never really been...well, drunk. she squints, wondering where the line stands between her natural quirky behavior and being tipsy. and clubbing sounds kinda fun! like, all the music and the dancing!! of course, i've never gone to a club, but maybe i'll try one out now that i'm in college!! her eyes are bright, oblivious to the other connotations of clubbing. nightlife activities sound so cool...especially since there wasn't really much of a nightlife back in gurye...but now that's on my bucket list! to go out and play at night! jangmi's 'night playing' really just means getting midnight snacks at the convenience store and going to the playground when it's dark. her and the interviewer are unaware of the miscommunication.
do you plan to study abroad as an exchange student for a semester? if so, where?
she gasps. oh my gosh, i forgot that people do that! her eyes go wide with wonder at the sudden broadening of her horizons. wow, this is...so much power...i don't even know where i would want to go! ooh, maybe japan??? or thailand??? they have a lot of good food there...i want to try authentic takoyaki, you know?? from a real master!! the interviewer wonders if she's just going to choose her study abroad country based on the food they have to offer...they're right.
which places would you like to travel to during school breaks?
wow, people travel during breaks, too?? that sounds so fun!! like those things i see on facebook of groups of friends staying in nice places and eating good food!! but i wonder how they afford a house like that...hmm...i think i would, first of all, go home during breaks. people do that, right? i have to visit some time! but i've also always wanted to go to jeju island! she gasps again. ooh, or seoul - the big city...there are probably so many trendy restaurants there...her eyes are sparkly and is drooly.
what are your short-term and long-term goals after graduating?
mmm... she furrows her brows and rests her chin on her fist. i don't think i really have any goals... it does't register to her how shallow and aimless she can sound by saying this. i mean, i just want to have fun here in ulsan - make lots of friends, try new things, eat good food... she trails off. it's not that she has no aspirations, but jangmi has a life waiting for her back in gurye. running the bakery with her family, owning it herself someday...college really is just a time for her to get out into the world and have all kinds of experiences and just grow up! i guess if i had to have a goal, it'd be to live my life to the fullest!
nameshin ahseob
dob + agenov. 20, 1994 + 21
statuschildhood friends
"but when i'm with you
i know it in my bones"
- kevin oh, stardust
FACE CLAIM: jeon wonwoo seventeen
NICKNAMES:
seob-ie a fond shortening of his full name, used by his community back in jeolla. with the dialect, it sounds more like 'seub', but that's just the charm of his hometown! of course, considering his animosity towards home, he dislikes hearing this name, and actually doesn't hear it after high school, to his relief, until he reunites with jangmi...to his chagrin.
ORIENTATION: heteroual
HOMETOWN: gurye, jeollanamdo
ETHNICITY: full korean
PERSONALITY:
(+) sentimental, observant, thorough, witty
childish, sensitive, cynical, reticent (-)
ahseob is pretty emotional, though that can go both ways. he's a bit sensitive in that he can easily get his feelings hurt and he's pretty quick to assume things, but on the other side of the coin, he's rather sentimental, pretty much meaning he's Soft on the inside and has tender emotions, too, not just anger. people don't really know this about him, though, since he's quite reticent and doesn't like to let on that he's super emotional. this is a habit that's been pruned throughout his life, as he grew up feeling like his parents didn't care about how he felt, and after his tumultuous puberty in which he lashed out at them a lot, he's now mellowed and doesn't want to waste time on emotions that no one seems to be interested in, so he generally just keeps them to himself unless it's to his close friends. those are not many, though, because ahseob's childhood and relationship with his parents have caused him to be quite cynical and moody in regards to his outlook on life. he tends to assume the worst and can be a little childish in the way he jumps to conclusions and reacts rashly based on his assumptions.
if he seems rather testy, it's because he is, but now that he's in college ahseob has mostly stopped being mad at everyone in the world and reserves the bitterness for his parents. to acquaintances, ahseob is aloof and mysterious - he doesn't talk much and though he'll show up to things, like the club or department gatherings, he typically keeps to himself. to his close friends, he likes to be a little sarcastic, secretly caring, and very witty. he's sharp with his words, which explains both why he was always in trouble with his parents but also why he will never lose a verbal battle. unlike his seemingly fiery temperament, ahseob is actually pretty thorough. when he sets his mind to it or if it's something he's really passionate about, he works hard and is attentive. people think he's distant and detached, but he's just being observant. ahseob's the type to watch from a distance, it just becomes a question of whether his observations are accurate.
BACKGROUND:
ahseob, though having been born and raised in the same neighborhood as jangmi, had quite a different childhood than her. his parents were both engineers and they had always had high expectations for their only child. while jangmi's family dynamic was warm and loving, ahseob's was rather distant and unaffectionate. it's not that his parents didn't love him, they just didn't know how to show it and didn't understand that them "wanting the best for him" was actually them being ignorant of his own passions and forcing him into things he didn't want to do, causing a lot of insecurities and bottled-up emotions. it's a very familiar asian household environment, but it takes an even bigger toll on ahseob because he sees other families around him that seem so much happier and unproblematic - like jangmi's. he feels like he has lots of reasons to compare his life with others, and these contrasts very easily make ahseob quite bitter at life for his young age, but he's still a kid and is easily satiated by the company of friends.
things ultimately escalate when his parents decide to move. as well as not creating the best home dynamic for their son, ahseob's parents were not home enough to do so. they were frequently gone on business trips, and it had come to a point where the numerous business trips were taking a toll on their finances. so they decided to just move to where the majority of their work took place - haenam. it was further down, near the coast of jeollanamdo and extremely far from gurye.
of course, this sets off a rollercoaster of emotions inside an already emotional teen, and ahseob distances himself from his parents more than ever, angry that they're the only people he can rely on in this unfamiliar place. while in high school, he makes superficial friends who lead him down a rebellious path, one that might not have come as such a surprise considering all the emotions he'd bottled up for so long. he stays out late, starts drinking a lot, rarely talks to his parents, and even tries drugs a couple times. it's not his thing, but he'll do it from time to time just to appease his peers.
ahseob gets accepted into the university of ulsan - it's not the college of his dreams, but he never really had one of those. he just wanted to get away from home, and now he finally can. he goes through his first year just how any wild child would - going to clubs, ditching classes, drinking the nights away... it's honestly a lot and it's honestly not him. he hates the feeling of being hung over in the morning and he hates all the older girls that try to make moves at him at the club, so soon enough, he wants to get away from school, too. ahseob decides to go on his military leave after his first year at ulsan, and though part of him hopes it will help him mature and whatnot, that part is easily buried away under his more developed emotions of bitterness and anger.
OUR STORY:
GURYE, CIRCA 2002
in a certain tightknit neighborhood in gurye, where residents shared side dishes and held block parties, two houses stood back to back to each other, connected by a vast backyard and divided by a large fence with a decent sized hole in the corner. this hole was where little ahseob and jangmi would crawl through to play with each other almost everyday - building castles in her sandbox, throwing bouncy balls into his kiddie sized basketball hoop. jangmi's rambunctious personality was able to create middle ground between her and the 3 years older, rather reserved, "doesn't speak unless spoken to" ahseob. she had always been the more initiative one, and her ambitious extroverted nature helped ahseob feel comfortable and let loose around her. with his guy friends, ahseob often felt this need to act tough and be someone he wasn't completely. but with jangmi, who was always so unapologetically herself, he had the room to be his true, dorky, emotional self.
"jangmi, where are you going?"
"to play with ahseob! he's in
the sandbox already, bye!"
GURYE, CIRCA 2010
as they grew up, the sandcastles and bouncy balls turned into study sessions at the bakery and full-sized basketball hoops. it was so natural for ahseob and jangmi to hang out as often as they did, but it no doubt made outsiders wonder about the nature of their relationship. they couldn't have given an answer even if they wanted, though, because they never really thought about how they felt about each other. ahseob was too preoccupied with his family problems to think about his feelings for jangmi and she was too inexperienced to do the same. all they knew for sure was that they just really enjoyed each others' company! despite all the changes that came with puberty, their relationship always stayed the same, and they found comfort in knowing that there was someone who would always accept them no matter what.
"the kids at school say i've been
acting different...that i don't hang
out as much and i'm quieter..."
"quieter?? that's not what yesterday's
game of horse said! ha ha...ha...oh,
cheer up seobie! you've always got me!"
but everything changed when ahseob's parents announced the move. devastated, he flies a paper airplane with a written message to meet him at the park nearby onto jangmi's windowsill, wanting to tell her the news in person and also maybe discuss the possibilities of hiding away in her basement until he graduates (he's only half joking)...but she never shows up. he leaves late the next day, bitter at everything - his parents who are ruining his life, his neighborhood that doesn't even try to stop him, and even jangmi, who didn't care enough to show up that night. it's a rash response to the unexpected life transition, but expected of a kid who's been raised playing defense his whole life. jangmi, though, had actually been away at her grandparents that weekend, and only saw the letter once she came back home and he was gone. it's weird - the only other time she's felt sadness like this was when she woke up one dawn to see her mom crying over a picture of her late husband. that morning and the time she watched wolf children were the only times jangmi has really shed genuine tears...but that day, as she reads ahseob's message to meet him at the park and then looks over at his unlit house, she finds her adding another moment to that list.
"oh, jangmi, don't cry..."
"i...didn't even get to say bye..."
GURYE + HAENAM/ULSAN, CIRCA 2015
life goes on, though that means different things for the both of them. jangmi, ever optimistic, doesn't linger on it for long. that doesn't mean she's not sad about it - she misses him a lot, she just sees no reason to stay dejected. they had good times together, and maybe they'll reunite one day! she goes through high school swimmingly, quite oblivious to what ahseob is going through 138 km away. feeling betrayed by her absence that night, ahseob's been unconsciously harboring resentment towards jangmi. not to say that he spends every day in haenam brooding, but he's somehow convinced himself that she never really cared about him. she does eventually slip his mind, and once he reaches college, ahseob builds a reputation amongst the ladies for being tall, dark, and handsome - dark referring to the fact that no one can figure him out. yeah, he always seems to have girls all over him, but no one seems to have been taken home by him yet. no one ever sees him in any classes, so is he naturally smart or just failing? are those drinks even affecting him or does drunk ahseob just act the same as sober ahseob? and what's the deal with all those tattoos? after that first one he got of a rose because he lost that bet, he kinda just...went crazy. what was that about?
"let's make him get a rose! like those
hunky, badass motorcyclists."
"hahah yeah!!"
*....*
ULSAN, CIRCA 2016
neither of them expected that they would ever see each other again, especially not here, and not now, but admittedly, they're both feeling very disparate kinds of shock. jangmi is mostly surprised at how different ahseob looks now - a sleeve of tattoos on his (rather muscular...) arm, leather jackets to replace his good ol' flannels, and messily gelled hair that makes him look like he's just showered instead of his usual puppy soft, straight down style. none of this flusters her too much, though, since she stuck with him even through his pubescent middle school days, and ultimately, she's just overjoyed to see him again and have a familiar face here with her. he, on the other hand, is not as excited, having harbored lots of bitterness towards her for the past 5 or so years. it never crosses his mind that it could've all been a misunderstanding, so he does his best to keep his distance from her. this doesn't work out too well, since jangmi finds comfort in his company and always finds a way to hang out with him. of course, it bothers him - he doesn't appreciate the nostalgia she brings him, since those memories have all been tainted with resentment and anger, and he unreasonably takes it out on her.
"seobie, we're finally going to
school together! this is so exciting-"
"don't call me seobie."
unaware of what ahseob's been going through since they've been apart, jangmi doesn't really understand why he's acting so hostile. she tries not to let it get to her, thinking maybe he's...joking? back in gurye, she was always the one who had to initiate, especially as they got older and he became less enthusiastic about...well, life, so she feels like it's really not that different. deep down, though, she knows she's in denial. sometimes ahseob seems like a completely different person from what she remembers, but she doesn't know what to do about it, so she just keeps trying to chip away at the walls even she can tell he's put up. but their lifestyles are so different now that she can't help but start to worry that he's just not the same person anymore, that they won't be able to go back to how they used to be. things escalate when ahseob finally loses his cool. it's neither of their faults, but also both of their faults - ahseob never communicated to jangmi why he had put up such an emotional wall, and jangmi didn't see how the overstimulation of her presence and her constant conversations about gurye were upsetting to him. at his harsh outburst, jangmi is hurt, and she stops clinging to him.
"god, can't you go bother
someone else for once?"
"wha- bother...? i just like talking
about the good memories we had
back in gurye, especially since you're
the only person i know here and-"
"can't you take a hint?! i
obviously don't enjoy talking
about it as much as you do and
it pisses me off having to hear
you yap about it all the time,
so can you just back off?"
in this short time apart, they're both forced to confront their issues. ahseob doesn't feel too bad about yelling at jangmi until later, when he expects to hear her voice and realizes that she really has stopped clinging to him. ironically, it's at this point that he realizes how much he's missed her all these years. buried deep under the bitterness he'd carried with him for so long was the yearning for his best friend back. it wasn't fair for her to be the bearer of all his pent-up anger towards his parents and life in general, especially when she had actually been the only one to bring him joy during those trying times. jangmi, as much as ahseob's words hurt her, realizes that she was also at fault for continuing to pick at a wound that he admittedly hadn't always seemed so enthusiastic about. she'd always kind of known that she could sometimes be a bit much, but this was the first time she had really sat and thought about what that meant. it made her think of all the stories of how her dad had also been just like her, until he met the love of his life and was inspired to change. this then made her think of her relationship with ahseob and what all this thinking meant.
just as distance makes the heart grow fonder, this little fight makes both ahseob and jangmi realize their true feelings for each other. part of them has always known, but they had always been too preoccupied with other things to get it - ahseob with his family (they had unknowingly instilled a fear of relationships in him by always making him feel like he was never enough, as well as not being the best example of a loving couple) and jangmi with her naivety (she never really gave herself enough time to dwell on just how much ahseob meant to her). they both are unfamiliar with all these emotions of shame and affection, so it takes a while for them to figure out how they want to apologize. ahseob is on his way to jangmi's residence hall late one night when she runs into him, holding a fresh batch of chocolate chip scones - his favorite. realizing that they're both on their way to talk to each other, they go on a little walk. they have their first heart-to-heart in years and confess pretty much everything - the way he jumped to conclusions, the way she regretted never reaching out...everything but their feelings for each other. they make up, but aren't yet able to say that they like each other, mostly out of the fear of ruining their current friendship.
"it's...been a while since we've
talked like this. remember...back
in gurye...we'd spend nights at
the park...talking about anything
and everything."
"yeah...i'm sorry i couldn't show up
and give us one more night like that..."
"hah...it's...okay...i shouldn't have
assumed that you...hated my guts..."
"haha...you know, i cried that
night when i came back home."
"you...you cried??? you?? cried??"
ULSAN, CIRCA 2017
things are almost back to normal - 'almost' because now that they're both aware of their feelings for each other, there's a slight tension between them. neither one wants to be the first to admit it and risk ruining their relationship, but they can also both tell that something is brewing. the people around them can tell, too, especially once they start !!!!! growing up!!! ahseob starts making more responsible decisions - like, instead of going drinking the night before his 8am, he goes off to walk jangmi back to her dorm after she finishes work. jangmi becomes less careless - she thinks more about her actions and her words, and while it's not the most explicit change, it's happening. she's learning just what her dad did - that it's worth working towards being the best person you can be if it's for someone you love.
"hey, jangeo...when do you
end work today?"
"today? i end at 11pm!"
"yeah? maybe i'll stop by
when you finish..."
"when i finish?? don't you
have an 8am tomorrow?
you should sleep early!"
"i sleep at like 1 anyways...and
you shouldn't walk alone at night."
"awwwh, you care!"
"yeah, even though i'm pretty
sure no one would want to
kidnap a girl eating a whole
freakin kielbasa sausage
as she walks home."
it's about midway into jangmi's second year when ahseob finally makes a move. all he ended up needing was a little motivation - and that motivation ends up being jealousy. he's been noticing jangmi getting a little friendly with a certain coworker, woohyun, who also happens to be quite the heartthrob, and it definitely rubs him the wrong way. of course, he'll get a little carried away sometimes and jump to conclusions that woohyun is a snake out to break jangmi's heart, but it doesn't help much that that's completely not the case. ahseob finds that it bothers him even more that woohyun isn't sus, because it makes the probability of him winning jangmi over higher. for a while, he just fumes silently, but then woohyun asks jangmi out on a date. he's not asking her to be his girlfriend, but he just wants to take her out for a meal with the intention of getting to know her better and being more clear about his interest in her. jangmi gets done up by soomi, who insists on makeup and at LEAST a floral pattern, and ahseob hates it. he expresses this hatred, but whether he's referring to how she looks or where she's going, he'll never tell.
"you know, soomi's not even that
good at makeup. you look like a
clown. and what's with that shirt?
you realize this is the worst thing
a boy could make you do - change
who you are for him?"
"a clown?! hey, soomi worked
really hard to make me look...well,
like her. i mean, i'm not changing
myself for him, i'm just...dressing
up, i guess. don't people usually
dress up on dates?"
"mm. so you guys are dating now?"
"uh...well, we're...going on a date.
doesn't that...mean we're dating?"
*noises of restrained anger*
as she's out eating pasta with a tall, cute boy, dressed like a woodlands fairy, he sits in his bedroom, getting all worked up by himself, and that's when he makes his decision. he's too close to losing the only person who's stuck with him and accepted him all these years, and he's not about to lose her to some preppy little goody-two-shoes boy! jangmi returns home from the date to see ahseob waiting in front of her apartment complex. he's either nervous...or angry...she can't really tell. maybe a mix of both - he came so fired up to finally tell her how he feels, but now that he sees her in front of him, a slight blush on her cheeks (or is that the makeup?), he's stumbling over his words. but he does it - he tells her how much she means to him. it's not an explicit "i like you", because he wants to let her decide how to interpret this and how to react, but she doesn't get it. she thinks he's just looking out for her! he starts stumbling over his words again because he just can't muster up the courage to say it straight, but finally, he just blurts it out, frustrated at her naivety.
"oh my god, i like you jangmi!
like, i like like you! like, i hate
the thought of you dressing up
for some boy who's not me and
i don't think i'd be able to live
with myself if i was too much of a
wuss to do anything about it, so
if you're gonna reject my feelings,
then just do that because i don't
want to talk about this anymore!"
"...ahahah!! sorry, seob-ie, i kinda
figured out what you were trying
to say a while back, like, after
your second heart attack, but i just
wanted to see you struggle a little..."
"i...what"
"serves you right for all the
struggles you gave me!"
"what...what do you mean?"
"i...like you too, ahseob.
like, i like like you."
they've finally established their feelings for each other and while they haven't explicitly called each other boyfriend and girlfriend yet, everyone knows the nature of their relationship. their interactions don't change much, save for a little awkwardness on their first date, and some newfound communication skills and skinship. ahseob has always felt the most comfortable being himself around jangmi, but once they start dating, jangmi also starts learning how to be more sacrificial and caring and more aware of other people's emotions. just like they always were, these two are there for each other through all the ups and downs, teaching one another new things and helping them grow as people. and it all just feels so right.
TRIVIA:
- his first tattoo was of a rose, thought up by his friends after he lost a bet. of course it reminds him of her, but bitter and unwilling to explain his aversion to the design, he gets it done on his right bicep, then continues to get many more, almost in an act of contempt for the first one, like he's trying to cover it up. he doesn't actually cover it, just adds more to that arm to distract from it. it's now a sleeve in which the rose blends into the design, though that doesn't mean it doesn't distract him.
- he's 182 cm, so...definitely uses her as an armrest.
- so their relationship is basically...they make good-natured fun of each other a lot and have always been rather honest with each other. it's not hard for them to call each other out when one of them is in the wrong, and once they start dating, that means they're very clear in their communication with each other, though it's still hard for them to admit things like jealousy. they don't do a lot of pda, and in the beginning they get very embarrassed over just holding hands, but soon they're very casual about it. he likes puttingher in a chokehold his arm around her neck and keeping her close like that and she likes making him piggy back her on her way back from work. they're a very chill couple, not a burden to have in group environments, and are honestly pretty amusing to watch sometimes because they tend to fight like a married couple (though it's not the toxic kind - they always laugh as they fight and sometimes get carried away and pretend they're like...a rich debutante couple).
- he stops getting drunk once they start dating because she doesn't like taking care of him when he's drunk. they just drink a couple beer cans with their pizza and chicken sometimes. he also stops smoking, which he hadn't been doing that much anyways, because she hates the smell, and he had been wanting to stop.
- his fashion sense is an ambiguous mix of eboy and farmboy...in his attempt to be dark and mysterious, he's purchased a good amount of leather jackets and bombers, but he slowly returns back to his humble beginnings. his real style can be defined by lettermans, boxy outerwear, loose flannels, hoodies, the occasional coat blazer. it's not all that extravagant, but perfect for jangmi to steal.
- he's kind of easy to scare so...of course jangmi has lots of fun with that.
- he came in as an engineering major, but really wants to go into graphic design, and is planning on switching soon.
i know it in my bones"
- kevin oh, stardust
FACE CLAIM: jeon wonwoo seventeen
NICKNAMES:
seob-ie a fond shortening of his full name, used by his community back in jeolla. with the dialect, it sounds more like 'seub', but that's just the charm of his hometown! of course, considering his animosity towards home, he dislikes hearing this name, and actually doesn't hear it after high school, to his relief, until he reunites with jangmi...to his chagrin.
ORIENTATION: heteroual
HOMETOWN: gurye, jeollanamdo
ETHNICITY: full korean
PERSONALITY:
(+) sentimental, observant, thorough, witty
childish, sensitive, cynical, reticent (-)
ahseob is pretty emotional, though that can go both ways. he's a bit sensitive in that he can easily get his feelings hurt and he's pretty quick to assume things, but on the other side of the coin, he's rather sentimental, pretty much meaning he's Soft on the inside and has tender emotions, too, not just anger. people don't really know this about him, though, since he's quite reticent and doesn't like to let on that he's super emotional. this is a habit that's been pruned throughout his life, as he grew up feeling like his parents didn't care about how he felt, and after his tumultuous puberty in which he lashed out at them a lot, he's now mellowed and doesn't want to waste time on emotions that no one seems to be interested in, so he generally just keeps them to himself unless it's to his close friends. those are not many, though, because ahseob's childhood and relationship with his parents have caused him to be quite cynical and moody in regards to his outlook on life. he tends to assume the worst and can be a little childish in the way he jumps to conclusions and reacts rashly based on his assumptions.
if he seems rather testy, it's because he is, but now that he's in college ahseob has mostly stopped being mad at everyone in the world and reserves the bitterness for his parents. to acquaintances, ahseob is aloof and mysterious - he doesn't talk much and though he'll show up to things, like the club or department gatherings, he typically keeps to himself. to his close friends, he likes to be a little sarcastic, secretly caring, and very witty. he's sharp with his words, which explains both why he was always in trouble with his parents but also why he will never lose a verbal battle. unlike his seemingly fiery temperament, ahseob is actually pretty thorough. when he sets his mind to it or if it's something he's really passionate about, he works hard and is attentive. people think he's distant and detached, but he's just being observant. ahseob's the type to watch from a distance, it just becomes a question of whether his observations are accurate.
BACKGROUND:
ahseob, though having been born and raised in the same neighborhood as jangmi, had quite a different childhood than her. his parents were both engineers and they had always had high expectations for their only child. while jangmi's family dynamic was warm and loving, ahseob's was rather distant and unaffectionate. it's not that his parents didn't love him, they just didn't know how to show it and didn't understand that them "wanting the best for him" was actually them being ignorant of his own passions and forcing him into things he didn't want to do, causing a lot of insecurities and bottled-up emotions. it's a very familiar asian household environment, but it takes an even bigger toll on ahseob because he sees other families around him that seem so much happier and unproblematic - like jangmi's. he feels like he has lots of reasons to compare his life with others, and these contrasts very easily make ahseob quite bitter at life for his young age, but he's still a kid and is easily satiated by the company of friends.
things ultimately escalate when his parents decide to move. as well as not creating the best home dynamic for their son, ahseob's parents were not home enough to do so. they were frequently gone on business trips, and it had come to a point where the numerous business trips were taking a toll on their finances. so they decided to just move to where the majority of their work took place - haenam. it was further down, near the coast of jeollanamdo and extremely far from gurye.
of course, this sets off a rollercoaster of emotions inside an already emotional teen, and ahseob distances himself from his parents more than ever, angry that they're the only people he can rely on in this unfamiliar place. while in high school, he makes superficial friends who lead him down a rebellious path, one that might not have come as such a surprise considering all the emotions he'd bottled up for so long. he stays out late, starts drinking a lot, rarely talks to his parents, and even tries drugs a couple times. it's not his thing, but he'll do it from time to time just to appease his peers.
ahseob gets accepted into the university of ulsan - it's not the college of his dreams, but he never really had one of those. he just wanted to get away from home, and now he finally can. he goes through his first year just how any wild child would - going to clubs, ditching classes, drinking the nights away... it's honestly a lot and it's honestly not him. he hates the feeling of being hung over in the morning and he hates all the older girls that try to make moves at him at the club, so soon enough, he wants to get away from school, too. ahseob decides to go on his military leave after his first year at ulsan, and though part of him hopes it will help him mature and whatnot, that part is easily buried away under his more developed emotions of bitterness and anger.
OUR STORY:
GURYE, CIRCA 2002
in a certain tightknit neighborhood in gurye, where residents shared side dishes and held block parties, two houses stood back to back to each other, connected by a vast backyard and divided by a large fence with a decent sized hole in the corner. this hole was where little ahseob and jangmi would crawl through to play with each other almost everyday - building castles in her sandbox, throwing bouncy balls into his kiddie sized basketball hoop. jangmi's rambunctious personality was able to create middle ground between her and the 3 years older, rather reserved, "doesn't speak unless spoken to" ahseob. she had always been the more initiative one, and her ambitious extroverted nature helped ahseob feel comfortable and let loose around her. with his guy friends, ahseob often felt this need to act tough and be someone he wasn't completely. but with jangmi, who was always so unapologetically herself, he had the room to be his true, dorky, emotional self.
"jangmi, where are you going?"
"to play with ahseob! he's in
the sandbox already, bye!"
GURYE, CIRCA 2010
as they grew up, the sandcastles and bouncy balls turned into study sessions at the bakery and full-sized basketball hoops. it was so natural for ahseob and jangmi to hang out as often as they did, but it no doubt made outsiders wonder about the nature of their relationship. they couldn't have given an answer even if they wanted, though, because they never really thought about how they felt about each other. ahseob was too preoccupied with his family problems to think about his feelings for jangmi and she was too inexperienced to do the same. all they knew for sure was that they just really enjoyed each others' company! despite all the changes that came with puberty, their relationship always stayed the same, and they found comfort in knowing that there was someone who would always accept them no matter what.
"the kids at school say i've been
acting different...that i don't hang
out as much and i'm quieter..."
"quieter?? that's not what yesterday's
game of horse said! ha ha...ha...oh,
cheer up seobie! you've always got me!"
but everything changed when ahseob's parents announced the move. devastated, he flies a paper airplane with a written message to meet him at the park nearby onto jangmi's windowsill, wanting to tell her the news in person and also maybe discuss the possibilities of hiding away in her basement until he graduates (he's only half joking)...but she never shows up. he leaves late the next day, bitter at everything - his parents who are ruining his life, his neighborhood that doesn't even try to stop him, and even jangmi, who didn't care enough to show up that night. it's a rash response to the unexpected life transition, but expected of a kid who's been raised playing defense his whole life. jangmi, though, had actually been away at her grandparents that weekend, and only saw the letter once she came back home and he was gone. it's weird - the only other time she's felt sadness like this was when she woke up one dawn to see her mom crying over a picture of her late husband. that morning and the time she watched wolf children were the only times jangmi has really shed genuine tears...but that day, as she reads ahseob's message to meet him at the park and then looks over at his unlit house, she finds her adding another moment to that list.
"oh, jangmi, don't cry..."
"i...didn't even get to say bye..."
GURYE + HAENAM/ULSAN, CIRCA 2015
life goes on, though that means different things for the both of them. jangmi, ever optimistic, doesn't linger on it for long. that doesn't mean she's not sad about it - she misses him a lot, she just sees no reason to stay dejected. they had good times together, and maybe they'll reunite one day! she goes through high school swimmingly, quite oblivious to what ahseob is going through 138 km away. feeling betrayed by her absence that night, ahseob's been unconsciously harboring resentment towards jangmi. not to say that he spends every day in haenam brooding, but he's somehow convinced himself that she never really cared about him. she does eventually slip his mind, and once he reaches college, ahseob builds a reputation amongst the ladies for being tall, dark, and handsome - dark referring to the fact that no one can figure him out. yeah, he always seems to have girls all over him, but no one seems to have been taken home by him yet. no one ever sees him in any classes, so is he naturally smart or just failing? are those drinks even affecting him or does drunk ahseob just act the same as sober ahseob? and what's the deal with all those tattoos? after that first one he got of a rose because he lost that bet, he kinda just...went crazy. what was that about?
"let's make him get a rose! like those
hunky, badass motorcyclists."
"hahah yeah!!"
*....*
ULSAN, CIRCA 2016
neither of them expected that they would ever see each other again, especially not here, and not now, but admittedly, they're both feeling very disparate kinds of shock. jangmi is mostly surprised at how different ahseob looks now - a sleeve of tattoos on his (rather muscular...) arm, leather jackets to replace his good ol' flannels, and messily gelled hair that makes him look like he's just showered instead of his usual puppy soft, straight down style. none of this flusters her too much, though, since she stuck with him even through his pubescent middle school days, and ultimately, she's just overjoyed to see him again and have a familiar face here with her. he, on the other hand, is not as excited, having harbored lots of bitterness towards her for the past 5 or so years. it never crosses his mind that it could've all been a misunderstanding, so he does his best to keep his distance from her. this doesn't work out too well, since jangmi finds comfort in his company and always finds a way to hang out with him. of course, it bothers him - he doesn't appreciate the nostalgia she brings him, since those memories have all been tainted with resentment and anger, and he unreasonably takes it out on her.
"seobie, we're finally going to
school together! this is so exciting-"
"don't call me seobie."
unaware of what ahseob's been going through since they've been apart, jangmi doesn't really understand why he's acting so hostile. she tries not to let it get to her, thinking maybe he's...joking? back in gurye, she was always the one who had to initiate, especially as they got older and he became less enthusiastic about...well, life, so she feels like it's really not that different. deep down, though, she knows she's in denial. sometimes ahseob seems like a completely different person from what she remembers, but she doesn't know what to do about it, so she just keeps trying to chip away at the walls even she can tell he's put up. but their lifestyles are so different now that she can't help but start to worry that he's just not the same person anymore, that they won't be able to go back to how they used to be. things escalate when ahseob finally loses his cool. it's neither of their faults, but also both of their faults - ahseob never communicated to jangmi why he had put up such an emotional wall, and jangmi didn't see how the overstimulation of her presence and her constant conversations about gurye were upsetting to him. at his harsh outburst, jangmi is hurt, and she stops clinging to him.
"god, can't you go bother
someone else for once?"
"wha- bother...? i just like talking
about the good memories we had
back in gurye, especially since you're
the only person i know here and-"
"can't you take a hint?! i
obviously don't enjoy talking
about it as much as you do and
it pisses me off having to hear
you yap about it all the time,
so can you just back off?"
in this short time apart, they're both forced to confront their issues. ahseob doesn't feel too bad about yelling at jangmi until later, when he expects to hear her voice and realizes that she really has stopped clinging to him. ironically, it's at this point that he realizes how much he's missed her all these years. buried deep under the bitterness he'd carried with him for so long was the yearning for his best friend back. it wasn't fair for her to be the bearer of all his pent-up anger towards his parents and life in general, especially when she had actually been the only one to bring him joy during those trying times. jangmi, as much as ahseob's words hurt her, realizes that she was also at fault for continuing to pick at a wound that he admittedly hadn't always seemed so enthusiastic about. she'd always kind of known that she could sometimes be a bit much, but this was the first time she had really sat and thought about what that meant. it made her think of all the stories of how her dad had also been just like her, until he met the love of his life and was inspired to change. this then made her think of her relationship with ahseob and what all this thinking meant.
just as distance makes the heart grow fonder, this little fight makes both ahseob and jangmi realize their true feelings for each other. part of them has always known, but they had always been too preoccupied with other things to get it - ahseob with his family (they had unknowingly instilled a fear of relationships in him by always making him feel like he was never enough, as well as not being the best example of a loving couple) and jangmi with her naivety (she never really gave herself enough time to dwell on just how much ahseob meant to her). they both are unfamiliar with all these emotions of shame and affection, so it takes a while for them to figure out how they want to apologize. ahseob is on his way to jangmi's residence hall late one night when she runs into him, holding a fresh batch of chocolate chip scones - his favorite. realizing that they're both on their way to talk to each other, they go on a little walk. they have their first heart-to-heart in years and confess pretty much everything - the way he jumped to conclusions, the way she regretted never reaching out...everything but their feelings for each other. they make up, but aren't yet able to say that they like each other, mostly out of the fear of ruining their current friendship.
"it's...been a while since we've
talked like this. remember...back
in gurye...we'd spend nights at
the park...talking about anything
and everything."
"yeah...i'm sorry i couldn't show up
and give us one more night like that..."
"hah...it's...okay...i shouldn't have
assumed that you...hated my guts..."
"haha...you know, i cried that
night when i came back home."
"you...you cried??? you?? cried??"
ULSAN, CIRCA 2017
things are almost back to normal - 'almost' because now that they're both aware of their feelings for each other, there's a slight tension between them. neither one wants to be the first to admit it and risk ruining their relationship, but they can also both tell that something is brewing. the people around them can tell, too, especially once they start !!!!! growing up!!! ahseob starts making more responsible decisions - like, instead of going drinking the night before his 8am, he goes off to walk jangmi back to her dorm after she finishes work. jangmi becomes less careless - she thinks more about her actions and her words, and while it's not the most explicit change, it's happening. she's learning just what her dad did - that it's worth working towards being the best person you can be if it's for someone you love.
"hey, jangeo...when do you
end work today?"
"today? i end at 11pm!"
"yeah? maybe i'll stop by
when you finish..."
"when i finish?? don't you
have an 8am tomorrow?
you should sleep early!"
"i sleep at like 1 anyways...and
you shouldn't walk alone at night."
"awwwh, you care!"
"yeah, even though i'm pretty
sure no one would want to
kidnap a girl eating a whole
freakin kielbasa sausage
as she walks home."
it's about midway into jangmi's second year when ahseob finally makes a move. all he ended up needing was a little motivation - and that motivation ends up being jealousy. he's been noticing jangmi getting a little friendly with a certain coworker, woohyun, who also happens to be quite the heartthrob, and it definitely rubs him the wrong way. of course, he'll get a little carried away sometimes and jump to conclusions that woohyun is a snake out to break jangmi's heart, but it doesn't help much that that's completely not the case. ahseob finds that it bothers him even more that woohyun isn't sus, because it makes the probability of him winning jangmi over higher. for a while, he just fumes silently, but then woohyun asks jangmi out on a date. he's not asking her to be his girlfriend, but he just wants to take her out for a meal with the intention of getting to know her better and being more clear about his interest in her. jangmi gets done up by soomi, who insists on makeup and at LEAST a floral pattern, and ahseob hates it. he expresses this hatred, but whether he's referring to how she looks or where she's going, he'll never tell.
"you know, soomi's not even that
good at makeup. you look like a
clown. and what's with that shirt?
you realize this is the worst thing
a boy could make you do - change
who you are for him?"
"a clown?! hey, soomi worked
really hard to make me look...well,
like her. i mean, i'm not changing
myself for him, i'm just...dressing
up, i guess. don't people usually
dress up on dates?"
"mm. so you guys are dating now?"
"uh...well, we're...going on a date.
doesn't that...mean we're dating?"
*noises of restrained anger*
as she's out eating pasta with a tall, cute boy, dressed like a woodlands fairy, he sits in his bedroom, getting all worked up by himself, and that's when he makes his decision. he's too close to losing the only person who's stuck with him and accepted him all these years, and he's not about to lose her to some preppy little goody-two-shoes boy! jangmi returns home from the date to see ahseob waiting in front of her apartment complex. he's either nervous...or angry...she can't really tell. maybe a mix of both - he came so fired up to finally tell her how he feels, but now that he sees her in front of him, a slight blush on her cheeks (or is that the makeup?), he's stumbling over his words. but he does it - he tells her how much she means to him. it's not an explicit "i like you", because he wants to let her decide how to interpret this and how to react, but she doesn't get it. she thinks he's just looking out for her! he starts stumbling over his words again because he just can't muster up the courage to say it straight, but finally, he just blurts it out, frustrated at her naivety.
"oh my god, i like you jangmi!
like, i like like you! like, i hate
the thought of you dressing up
for some boy who's not me and
i don't think i'd be able to live
with myself if i was too much of a
wuss to do anything about it, so
if you're gonna reject my feelings,
then just do that because i don't
want to talk about this anymore!"
"...ahahah!! sorry, seob-ie, i kinda
figured out what you were trying
to say a while back, like, after
your second heart attack, but i just
wanted to see you struggle a little..."
"i...what"
"serves you right for all the
struggles you gave me!"
"what...what do you mean?"
"i...like you too, ahseob.
like, i like like you."
they've finally established their feelings for each other and while they haven't explicitly called each other boyfriend and girlfriend yet, everyone knows the nature of their relationship. their interactions don't change much, save for a little awkwardness on their first date, and some newfound communication skills and skinship. ahseob has always felt the most comfortable being himself around jangmi, but once they start dating, jangmi also starts learning how to be more sacrificial and caring and more aware of other people's emotions. just like they always were, these two are there for each other through all the ups and downs, teaching one another new things and helping them grow as people. and it all just feels so right.
TRIVIA:
- his first tattoo was of a rose, thought up by his friends after he lost a bet. of course it reminds him of her, but bitter and unwilling to explain his aversion to the design, he gets it done on his right bicep, then continues to get many more, almost in an act of contempt for the first one, like he's trying to cover it up. he doesn't actually cover it, just adds more to that arm to distract from it. it's now a sleeve in which the rose blends into the design, though that doesn't mean it doesn't distract him.
- he's 182 cm, so...definitely uses her as an armrest.
- so their relationship is basically...they make good-natured fun of each other a lot and have always been rather honest with each other. it's not hard for them to call each other out when one of them is in the wrong, and once they start dating, that means they're very clear in their communication with each other, though it's still hard for them to admit things like jealousy. they don't do a lot of pda, and in the beginning they get very embarrassed over just holding hands, but soon they're very casual about it. he likes putting
- he stops getting drunk once they start dating because she doesn't like taking care of him when he's drunk. they just drink a couple beer cans with their pizza and chicken sometimes. he also stops smoking, which he hadn't been doing that much anyways, because she hates the smell, and he had been wanting to stop.
- his fashion sense is an ambiguous mix of eboy and farmboy...in his attempt to be dark and mysterious, he's purchased a good amount of leather jackets and bombers, but he slowly returns back to his humble beginnings. his real style can be defined by lettermans, boxy outerwear, loose flannels, hoodies, the occasional coat blazer. it's not all that extravagant, but perfect for jangmi to steal.
- he's kind of easy to scare so...of course jangmi has lots of fun with that.
- he came in as an engineering major, but really wants to go into graphic design, and is planning on switching soon.
#lovestory
jang mi
moongkeul , moon , 85%
first look !
face claim: elly weki meki
nicknames:
jangmi not really a nickname, since it's just her full name, but everyone calls her this because saying just her first name, mi, doesn't roll off the tongue as easily. many people who meet her for the first time think 'jangmi' is her first name, but she has to explain to them that it's not.
jangeo translating to eel, this nickname has virtually nothing to do with the sea creature. it was curated by jangmi's classmates back in gurye based on the way substitutes and new teachers would always hesitate upon seeing her name on roll call. "jang- uh...jang..mi?" despite the slimy connotation, it's used affectionately by jangmi's lively classmates, with, of course, the heavy jeolla satoori. "jang-eu-yah!! be safe on the way to ulsan!!"
jangmi not really a nickname, since it's just her full name, but everyone calls her this because saying just her first name, mi, doesn't roll off the tongue as easily. many people who meet her for the first time think 'jangmi' is her first name, but she has to explain to them that it's not.
jangeo translating to eel, this nickname has virtually nothing to do with the sea creature. it was curated by jangmi's classmates back in gurye based on the way substitutes and new teachers would always hesitate upon seeing her name on roll call. "jang- uh...jang..mi?" despite the slimy connotation, it's used affectionately by jangmi's lively classmates, with, of course, the heavy jeolla satoori. "jang-eu-yah!! be safe on the way to ulsan!!"
languages:
korean spoken with her signature jeolla-do dialect. as this is her mothertongue, she is completely fluent. once she starts attending university, she will very slowly start learning seoul speak out of curiosity. it's just because she thinks it's fun, not necessarily to cater to her peers. but she still primarily speaks in her jeolla dialect, though it becomes less intense when she starts working part-time jobs and interacting with more people.
english learned begrudgingly throughout high school (and probably a little more in college), jangmi is not at all confident in her english skills. well, if anything, she's confident that she's horrible. she has a very heavy accent when speaking and her vocabulary finds it's extent at "i'm fine thank you". she likes to say random words that she's currently learning if she thinks it's relevant to what's going on - this still doesn't mean much, basically just "oh amajing!" "me...hungeury!"
korean spoken with her signature jeolla-do dialect. as this is her mothertongue, she is completely fluent. once she starts attending university, she will very slowly start learning seoul speak out of curiosity. it's just because she thinks it's fun, not necessarily to cater to her peers. but she still primarily speaks in her jeolla dialect, though it becomes less intense when she starts working part-time jobs and interacting with more people.
english learned begrudgingly throughout high school (and probably a little more in college), jangmi is not at all confident in her english skills. well, if anything, she's confident that she's horrible. she has a very heavy accent when speaking and her vocabulary finds it's extent at "i'm fine thank you". she likes to say random words that she's currently learning if she thinks it's relevant to what's going on - this still doesn't mean much, basically just "oh amajing!" "me...hungeury!"
appearance: she stands at 162 cm and weighs 47 kg, with bright, almond-shaped eyes and wavy, black hair down to her chest. a wide gummy smile and cheeks plump with baby fat (and her love for bread) call for many descriptions of 'cute' and 'smol'. she's been blessed with annoyingly perfect skin and nicely shaped eyebrows and has never seen a need for makeup - as well as having no idea how to do it.
style: jangmi dresses just as you would expect your typical country bumpkin to - baggy mom jeans, checkered flannels, knitted vests, the occasional overall. she doesn't really have a fashion sense, and that doesn't really change once she goes to ulsan. it's not even that she's actively making the decision to choose comfort over aesthetic, she just doesn't really know about fashion. jangmi pretty much just wears clothes so she's not .
life in ulsan !
year: first year
major: business administration
clubs: jangmi tries out a number of different clubs in her time at ulsan. she flits around, dipping her feet in anything that seems fun, from gardening to gaming. she's only in each club for about one or two meetings, not really planning on joining anything for real, though there are some that she might return to more than once. she frequents the baking club the most, then knitting, then gardening. they're all very lax and not member-intensive, so she doesn't feel bad about rarely showing up. in each one, her presence is known, no matter how little she's shown up, and her dorm room is filled with little souvenirs from many of these clubs - a little succulent from gardening, a sticker from that e-sports tournament she went to (and failed after one round), and a flyer from the first meeting of that debate club that was too intense for her.
college life:
jangmi's classes typically range from around 0900-1300, with the occasional 8am or 2pm lecture. she's fine with waking up early since she's done so a lot for the bakery, and she's usually pretty high energy, so it's no problem for her. it's honestly pretty amazing how she can stay awake for 20 hours straight and always be at the same tension level. she'll go to class, then it's either off to work or somewhere to study. she's rarely in the library, just because it's too quiet for her - she can't study with all that silence. she likes going to cafes with soomi or anyone else she encounters along the way. contrary to what people may think, jangmi's a good student - she never procrastinates and is good at managing her time, but it's not really due to effort. these things just come naturally to her. so while she works hard, she's not necessarily...a hard worker. but she gets things done, and that's all that matters.
her weekends and nights are spent doing a variety of activities - going on late night convenience store runs with soomi, trying out recipes in the (dissapointingly low quality) dorm kitchen, watching movies under her avocado-printed bedsheets. nari, her roommate, is often out at clubs or frat parties, and she'll occasionally get an invite, but after about 2, jangmi decided it wasn't her scene. fun with alcohol for her means chicken and beer, not hangovers in the morning. as she expressed in her interview, jangmi's just here to have fun, and for her, that means rather wholesome things.
jangmi's always with someone. it doesn't really matter who, she's just always around people! as an extrovert, she feeds off people's energy, so the more the merrier. but she enjoys one-on-ones, too, since she can pay more attention to the person. she hangs out with soomi the most, and then ahseob, and then (by a long gap) nari, and then it varies with people in her major or that she's met at clubs.
jangmi's classes typically range from around 0900-1300, with the occasional 8am or 2pm lecture. she's fine with waking up early since she's done so a lot for the bakery, and she's usually pretty high energy, so it's no problem for her. it's honestly pretty amazing how she can stay awake for 20 hours straight and always be at the same tension level. she'll go to class, then it's either off to work or somewhere to study. she's rarely in the library, just because it's too quiet for her - she can't study with all that silence. she likes going to cafes with soomi or anyone else she encounters along the way. contrary to what people may think, jangmi's a good student - she never procrastinates and is good at managing her time, but it's not really due to effort. these things just come naturally to her. so while she works hard, she's not necessarily...a hard worker. but she gets things done, and that's all that matters.
her weekends and nights are spent doing a variety of activities - going on late night convenience store runs with soomi, trying out recipes in the (dissapointingly low quality) dorm kitchen, watching movies under her avocado-printed bedsheets. nari, her roommate, is often out at clubs or frat parties, and she'll occasionally get an invite, but after about 2, jangmi decided it wasn't her scene. fun with alcohol for her means chicken and beer, not hangovers in the morning. as she expressed in her interview, jangmi's just here to have fun, and for her, that means rather wholesome things.
jangmi's always with someone. it doesn't really matter who, she's just always around people! as an extrovert, she feeds off people's energy, so the more the merrier. but she enjoys one-on-ones, too, since she can pay more attention to the person. she hangs out with soomi the most, and then ahseob, and then (by a long gap) nari, and then it varies with people in her major or that she's met at clubs.
full name
jang mi 장미
dob + age
05.27.1997 + 18
hometown
jeollanamdo
ethnicity
full korean
orientation
heteroual
password
type b
about time
hoppipolla
jang sojung
mother, 47 y/o.
jangmi's not ashamed to say that her best friend is her mom. sojung is an extremely loving person, which can explain jangmi's loyalty and care for her friends, but sojung's affection is more gentle. she's way more soft-spoken compared to her daughter and late husband, but she's a strong woman who knows what she wants and will stand up for what she believes in. she knows jangmi even better than jangmi knows herself, which means she can always tell when something is bothering her and she always gently encourages jangmi to talk about it and externally process, many times with jangmi not even realizing she needed to talk about this! she's honestly a really great mom - always rather levelheaded and always wise - a great mediator for her high-energy daughter. it makes sense, since she technically tamed jangmi 1.0 (her husband), and she's known in their neighborhood for being the "nice bbangjip lady". ahseob always loved her, too. she showed him the motherly affection he never got from his own mom - telling him to eat more, giving him advice, congratulating him on test grades, etc. but as much as he might think he wants her as his mom, he starts to think he'd like her better as his mother-in-law (!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAH)
jangmi's not ashamed to say that her best friend is her mom. sojung is an extremely loving person, which can explain jangmi's loyalty and care for her friends, but sojung's affection is more gentle. she's way more soft-spoken compared to her daughter and late husband, but she's a strong woman who knows what she wants and will stand up for what she believes in. she knows jangmi even better than jangmi knows herself, which means she can always tell when something is bothering her and she always gently encourages jangmi to talk about it and externally process, many times with jangmi not even realizing she needed to talk about this! she's honestly a really great mom - always rather levelheaded and always wise - a great mediator for her high-energy daughter. it makes sense, since she technically tamed jangmi 1.0 (her husband), and she's known in their neighborhood for being the "nice bbangjip lady". ahseob always loved her, too. she showed him the motherly affection he never got from his own mom - telling him to eat more, giving him advice, congratulating him on test grades, etc. but as much as he might think he wants her as his mom, he starts to think he'd like her better as his mother-in-law (!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAH)
kwon soomi
good friend, 18 y/o.
soomi is also a business admin major, so jangmi finds that they're in a lot of the same classes. after sitting next to each other in one and exchanging numbers, they go on to become each others' best friends in college. they're both high tension balls of energy, so they click right away. soomi is from busan, so jangmi finds comfort in hearing dialect away from home, even if it's not hers. they have similar humor codes and are both not into the partying scene, so they very naturally become close friends and spend a lot of their time together eating food and studying for their classes, and even go on to become roommates after their first year. soomi is a little 'cuter' than jangmi - she likes wearing makeup and puts more effort into her outfits and has that natural aegyo charm to her that's not overbearing, so a lot of guys like her, but she's yet to find one that has caught her eye. in some ways, they're very similar, but in others, the two are very different. ultimately, it's a good balance!
soomi is also a business admin major, so jangmi finds that they're in a lot of the same classes. after sitting next to each other in one and exchanging numbers, they go on to become each others' best friends in college. they're both high tension balls of energy, so they click right away. soomi is from busan, so jangmi finds comfort in hearing dialect away from home, even if it's not hers. they have similar humor codes and are both not into the partying scene, so they very naturally become close friends and spend a lot of their time together eating food and studying for their classes, and even go on to become roommates after their first year. soomi is a little 'cuter' than jangmi - she likes wearing makeup and puts more effort into her outfits and has that natural aegyo charm to her that's not overbearing, so a lot of guys like her, but she's yet to find one that has caught her eye. in some ways, they're very similar, but in others, the two are very different. ultimately, it's a good balance!
joo nari
roommate, 18 y/o.
nari is a stark contrast to jangmi. her side of the room is decorated with fairy lights, polaroids of friends, wall hooks to hold her sunglass collection, etc. she wakes up two hours earlier to do her makeup and choose her outfit and despises being seen in anything checkered. she's a little stuck-up and shallow, but deep deep down, she's a softie. though she frequently comments distastefully on jangmi's appearance and lifestyle, she grows fonder of her random roommate as time passes. jangmi's genuineness gets to her, and she starts reciprocating the care and affection, albeit in a very tsundere way. to be clear, she never actually hated jangmi, they just had nothing in common. and while they they don't ever find that they have similar interests, they just help each other understand that there are different people in the world than them! they learn to coexist with each other in peace and then even start to enjoy each other's company! nari starts suggesting they do things together, all in the name of "helping a gal out". she invites her to parties (which jangmi starts declining as time passes), she lets her wear some of her cute blouses, she suggests a cute themed sleepover night where she wears a flannel set - for the first time in her life! she also insists on doing jangmi's makeup and outfit coordi for her first date with ahseob. though they do not remain roommates after their first year, they still keep in touch here and there - hanging out very occasionally and seeing each other in many of the same classes (insp by judy asmr's mean friend rps lol).
nari is a stark contrast to jangmi. her side of the room is decorated with fairy lights, polaroids of friends, wall hooks to hold her sunglass collection, etc. she wakes up two hours earlier to do her makeup and choose her outfit and despises being seen in anything checkered. she's a little stuck-up and shallow, but deep deep down, she's a softie. though she frequently comments distastefully on jangmi's appearance and lifestyle, she grows fonder of her random roommate as time passes. jangmi's genuineness gets to her, and she starts reciprocating the care and affection, albeit in a very tsundere way. to be clear, she never actually hated jangmi, they just had nothing in common. and while they they don't ever find that they have similar interests, they just help each other understand that there are different people in the world than them! they learn to coexist with each other in peace and then even start to enjoy each other's company! nari starts suggesting they do things together, all in the name of "helping a gal out". she invites her to parties (which jangmi starts declining as time passes), she lets her wear some of her cute blouses, she suggests a cute themed sleepover night where she wears a flannel set - for the first time in her life! she also insists on doing jangmi's makeup and outfit coordi for her first date with ahseob. though they do not remain roommates after their first year, they still keep in touch here and there - hanging out very occasionally and seeing each other in many of the same classes (insp by judy asmr's mean friend rps lol).
woo hyuncha
friend/love rival??, 19 y/o.
jangmi and hyuncha meet at aurora in the beginning of her second year. he introduces himself as woohyun, a nickname that's pretty much his actual name at this point, but she decides to call him hyunwoo because it rolls better with her satoori. he's been working there since his freshman year and is in charge of training jangmi when she first comes. he's the ideal boy next door type that all the moms want as their son-in-law - nice, caring, funny, friendly. him and jangmi get along very well right off the bat and he's probably her closest friend in ulsan after soomi and ahseob. they're only friends for one year, though, because he decides to go to the military after his second year. not before shaking up her world a lil though! woohyun has a good amount of girls with crushes on him, but he's kindly rejected all of them because they just weren't his type. honestly, he's not entirely sure if jangmi is even his type, but he's for sure interested in her. she makes work so fun and he loves seeing her interact with the customers and really just enjoy work, unlike many of his other less than enthusiastic co-workers. they always have fun on their shifts together and hang out a couple times outside of work - grabbing quick meals and running small errands. their relationship is very wholesome and affectionate - he's naturally a pretty touchy guy, so there's a lot of side hugs and hair ruffles (which ahseob uh Hates), and their teamwork becomes quite fine-tuned after numerous shifts together. rumors start to float around because he hasn't really hung out with a girl like this before, just the two of them, but jangmi is pretty oblivious to them. she really just likes hyunwoo as a friend, and it's not like he has those intentions for sure, he just wants to get to know her more for now, and maybe see where things can go in the future? though things escalate a little at one point (read more in love interest section!), they ultimately patter off once he goes to the military. they go on that one date, which is fun, but jangmi doesn't think she reciprocates the same interest. woohyun is super chill about it though, not having been too invested in the first place. it had just been a scintilla, and now he knows it probably won't go anywhere, and that's ok! they're still good friends. but though they don't leave off on any bad notes, they don't really get to see each other again, since his return is timed weirdly with her last year of college. but he remains a good friend in her heart!
jangmi and hyuncha meet at aurora in the beginning of her second year. he introduces himself as woohyun, a nickname that's pretty much his actual name at this point, but she decides to call him hyunwoo because it rolls better with her satoori. he's been working there since his freshman year and is in charge of training jangmi when she first comes. he's the ideal boy next door type that all the moms want as their son-in-law - nice, caring, funny, friendly. him and jangmi get along very well right off the bat and he's probably her closest friend in ulsan after soomi and ahseob. they're only friends for one year, though, because he decides to go to the military after his second year. not before shaking up her world a lil though! woohyun has a good amount of girls with crushes on him, but he's kindly rejected all of them because they just weren't his type. honestly, he's not entirely sure if jangmi is even his type, but he's for sure interested in her. she makes work so fun and he loves seeing her interact with the customers and really just enjoy work, unlike many of his other less than enthusiastic co-workers. they always have fun on their shifts together and hang out a couple times outside of work - grabbing quick meals and running small errands. their relationship is very wholesome and affectionate - he's naturally a pretty touchy guy, so there's a lot of side hugs and hair ruffles (which ahseob uh Hates), and their teamwork becomes quite fine-tuned after numerous shifts together. rumors start to float around because he hasn't really hung out with a girl like this before, just the two of them, but jangmi is pretty oblivious to them. she really just likes hyunwoo as a friend, and it's not like he has those intentions for sure, he just wants to get to know her more for now, and maybe see where things can go in the future? though things escalate a little at one point (read more in love interest section!), they ultimately patter off once he goes to the military. they go on that one date, which is fun, but jangmi doesn't think she reciprocates the same interest. woohyun is super chill about it though, not having been too invested in the first place. it had just been a scintilla, and now he knows it probably won't go anywhere, and that's ok! they're still good friends. but though they don't leave off on any bad notes, they don't really get to see each other again, since his return is timed weirdly with her last year of college. but he remains a good friend in her heart!
others
uni students, various.
i wanted to do collabs, but it's a little late for that, but i think jangmi would generally get along with everyone! of course, for some people she may be a little too enthusiastic at times, and to others, she might seem a little ditzy, but it kind of takes a while to see that she's so much more than that. she's a very friendly person, though, so unless the other side has a stick up their , they'd probably have no real problem with jangmi. many people's first impression of her is that she's "kinda loud, but she seems nice!"
i wanted to do collabs, but it's a little late for that, but i think jangmi would generally get along with everyone! of course, for some people she may be a little too enthusiastic at times, and to others, she might seem a little ditzy, but it kind of takes a while to see that she's so much more than that. she's a very friendly person, though, so unless the other side has a stick up their , they'd probably have no real problem with jangmi. many people's first impression of her is that she's "kinda loud, but she seems nice!"
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