#han river

[namnamustuff]

[weepingwidar]

Minyoung Choi (Korean, 1989) - Han River Bathers (2024)

[enablesomething]

Summering of the Great Cormorants

[koer99]

Dear Past Self, (Part Two)

Read for Part One

Read for Part Three Warnings: mentions of ableism in flashbacks, swearing silently, bullying A/N: I was not expecting to get so many likes overnight and a few comments about a part two. Due to popular demand, this fic will be three or four parts long. I appreciate any feedback, comments, or reposts. Thank you!

***********************

Juhoon texts Y/N all night until she falls asleep about everything and anything that is not related to her friendship with James. He makes sure she has plenty of food to eat, a subway card, and a safe place to stay for the night. In addition to these simple acts of kindness, he sends her the members' names in case she ever runs into them.

He listens to her cry in a voice note about James, about how he once stepped in when girls on their swim team mocked her hearing aids and treated her like she was less than they were. She talks through tears about how they made her feel singled out, as if she didn’t belong just because she needed things repeated or extra time during lessons and exams.

She remembers James telling her she wasn’t “broken,” that her hearing didn’t make her lesser than anyone else—just different—and that he was the only one who seemed to understand that without turning it into something cruel. Juhoon is still on the phone listening with his AirPods in. 

Her voice cracks as she recalls the first time she felt truly shut out by someone she trusted: a boy who took her on a date to a movie with no captions, even though he had seen her hearing aids every day at school. He knew she needed accommodations, knew she wouldn’t catch everything without them, and still never thought to ask the movie theatre staff about captions. She thought he was her friend.

The following morning after her arrival, he calls her, and she picks up after putting in her hearing aids and connecting them via Bluetooth.

“Y/N, do you want to join me for breakfast?” Juhoon asks softly. “The others are still asleep, and I could really use some convenience store comfort food. Does 7-Eleven sound good?”

He keeps his voice low as he stands just outside the CORTIS dorm, careful not to wake anyone inside. The early morning air is quiet, with only the occasional passing car breaking the silence.

Martin is already at the studio, buried in work before sunrise. Juhoon, on the other hand, barely sleeps. Every time he closes his eyes, he keeps thinking about how hurt Y/N looked the night before. The guilt sits heavily in his chest, refusing to let him rest. By morning, he decides that sitting around feeling bad won't fix anything. The least he can do is make sure she eats breakfast and knows that someone notices how she's feeling

“Yeah, that sounds great. I don’t want to pay for hotel breakfast,” Y/N says, smiling wider than she did the other day.

“Breakfast is on me. Don’t worry about paying me back,” Juhoon says softly. He hesitates because he wants to stay on the call, but he knows he has to get ready.

“I’m going to figure out how this shower works. It’s different from the university dorm showers. Give me an hour,” Y/N mumbles, and she hears Juhoon chuckle.

“I’ll send you basic directions. See you at the 7-Eleven near the Han River in an hour, ’kay?” Juhoon replies quickly as he hears Martin’s heavy footsteps coming down the hall, as if he forgot something.

Y/N silently nods and hangs up first since it takes her longer to get ready. She smiles to herself a second time, knowing that she won’t be alone for the day. 

-

While waiting for Juhoon to arrive at the 7-Eleven, Y/N can't stop checking her phone, hoping James finally sends a text, or a sign he’s still alive. Every time the screen lights up, her heart skips for a second before sinking again. She isn't waiting for an idol to call her. She's waiting for her James. The boy who used to sit beside her in class and happily shares his notes whenever she misses something because of her hearing loss. The boy who steps between her and the kids who tease her for asking people to repeat themselves or for accidentally bumping into someone in the crowded hallways. The boy who hooks his pinky around hers and promises he'll always be there because he knows her parents are emotionally immature and leave her to figure out life on her own. She just wants to know if James is still there.

She remembers how James used to do everything with her. They raced their bicycles, watched anime together, spent evenings listening to live music in the park, and started ridiculous food fights late at night. He called her Y/N/N too during these fun moments, and it's the only nickname anyone ever gives her.

“You okay, Y/N? I’m a good listener if you want to talk about it?” You look up from the phone and see Juhoon wearing a graphic tee and comfy, sagged jeans. 

“Hmmm.” You say, knowing that you don’t have an answer for him. 

Juhoon doesn’t bother to say anything more and grabs a basket from the entrance of the convenience store. He knows what’s on your mind or who is on your mind. But he also knows that the wound is still there from yesterday, so he decides not to push it. 

He grabs two of everything he likes and lets Y/N wander around the store like a curious puppy.

“Let’s go sit by the Han River. The weather is nice. I know a spot away from people. It's almost sunrise so we can hopefully be there alone together,” He says to break the silence between them while she watches him pay, even though you so desperately want to pay him back for his kindness. 

You watch a bird fly by as you sit down on a bench that Juhoon points to. It is a nice, tiny space away from the people jogging by the river. There is a singular flower growing by the handle of the bench. It is delicate and beautiful like you.

Juhoon can sense Y/N’s quietness, so he doesn’t say anything at all; instead, he hands you half of a triangle kimbap and a tiny carton of banana milk.

The silence is noticeable but not for long since it’s early in the morning, a time when birds start chirping and people start biking or jogging to places. Juhoon sits about 5 inches away from you and shares half his egg sandwich with you. 

You bite into your egg sandwich and hesitate for a moment before a thought comes to your mind: “James taught me how to make eggs when we were 14 years old. I still remember being so aggravated because I couldn’t crack an egg with one hand as he did. I cried that day because James taught me something that my mom should have taught me.” 

“Does he cook for the members?” You bite your lip, trying not to cry about the memory.

You aren’t sure if you're mad at James for the way he acted the other day or happy that he has a place to call home with his brothers. A place without you and your hearing aids. 

Juhoon can sense the bitterness and hurt in your voice. He doesn’t want to reply, but he does because he feels like he has to. “Maybe once a month, nothing special like eggs. It’s mostly ramen and microwaveable food to be safe in the dorms.”

The silence begins again. It’s not that you don’t have anything to say; it’s the fact that all you have to say are memories of you and James. That was barely two years ago; it feels like a few months ago to you. 

No one says anything for a good 10 minutes until Juhoon unwraps a strawberry breakfast cake and hands you the slice. He isn’t sure if you like sweets. It’s worth a try since he’s never been in a situation like this before. 

You nibble at it and eventually wrap the rest up for later. Inadvertently, you lean your head on his shoulder since you didn’t get much sleep yesterday. Not from jet lag, but from the pain of knowing that your best friend didn’t care for you anymore. 

-

Keonho is in the studio writing or scribbling what he thinks are song lyrics for a song that will be the track following “YCC”. He doesn't even know what he’s writing yet. Martin is on his laptop with his headphones on, listening to a few potential tracks. The CORTIS studio is full of concentration until James bursts into the room, interrupting the peace. 

“Jju didn’t show up to dance practice for “YCC”. Do any of you know where he is?” James exclaims with a serious expression, which means business. 

“I thought he rode in the car with you and Sean this morning?” Koenho says from the couch where he’s still trying to come up with a song lyric.

“Sean said he wasn’t in his bed, though. Our manager said Juhoon was out this morning. Do any of you know where he is? I have a new idea for choreography,” James stayed by the studio door, demanding and eager to start practice. 

To be honest, the only thing that was on his mind was the second album’s due date. He had totally forgotten to treat his bestie, who was hearing impaired, to dinner last night. All that was on his mind was success and creativity. 

“I dunno. Why don't you text him, hyung?” Martin said while going back to the track he was listening to in his headphones. 

“I did. Sean did too. He’s not picking up his phone. You know the dorm rules. No going out without telling another person…” James says, about to get even more serious, when all of a sudden Juhoon runs into the studio out of breath, almost falling onto Martin’s desk and knocking him over. 

“I… am…here, hyung. Sorry, I am late. What are we working on?,” Juhoon says out of breath while holding onto Martin’s chair for stability.

“What are we working on? We’re working on the second album. Didn’t you hear the manager say that it got moved from June to May yesterday? Are you deaf or something?” James bursts out all of a sudden.

Keonho and Martin stop what they are doing. They are speechless and also worried that someone on this floor of HYBE will hear them.

“It’s not funny to joke about hearing loss or deafness, hyung,” Juhoon says, voice tight with something sharper than usual restraint. “You of all people should know that.”

His hands curl into fists at his sides as he keeps going, words spilling out before he can stop them.

“For your information, I heard what the manager said yesterday. About the deadline being moved. I didn’t spiral. I didn’t act like a jerk like you did.” His jaw tenses. “I stayed calm.”

He lets out a short, bitter breath.

“And if you really want to know where I was this morning, since you were too busy assuming the worst—I was with your best friend. The one you completely shut out yesterday. The one you acted like you didn’t even want to hear about after her awful flight from Taiwan.”

His eyes finally lift, anger no longer hidden.

“I’m going to the practice room. I’m working on choreography. Again. I’m sorry I was late because I was with her….because I had to leave in a rush to get back to work that actually matters to me.”

A beat.

“To people I actually care about,” he adds, quieter now, but it hits harder than the shouting.

“Clock it,” Keonho said while giggling at his team members who were acting like they were in puberty and in a fight about a girl. Well, they kinda were. 

James swore under his breath after realizing his mistake or mistakes. He had been a prick to his best friend, the person who encouraged him to stay at HYBE and train until he debuted. The person who would bring him food during their study sessions after school. The person who heard him and saw how passionate he was about music before anyone else did. The person who wore hearing aids so that she could hear him yell during roller hockey when he scored a goal, even though the loud noise bothered her ears at his competitions. The person who was proud of him when he moved to Korea to live out his dreams. 

The person he is in love with and never gets the chance to tell, since his life speeds up so fast while she stays in school moving at her own pace, at her own hearing level, with her hearing aids.

-

Everywhere you walk, there is a reminder of James. That time you ate ramen from Lawson’s together after you failed a hearing test, and he paid because your hearing aids weren’t ready for a fitting yet and you couldn’t afford a special treat. And that time when you two went thrifting together so you could take funny selfies without making a purchase. Or that time when you were left out of a girl’s mall trip with friends because they thought it was too loud in the mall for you, so instead James tagged along to help you pick out makeup, jewelry, and perfume when your mom was at work. You were too young to know it at the time, but James had saved up his chore money to buy that perfume for you, since he knew you relied more on your other senses besides hearing. You were only 16 at the time and could only afford a cheap, small perfume bottle.

You see his photos on billboards or at the mall, and it opens up a wound in your heart. He is everywhere. CORTIS was everywhere. You even spot a CORTIS ball and buy it and name it James, just as a little keepsake of your time in Korea, you say to yourself. 

While still thinking about James, you walk into a store and bump straight into a young woman wearing a pastel shirt with Korean words you don’t recognize on it: “Hi, can I help you find anything?” with a strong Korean dialect. 

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. I have hearing aids. What did you say?” You blush, feeling embarrassed, and step back so that you can try your best to read their lips, even though reading lips was not your best skill. 

“Can I help you find anything?” The young lady happily repeated. 

For a moment, you pause to think about what you wanted to get as a souvenir from Korea. Your mind had been focused on how James had practically ignored you the other day, making you forget about everything else.

“Do you have any journals with pandas on them? I’m majoring in Creative Writing,” You reply, even though you're specifically looking for a red panda journal. 

One of James’ favorite animals. 

After purchasing a journal that has a red panda on the cover and gold embellishments, you sit down inside a very pink and pastel decorated Hello Kitty cafe to write in your new notebook. On instinct, you play CORTIS' first EP through your Bluetooth hearing aids. And as a special treat to yourself, you order a Kuromi character cupcake because it reminds you of James, and get an Americano just because. Once you take a bite of the overly sweetened cupcake, you open the journal and start writing. 

Dear Past Self,  -When you get older, you’ll find the people who care about you. Just not as quick as James did :(  -When you get older, you won’t have a best friend. 

-When you get older, feelings become even more complicated to understand.  -When you get older, you don’t have to tell people you have hearing loss unless you feel that you need to. -When you get older, you will be lonelier. -When you get older, you might never find love, and that’s okay. Love yourself first. -When you get older, James might not be your friend anymore. Sincerely, Future Me 

[miyrumiyru]

Puffy grebe asses

[dark-rob]

[littlemoasoobin]

A summer to remember

pairing: yeonjun x gn!reader

genre: pure fluff, friends to lovers, summer romance

-------------

Hot July afternoons by the Han River are usually reserved for strawberry ice cream. But a chance encounter with Yeonjun changes everything, proving that some summer days are destined to be unforgettable. a/n: just a soft, summery little fic because I can't get this scenario out of my head. I hope this brings a little warmth to your dashboard! Likes and reblogs are deeply appreciated. ✨

-------------

Summer had always been my favourite season.

Not because of the heat—I could complain about that for hours—but because everything else seemed to come alive. The streets of Seoul buzzed with laughter, cafés filled their terraces with people enjoying the sunshine, music drifted through open shop doors, and the Han River sparkled beneath the afternoon sun.

There was something about summer that made every ordinary day feel like it could become unforgettable.

And if there was one thing I couldn't resist during the hottest months of the year... It was strawberry ice cream. No matter where I went, I always ended up buying one.

Maybe that was why, on one of the hottest afternoons of July, I found myself standing in front of my favourite little ice cream stand near the Han River.

"One strawberry cone, please."

As I reached into my bag for my wallet, another hand landed on the counter before mine.

"I'll pay."

Confused, I looked up.

"...Yeonjun?"

He lowered the sunglasses resting on his nose and flashed me a mischievous grin.

"I knew it."

I blinked.

"...Knew what?"

"You'd order strawberry."

I frowned.

"And how exactly did you know that?"

"You've ordered strawberry every single time we've gone out with our friends."

"I have not."

"You have."

"I would've remembered."

He laughed.

"I've been paying attention."

For some reason...

That made my cheeks feel warmer than the summer sun.

The vendor handed us our ice creams, and before I could protest again, Yeonjun had already paid for both.

"You didn't have to."

"I know."

"Then why?"

He shrugged casually.

"I wanted to."

Simple. Natural. As if buying me an ice cream wasn't a big deal at all.

"...Thank you."

"You're welcome."

For a few seconds, neither of us moved.

"So..." he said. "What now?"

I looked around. "I don't really have any plans."

His smile grew. "Perfect. Because neither do I. Want to spend the day together?"

My heart skipped. Just the two of us?

"...Sure. Lead the way."

His smile somehow became even brighter.

***

We walked along the riverside with no destination in mind.

The warm breeze carried the scent of flowers and fresh food from nearby street vendors. Children ran through the fountains, couples rode bicycles together, and street musicians played cheerful songs beneath the shade of the trees.

It felt peaceful. Comfortable. Almost as if we'd done this a hundred times before.

"So..." Yeonjun suddenly said. "Why strawberry?"

"What?"

"Your ice cream."

"It's sweet. It's pink. It reminds me of summer."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I figured."

"What about yours?"

He proudly lifted his mint chocolate cone. "The greatest flavor ever invented."

I stared at him. "...No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"It tastes like toothpaste."

He looked genuinely offended. "I cannot believe you'd insult mint chocolate."

"I cannot believe people actually enjoy eating toothpaste."

He placed a dramatic hand over his chest. "I don't think this friendship can recover."

"Oh, friendship? So that's all we are?"

The words slipped out before I had time to think. His expression froze. Mine probably did too.

"...I mean—"

"I was kidding!" I blurted.

He scratched the back of his neck. "...Yeah. Me too."

The silence afterward wasn't awkward... Just different. Like both of us suddenly realized there were words we hadn't been saying.

***

A little farther ahead, we spotted an arcade. Yeonjun's eyes lit up immediately.

"Oh. No."

"I know that look."

"What look?"

"The one that says you're about to drag me somewhere."

He grinned. "Come on."

"It's too hot outside."

"The arcade has air conditioning."

"...That's your excuse?"

"It works, doesn't it?"

Five minutes later... I was losing terribly at basketball.

"You cheated."

"I absolutely did not."

"You distracted me."

"I merely existed."

"You smiled!"

"Is smiling illegal now?"

"It should be."

He laughed so hard he nearly dropped the basketball.

After a few more games, we stopped in front of a claw machine. Inside sat dozens of fluffy animal plushies. One tiny white bunny immediately caught my attention.

"It's cute..."

Yeonjun noticed where I was looking. "You want it."

"I never said that."

"You don't have to. I can tell."

He exchanged a few coins before I could stop him.

"You don't have to waste your money."

"It's not wasting it. It's a mission."

His first attempt failed.

"So confident."

"Be quiet."

His second attempt failed too. I crossed my arms.

"The machine doesn't like you."

"The machine is rigged."

"The machine has standards."

"Oh? You think you're funny?"

"I know I am."

Determined, he tried again. And again. And again. Nearly ten attempts later... the little bunny finally dropped into the prize slot.

"I DID IT!"

People nearby actually clapped. Laughing, he picked up the plushie and held it out to me.

"For you."

My smile slowly faded into something softer. "...You really didn't have to."

"I know." He tilted his head. "But I wanted to."

The exact same words he'd used earlier. Without thinking, I hugged the little bunny against my chest.

"It's adorable."

"I think its owner is even cuter."

I looked up so quickly I almost dropped it. "...What?"

He blinked. "...The bunny. You thought I meant you?"

His teasing grin gave him away. "...You're impossible."

"I've been told."

***

By late afternoon, the summer heat had become almost unbearable. We bought two cold lemonades before sitting beneath a large tree overlooking the Han River.

Neither of us spoke for a while. The silence felt nice. Peaceful. I watched families playing in the distance while absentmindedly hugging the bunny plushie.

"You really like it."

"I do."

"I'm glad."

Another breeze swept past us, blowing a few loose strands of hair across my face. Without thinking... Yeonjun reached over. His fingers gently brushed my hair behind my ear.

Everything stopped. The sounds. The breeze. Even my heartbeat... Or maybe it was beating too loudly to hear anything else.

He seemed just as surprised as I was.

"...Sorry. You had hair in your face."

"...Right."

Neither of us moved away. For a moment... we simply looked at each other. Then, somewhere nearby, a child shouted. The spell was broken. We both laughed awkwardly.

***

As evening approached, the blazing sky slowly turned shades of gold, orange, and pink. The river reflected every color like a painting.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"It is."

But when I turned toward him... Yeonjun wasn't looking at the sunset. He was looking at me.

"You've been staring a lot today."

"...Have I?"

"Yes." He sighed quietly before smiling. "I guess there's no point denying it anymore."

My heart raced.

"I've spent the whole summer hoping I'd run into you."

"...Really?"

"I even came to this ice cream stand more often than I'd like to admit."

I laughed. "Seriously?"

"I knew you'd eventually show up."

"You really paid that much attention to me?"

"I always do." His smile softened. "I notice when you laugh. When you're pretending to be mad. When you get excited over tiny things. When you play with your sleeves because you're nervous. I notice all of it."

I couldn't find the words to answer. He took a slow breath.

"I like you. I don't know exactly when it happened. But somewhere between all those conversations at school... and every little smile you gave me... I fell in love with you."

The world suddenly felt very quiet.

"...You're an idiot."

He blinked. "...Excuse me?"

I laughed through the tears gathering in my eyes. "I've been waiting for you to say that."

"You..."

"I like you too. I have for a long time."

Relief washed across his face so quickly that I couldn't help smiling.

"So..." He stepped closer. "Can I kiss you?"

Instead of answering... I gently took his hand. Our fingers intertwined naturally.

He smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

His lips met mine gently. Warm. Soft. Sweet... Almost sweeter than strawberry ice cream. When we finally pulled apart, we couldn't stop smiling.

"You know," he whispered, "I think buying you that ice cream was the best decision I've ever made."

I laughed. "I think saying yes was mine."

As the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the city skyline, we continued walking hand in hand along the Han River.

Maybe summer wasn't my favourite season because of the sunshine. Maybe... it was because it brought me to Yeonjun.

[catch-me-hello]

Double Date with ATEEZ, Episode 2:  The Real

Welcome back to our wild pirate band known as ATEEZ and their double-dating adventures!  I’ve been looking forward to this all week.  Let’s dive back into the pile of crazy.

We’re starting with Wooyoung in a confessional. He’s asked what has been his most challenging moment in ATEEZ so far.  He says that when the band first debuted, their television performances sometimes got cut off right after the first verse.  He’s grateful that the fans stuck with them. 

Reddit gave me some background.  Because ATEEZ is from a small entertainment company, they were often pushed aside to make room for big label groups.  Not only were their songs shortened for music shows, but they were not greeted politely by other groups, and sometimes the show’s production team would conveniently forget to tell them important things like the dress code.   

No wonder this group is so wildly aggressive.  Such treatment really justifies their “us against the world” vibe.  I’d be royally pissed off, too. 

Now we pick up where we left off last episode, with Wooyoung and Hongjoong speeding around the Han River on jet skis.  Hongjoong is having so much fun, we may never see him again. 

“It’s such an open space, I could really go wherever I wanted,” he tells us.  “There was no set path.”   This is turning into more than a fun date.  This is therapy for our work-obsessed captain.  The production team actually has to chase after him and tell him to come back. 

We cut back to the band in the studio, watching the footage and marveling at how fast he’s going.  Hongjoong is still excited as he talks about it.  The thrill hasn’t left him.  He doesn’t even hear the others teasing him about constantly losing his baseball cap in the water.

Now we return to San and Seonghwa and their fine dining omakase experience.  Their main course has arrived.  It’s tenderloin Chateaubriand, which Google tells me is a special occasion dish, often served for romantic dinners or celebrations.   We get close-ups of the steak as it’s cooking.  I can smell it through the screen.  The chefs put salt, butter sauce, and white truffle on it, and now I’m getting more turned on than I was last week when our boys were flirting with each other. 

As San and Seonghwa savor every bite, moaning and sighing in appreciation, I’m wondering if this show should have a food porn warning label. 

San cools things down by talking about how pigs are used to find truffles.  We cut to Seonghwa in a confessional who says that San has a very shallow knowledge of food and mutters to himself while eating.  This show gives me a lot of laugh-out-loud moments like this, because everything these guys say is being watched by the entire band in the studio.

Back in the restaurant, the chef brings out another beef course.  The studio goes silent with envy.  We can hear San and Seonghwa chewing and swallowing through their clip-on mics, and again, my toes are curling from how hot this is.  This band is doing really strange things to me.  I think they’re doing it on purpose.  Seonghwa takes a bite of steak while maintaining eye contact with San, and I almost pass out.

Thankfully, we cut back to Hongjoong and Wooyoung on the Han River.  It’s time for a ride on a banana boat.  Because of the speed and instability, they fall into the water a lot.

Back in the studio, Hongjoong offers ATINY some advice:  “If you’re in a relationship and you want to end it, take them for a banana boat ride in the Han River.”

“I’ll never drink banana milk again,” Wooyoung says.

We now join Yunho and Mingi on their walk through a birch forest.  It’s so lush, green and peaceful, and the boys surrender to the serenity.

It doesn’t last long.  Technology intrudes.  Their cell phones beep with the question of the day, submitted by bandmate Seonghwa:  “What do you think is cool?”

Mingi says coolness is the free feeling that comes from a natural look.  “Being raw is cool,” he says. 

Yunho agrees, saying he tries to bring out the coolness of his inner self rather than try to look cool on the outside.  That’s why he likes spending so much time in nature.  It keeps his inner self at peace.  Mingi prefers good food and zoning out in saunas.

They get into an interesting discussion about feeling cool as opposed to when other people tell them they’re cool.  I like that we’re slowing down a bit in this episode and getting more thoughtful.  There’s more to these guys than the wild outlaw image they often project.

“Self-esteem will rise and fall,” Mingi declares, “but it’s not good to keep people that try to bring your self-esteem down because of their jealousy and envy.  The people that cut you down by telling you to improve on something in the name of giving advice are not necessarily people who will be helpful in your life.”

Mingi needs to write a book.

Back to the Han River.  Wooyoung and Hongjoong have changed into dry clothes and arrive at a restaurant overlooking the river.  They need something else in their stomachs besides the river water they’ve been swallowing all day.  (“I drank it through my nose,” Hongjoong complains.)  Before getting on the banana boat, they had made a bet that the first person to scream would have to pay for lunch.  Now, they agree that they should probably cancel that bet. 

While they wait for their ramyeon, the question about coolness pops up on the phones of the rest of the bandmates on their dates. 

Hongjoong says being cool means not being afraid of anything.  After seeing him swallow half the Han River today, I believe him.  Wooyoung says coolness is being humble and kind. 

San says coolness is recognizing your own self-worth and being kind to yourself, which puts him in the same camp as Mingi.  Seonghwa agrees and wishes he could give that same advice to his younger self.  He says he used to be really hard on himself, but thanks to his friendships in the group, he’s gotten better. 

As the conversation continues, we learn that Seonghwa’s favorite concert experience so far is their performance at Coachella.  He says he still gets teary-eyed when he watches it.

I remember the day after that Coachella performance.  I went on YouTube and saw hundreds of videos of audience phone footage of the show and started clicking on them to watch, and the videos would suddenly freeze and vanish while I was watching them because YouTube was racing to take them down for copyright issues.  Not only was the performance electrifying, but the feeling of racing from one YouTube video to another, trying to outrun the copyright police, was a thrilling feeling that I’ll always associate with ATEEZ.  YouTube actually contributed to their outlaw vibe that day. 

Our boys get another text.  It’s a question from Hongjoong, inspired by their song “Bouncy”:  “When was the moment you most wanted to smack a fellow bandmate?”

Oooh, this oughta be good.

Back at the river, Hongjoong answers his own question after spending an afternoon losing numerous baseball caps and being thrown off a banana boat:  “Right now, it’s Wooyoung.  You asked me out on a date and then made me drink river water!”

“I drank it, too!” Wooyoung protests.

For Wooyoung, the answer is Yeosang.  He says when the group managers give them instructions, Yeosang takes a while to understand.  As a slow learner myself, I get it.  I’ll take that smack for Yeosang.

Hongjoong also gets frustrated when his bandmates don’t check the group chat, especially before concerts when there’s a lot to sort out.  He often posts messages asking for the band to decide on two options for a performance, and he gets responses like, “OK.” 

I feel my blood pressure rise because I get the same responses from my own co-workers.  I’ll type something like, “Should we schedule the meeting for tomorrow or Wednesday?” and someone will respond, “great idea!” and it’s a good thing we all work from home, or I’d be running into their offices to smack them with their own keyboards.

Back in the studio, Wooyoung tells us he’s had to turn off notifications because Mingi kept sending totally unfunny reels and memes.  Oh, lord.  Mingi is my mom.

Mingi says whenever his opinions don’t match the others, he wants to smack everyone.  During their first US tour, he and Yunho almost got into a fistfight and had to be pulled apart by a fellow bandmate.  He doesn’t remember what the fight was about now. 

Yunho doesn’t even remember the fight.  “We’ve been together almost ten years,” says Yunho.  “We’ve almost smacked each other a few times!”

Seonghwa says he would smack both San and Wooyoung.  “You guys bother me too much,” he says.  “When we make eye contact, you guys always do something, like suddenly tying up my arms and tickling me.”

“You feel disappointed if no one bothers you,” San shoots back. 

“Right, it does get boring,” Seonghwa concedes.

Out of curiosity, I looked up their living arrangement.  They still live grouped together in dorms, but each member has his own room.  The rooms look small, but I’m glad each member has his own private space to get away from the others for a while. 

Wooyoung livestreaming from his room in 2023

Now we move on to Yeosang and Jongho on their pottery class date.  The teacher suggests they stop their attempts at making cups and try magnets instead.  Our boys move to a table, away from the pottery wheels, which will probably take the poor staff weeks to clean. 

The teacher has already cut out the characters that represent each of the ATEEZ members.  Yeosang and Jongho are much better at painting then they are at pottery-making, adding details to the characters and bringing them to life.

Back in the studio, the boys present their finished projects, including the cups, which actually turned out great.

We move on to the next question for the group.  “Was there a time you couldn’t avoid something, so you just had to enjoy it?”

Back at the Han River, Hongjoong says it was the waterlogged date he just had with Wooyoung.  Wooyoung says it was when the band first went on Immortal Songs, a South Korean music program, and only had two days to prepare.  When it all came together perfectly, Seonghwa actually cried onstage.

ATEEZ on Immortal Songs, August 2020

We get a nice scene of Hongjoong and Wooyoung enjoying their ramyeon.  They pay homage to the hats Hongjoong lost in the river that they weren’t able to get back.  Hear that, ATINY?  Some of Hongjoong’s baseball caps are still floating in the Han River!  Grab your nets and get over there! 

Wooyoung and Hongjoong get a text that it’s time to move on to the next date spot.  This is a date that Hongjoong has set up.  Our captain promises a super VIP experience but won’t give any other details. 

They walk through a parking lot, and Hongjoong opens the passenger door of a red Porsche convertible.  Wooyoung is like a kid on Christmas until he finds out Hongjoong is driving.  Now he’s very nervous.  “I’ve never driven stick before,” Hongjoong casually tells us.  “I WANT TO GET OUT!” Wooyoung yells to the production team.

Thankfully, Hongjoong gets the hang of it by the time they hit the highway.  They drive alongside the river and head into the city, marvelling at the smooth ride.  “How much does this car cost?” Hongjoong wonders, mentally checking his bank balance.

Back in the studio, we learn that bystanders saw them driving around and posted photos on Twitter.  (I refuse to call it X, and apparently the show does too.)  Our boys were all over social media by the end of the day.

Now back to the forest with Mingi and Yunho.  Time for them to move on to their second date location, this one set up by Mingi.  When Yunho asks where they’re going, Mingi replies, “Want to hear something fun?  I never die alone.”

“What are you talking about?”  Yunho asks nervously.  Mingi just repeats it and smiles.  So much for the quiet, peaceful day.  And wait, is Mingi saying he makes a habit of dying?  Does he die a lot?  I knew it.  He’s a vampire, isn’t he?

Mingi says he’s glad the rain has stopped.  When asked if the rain would interfere with the date activity, he just says, “Not exactly, but we’ll have to see.” 

They make their way to a nearby road.  “What I prepared is extreme,” Mingi says, “so I rented an extreme car.”

“Aren’t you overdoing it?” Yunho asks.  “I’m Song Mingi,” is the response.  My question to the production crew: is Porsche sponsoring this show?

Our boys have to keep the top up because it’s raining.  They’re also bigger than Wooyoung and Hongjoong, so while those two could sit comfortably next to each other, Yunho and Mingi are a bit cozier.  (Fun Fact:  They’re known as the group’s Twin Towers.)

Yunho, who clearly knows how to drive stick, is relaxed behind the wheel.  They cruise away from the forest and head out to whatever Mingi’s got planned.  The rain stops, so they drop the roof. 

Back to the restaurant with San and Seonghwa.  Another beef course is served.  At this rate, these two will eventually pass out in meat comas at the table and never get to the second date. 

They talk about comfort foods their grandmothers made for them as kids and how taste is tied to memory.  As they finish up another course, they get texts with another question for discussion.  I’m a little bummed at the timing.  I wanted to hear more of their childhood stories.

The question is from San. “Did you have any moment that you felt was fate?”

We cut to the different date couples as they answer this question.  For Wooyoung, it was meeting the other band members.  He calls it the greatest blessing in his life.  More on this in a minute.

Hongjoong says it was when he decided to put the group together.  I did some research. Hongjoong played a crucial role in ATEEZ existing in the first place.  KQ Entertainment wasn’t looking for trainees, but he sent them a demo, hoping for a composer job, and wound up being signed as their first trainee.  Over the next year, the other seven members joined.  I would definitely call that fate.

Seonghwa remembers his first impression of each group member.  Hongjoong was excited and high energy.  Yunho wore a black hoodie every day, and Seonghwa had never seen a tall kid dance so well.  San approached and greeted him first with a handshake.  Yeosang wore a beanie and was strikingly handsome.  Mingi wore cargo pants and was very shy.  Jongho had dark circles under his eyes that aged him, so Seonghwa was surprised to find out he was the youngest.   Wooyoung wore a school uniform and was open and friendly.       

We cut to the red convertible.  We learn that Wooyoung was the member the others weren’t sure about.  They didn’t know if they would be able to get along with him.  Wooyoung was the last to join, after the others had already bonded. 

That must have been intimidating. I can’t help remembering when I.M was thrown into the mix on No Mercy. 

But Wooyoung’s open, friendly attitude won the rest of the group over.  He also had help from Yeosang, who had trained with him at another company and convinced the others to give him a chance.

We see clips of the group when they first came together, and they look so incredibly young.  I never would have predicted they’d turn into the monster group they are now.  It was definitely fate.

Sitting in the convertible, Wooyoung thinks about everything the group has been through.  He says, “In my whole life, whether I live one hundred years or more, if I look at the big picture, we are spending the brightest time of our lives together.  This is the part that shines the brightest.”

We end this episode on this beautiful note.  This was a very different episode from the previous one, and I’m glad the show slowed down to give us a more mature, insightful look at this group and how they came together and interact with each other.  I liked getting to know this group better.

Prepare for another vibe change next week, when Yunho and Mingi go paragliding.  See you then!

Go to Episode 3 recap