#jeong tae-eul

[tarzinnia]

"Thou art to me a delicious torment." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

[filthy-mudeoki]

I could have you beheaded.

Try me.

The King: Eternal Monarch

[alettearesius]

"Wherever you go, you can't go alone, I'll go with you, no matter where it is, no matter what battlefield it is."

[accioecho]

Tkem novel 11

Chapter 14 - “Calling out your name”

Gon had asked Yeong to let Tae-Eul go for the day so she could have a few hours of freedom.

Seated inside the spacious helicopter, Gon looked out the window as the aircraft gradually gained altitude. Tae-Eul would be probably strolling through the streets of the capital by now. She would be discovering how different the Kingdom’s version of Busan was from the Republic’s version of the same city.

Turning his head away from the window, Gon fished through his pockets and pulled out his phone. As soon as he opened the browser, the recent search history popped up on the screen. He was happy to have this little piece of Tae-Eul with him, wondering what went through her mind while looking through the list of searched terms.

“Lee Gon”

“Lee Gon martial arts”

“Queen”

“Lee Gon’s ex”

Gon burst out laughing. Secretary Mo who was busy looking at reports— looked up, startled at the sudden sound. Not wanting to bring any more attention to him, Gon cleared his throat, his eyes focusing back on the screen. What he saw next made his jaw clench.

“Koo Seo-Ryeong.”

The internet was crawling with rumors about them, it likely led Tae-Eul to look up the current prime minister.

The last encounter he had with Seo-Ryeong left a sour taste in his mouth. Slightly worried, he hoped Tae-Eul didn’t get any wrong idea. He kept on scrolling, new search items coming up.

“Spicy fried chicken”

“Police officer wage”

“Kingdom of Corea map”

“Busan to Seoul KTX train”

It looked like she had been curious about a lot of things. Then again, he himself had spent days in a library during his stay in the Republic, reading dozens of books and immersing himself in the nation’s recent history.

Gon tilted his head at the word “KTX”, foreign to him. His face froze at what came up next.

“King Lee Ho”

“Prince Lee Lim”

These were words with heavy meaning, bringing to the surface painful memories. A grief so intimate yet shared by every single citizen of the Kingdom that Tae-Eul was now privy to.

Gon sat still and let the cold, artificial air gently blow through his hair.

——

Lost in her thoughts, Tae-Eul mindlessly walked toward her final destination, one of the main reasons she travelled the long way from Busan to Seoul. She could recognize the familiar streets of her neighborhood. If this was the Republic of Korea, there should be a convenient store somewhere near, but she didn’t see any.

There was one thing she was curious about ever since she set foot in Gon’s world. If this was truly a parallel universe, with people sharing the same face albeit with different personalities… then perhaps, maybe, her mom existed in this world somewhere. Perhaps this universe was a bit more lucky and had sparred her life.

If she was alive, Tae-Eul wished to see her, just once.

Instead of seeing the easily recognizable facade of the Taekwondo center, what looked like to be a traditional medicine clinic stood in place of her house. It was a whole other building altogether, with different colors and a different front door. The courtyard where Maximus had once taken shelter was gone too.

It was now dark out, the sun long gone and the chilly November air setting in. Tae-Eul was reluctant to leave. Refusing to give up, she finally rang the doorbell. 

A woman she had never met before opened the front gate.

“Jeong Do-In. He’s a Taekwondo instructor at a Taekwondo center, do you happen to know him by chance?” Tae-Eul asked.

“I don’t know anyone by that name.” The lady replied, confused.

“Then… How about a woman named Ahn Bong-Hui? Do you know her? Her face looks really similar to mine… Have you ever seen her?” She tried again, voice wavering.

“Ahn Bong-Hui? No I haven’t. We’ve lived here for 30 years. Why? Did they say they lived here?”

Tae-Eul’s shoulders dropped in disappointment. A tiny, irrational voice in her head had hoped to meet her. She tried to reason herself. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Even if she had met her mom and dad, they would have been completely different people. They would only have the same face, but would be complete strangers to her.  

Overwhelmed by the longing to see her mom once more, she hadn’t thought this all the way through.

A flashback of that fateful night came up to her mind. The complete stranger that was once Gon, crossing Gwanghwamun square in determined strides and taking her in his arms, eyes never leaving her face.

“… No never mind, thank you.” Tae-Eul said goodbye. She turned on her heels and walked away wearily.

——

Yeong swallowed a sigh and ushered Tae-Eul to KU building’s rooftop. Gon’s helicopter awaited them on the helipad, its propellers still in motion. Tae-Eul looked at the man who stood across from her, his coat flapping in the wind. His tall figure stood out in the dark, open surroundings of the city behind. Tae-Eul bit her lower lip. She didn’t expect to be so happy to see him, she almost called out his name. She really wanted to wave at him.

This. This moment.

Seeing him again almost made her forget about the vain search for her mom.

Gon joined her in a few short strides and looked at her in concern, his eyes roaming over her and making sure she was okay, worry evident. His expression eased once when he saw she was fine.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

“Yes.”

“Seventeen times.”

“Yes.”

Gon let out a small chuckle at Tae-Eul’s obvious embarrassment. He had no idea how she managed to find a way to reach him. He only knew that if it weren’t for his security team notifying him about the calls, he would have gone straight to Busan.

He had asked Yeong to keep a close eye on her so he knew she was safe. Still, as soon as he  was told that Tae-Eul was looking for him, he turned the helicopter around. He was glad she called. It meant he got to see her sooner.

“I thought you were going to stay in Busan. Why did you come so far? Did you get to find Ahn Bong-Hui?” Gon asked.

How did he know that? Tae-Eul threw a sharp, sideway glance at Yeong.

“How long were you following me? You should have lent me more money if you were there all along.”

“Who is she? The person you came all the way to this world to look for.”

“My mom.” Her voice trembled. “If this is a parallel world… and since Na-Ri and Eun-Sup are both here, although I might not exist, my mother could still be alive. I know she is someone else, but I didn’t want her to be sick in this world… I only have memories of her from when she was five. So I just wanted to watch her from afar. Just for a few minutes. That’s why I came here.”

“You should have told me.”

“I was just curious. But she wasn’t there.”

There was no other person who could understand better the sadness left by an absent parent than Gon. He shared her grief. Even if he didn’t understand what she went through, he would still feel her pain.

“Anyway. I had fun today because of you.” Tae-Eul said brightly, changing the topic. She didn’t want Gon to look at her like that, with eyes full of sorrow. And she certainly didn’t want to bring down the mood with talks about her mom. She managed just fine on her own so far. She just wanted to make the best of her trip here and ease her curiosity.

“Is that why you searched for KTX? I was wondering what it was.”

“Search…?”

“The auto-save function told me. You were curious about a lot of things. Why were you curious about Lee Gon ex-girlfriend? Didn’t you think that I never had a girlfriend?”

“Why would you read that?”

“You looked up Prime Minister Koo as well.”

“That was because… because I heard she was the youngest female Prime Minister. I only looked up her name because I was amazed by that. Why? Do you feel guilty? Looks like you see her often.”

“I meet her every Friday.” Granted, it was only to talk about state affairs.

Tae-Eul swallowed the lump in her throat. It was her turn to say something back.

The wind blew sharply around them and the sound of an approaching helicopter could be heard, growing louder and louder. Sure enough, another helicopter landed next to Gon’s.

“Why two helicopters? Are we leaving separately?” Tae-Eul asked.

Gon threw a hard glance at the unexpected new aircraft and glanced back at Yeong in confirmation. Yeong was rapidly talking to his walkie talkie and nodded at Gon.

“Yes, it’s Prime Minister Koo. She probably got a report your helicopter landed in Seoul.”

It was exactly that. As soon as Seo-Ryung heard the news that the royal helicopter had landed on KU Building, she had menacingly ordered her staff to prepare her own flight.

Why would the King come to Seoul in the middle of the night when he should have been in Busan? Seo-Ryung’s gut feeling made her want to find out the reason.

The door of the helicopter opened, and Seo-Ryung came out wearing an elegant white suit. There was no hesitancy in her stride as she confidently came up to them.

“Did you have an appointment with her?” Tae-Eul asked, eyes focused on the charismatic Head of  State.

“No way. I came to pick you up.”

“But I have to keep a low profile.”

Tae-Eul was right. Still, her words pierced through him painfully.

“If they see you, just who will they think you are?” He asked.

“Don’t worry. I’ll try not to look too suspicious.”

“You are a fool. The situation is already quite suspicious.” Gon was cut short by Seo-Ryung who stopped next to them and bowed down in greeting.

“I’m seeing you in an unexpected hour, in an unexpected place, with an unexpected person, Your Majesty.”

“You’re right. And you’ve put me in an awkward situation. This is a very personal occasion. I should’ve given you a heads-up since you would be notified of this. I’m sorry I kept you at work.” Gon didn’t try to hide his annoyance. She was clearly unwelcome here.

Completely disregarding Gon, Seo-Ryung let out a bright laugh.

“When it comes to the country’s affairs, personal occasions are business too, and you are my country Pyeha.”

It was a bit exaggerated. Gon wore a patient expression while Seo-Ryeong kept on smiling brightly.

Tae-Eul looked back and forth between the two of them. She could easily recognize the delicate gaze she saw on the pictures gracing the many news articles that came up during her brief internet search session.

This flawless, elegant woman that coveted Gon could not be compared to her.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Koo Seo-Ryung, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Corea.” Seo-Ryong turned towards Tae-Eul, meeting her gaze and extending her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m a big fan.” Tae-Eul grabbed her hand.

“I’m flattered to have such a young and beautiful fan. May I ask your name?”

“I’m just… I’m a traveler. I’m honored just to be able to see you like this. I’m leaving soon.”

Gon winced upon hearing that she would leave soon. Too focused on the conversation with Seo-Ryung, Tae-Eul didn’t notice Gon flinching.

“This is my first time in the Kingdom of Corea, I feel like I’m in a storybook.” Tae-Eul went on.

“It’s your first time here, but you speak our language very well.”

“Well… I studied liberal arts.”

Gon burst out laughing at Tae-Eul’s reply. This was unlike him. Seo-Ryung carefully appraised the situation. Gon kept staring down at Tae-Eul, looking like a very smitten man. Seo-Ryung’s instincts were right. This was no ordinary situation.

On the other hand, Gon was still trying to stifle down a laugh. He had made fun quips before, teasing Tae-Eul about being a liberal arts major, and this was how she made use of it.

“Let’s call it a day, Prime Minister Koo. I don’t have much time today.” Gon put an end to the night’s impromptu meeting.

“You have a long journey ahead. After you, Your Majesty. I will send you off.”

“Okay then, see you on Friday.” Gon said with a short nod.

Gon turned and walked toward the helicopter. Tae-Eul bowed down to Seo-Ryung and followed him. Under the full moon’s luminous glow, Seo-Ryeong glared furiously at Gon and Tae-Eul’s departing forms.

— —

Fully dressed in his Navy uniform, Yeong came into the dressing room with Tae-Eul in tow. She also looked like she was ready to leave. She had picked up her belongings and wore the same clothes she was wearing the night she came to his world.  

Fully clothed in his Navy suit, Tae-Eul stared at Gon with trembling eyes. Keenly aware of her stunned gaze, Gon gave her the badge he had been carefully keeping for the past 25 years.

“I will give this one to you. It seems it was supposed to be passed on to you. I hope this doesn’t put you in trouble.”

Tae-Eul shook her head.

“So you were in the Navy?”

“I left the military as a Navy Lieutenant. I’m not sure if you’ll believe this, but I’m the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Corea.”

“I believe you.”

“Finally.”

They both smiled, ignoring the heavy atmosphere surrounding them.

“You said your country was about to go to war with Japan. So this is what was happening in the Kingdom of Corea.”

“The Royal Family puts on military uniforms at the most honorable time. It means we will certainly win. I will come back to you with honor. It won’t take long.”

Tae-Eul longed to grab Gon’s perfectly white sleeve. If he didn’t leave in the first place, there would be no reason to wait for him to come back. But she didn’t become a courageous police officer for nothing. She had to get rid of these kind of thoughts, it didn’t suit her. Tae-Eul swallowed nervously.

“… come back?”

“Will you wait for me?”

“See you again, Lee Gon.”

It felt strange and entrancing to hear his name aloud. 

Tae-Eul, calling his name. 

He would engrave this moment deep in his heart.

“I thought my name was not supposed to be spoken, but I guess it was only meant to be spoken by you.”

— —

Misc.

In the helicopter on their way back to Busan, Secretary Mo quietly observes the couple seated across from her and realizes the huge implications of Tae-Eul’s presence. This is the first time she sees Gon acting like this. When Gon grabs Tae-Eul’s hand and starts to write in her palm, Secretary Mo feels like she’s intruding a very private moment, and can’t help but look away.

[ms-interpretation]

"I think I’m going to miss you so much”

[lecho]

Luminescence - Chapter Three

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13665726/3/Luminescence

[ms-interpretation]

This moment from the beginning of episode five is electric. Honestly there is no other way to describe it (watch me try anyway). The directing here is simply stunning, it (together with the music) makes you feel how Tae-eul is truly seeing Lee Gon for the first time. They have just arrived in the Kingdom and Lee Gon has finally revealed his name to Tae-eul. And they just look at each other. Just looking, but it means so much. Tae-eul is now seeing Lee Gon for who he really is. It’s incredibly fitting that she gets to know his name at the same time that she’s convinced of the veracity of his previous statements about being King and the parallel world. Before his name would only have been a name amongst others, basically another alias. It would still not identify him since he lacks an identity in the Republic. Tae-eul wanted to know his name so she could know who he is. And now he can finally tell her, because his name will mean something now that she believes him (and also technically because they are in the Kingdom). Tae-eul is seeing Lee Gon for the first time. She’s not seeing the delusional guy who claimed to be from another universe, but the man who told her he has been looking for her for the past 25 years and who is the orphaned King of another Korea. Not only that, looking into his eyes while processing everything, she’s also seeing his honest affection for her (I mean just look at how he’s looking at her). Remember her asking if he’s sincere at the beginning of episode three? Now that she knows he’s not crazy, it puts their conversations and interactions into a completely new light. It would be easy to be overwhelmed, but Tae-eul will prove herself by bravely exploring this new world and ‘new’ relationship with Lee Gon (while continuously teasing him - I love her) during episode five and six. 

[ms-interpretation]

I really like this moment they share in episode thirteen. They are both quite adorably clingy haha. Lee Gon surprising Tae-eul at her home. Tae-eul, not to be outdone, taking the opportunity to introduce him to her father, also handing him some clothes so that he can be a bit more incognito when spending time in her world. She’s making him a more central part of her life.

The bittersweetest thing though is when Lee Gon indicates that he was hoping to leave without having to say goodbye. Tae-eul’s face falls a bit at that. Not because he would leave without saying goodbye, but because he is leaving. They are both struggling a bit. What happens next is interesting. Tae-eul doesn’t actually outright ask him to stay at first. I’m certain that is because she is deliberately respecting his rules, but she cannot help but ask: ”You’re leaving today?” ”Right, now?” which is her quite openly revealing to him that she wants him to stay. Lee Gon feels a bit guilty about leaving (remember him being upset when thinking about her emotional reaction to his return? His ’flashback’ late in ep 10?). He also obviously doesn’t really want to leave her either. So he simply asks, ”Should I stay?” Tae-eul then tries to be (and not only seem) okay, and asks if he would stay if she asked (clearly remembering their rules, which are based on the fact that he needs to go back at times: she is still not outright asking). The most romantic part of his rules is of course that he cannot go if she asks him to stay. She’s not about to abuse this power. This aspect of the rules continues to build until ep 15 when she finally outright asks him to stay, and then in what might be the most heartbreaking moment when he asks her to tell him to go. What happens next in this scene is my favourite bit, Lee Gon looking at her, a bit surprised - a bit touched, asking if she’s sincere.

Lee Gon did pursue her for quite a while in the beginning of the drama, and in episode nine he asked her to come with him and openly expressed how much he would miss her. Tae-eul responded by telling him not to ask her (adding a rule) and then later that they should live for today. Tae-eul is not emotionally closed off or anything like that, but she doesn’t wear her feelings on her sleeves like Lee Gon does. I believe she tries not to express (and feel) how much she will miss him and wants him to stay. Not because she won’t (just remember their emotional reunions and the fact that she in episode nine expressed how she wasn’t really okay), but because it helps her deal with their current situation. Also because he has asked her not to and she understands the serious situation they are in of course. So Lee Gon is a bit surprised about her expressing that she wants him to stay, because he didn’t expect it. He is clearly quite happy about it though. One can really see the slightly love-starved orphan in him shine through here. Tae-eul’s happy nod and smile in response is also incredibly sweet (it was impossible getting a good screenshot of it though - I’m honestly still upset about it).

They are both falling harder for each other, becoming more central parts of each other’s lives and leaving is becoming more and more difficult (which is one of the reasons I personally don’t believe they only weekend-travel forever but enough about that for now).

A darker part of this however, one could argue, is that it’s because of the fact that they decide to break their rules that Lee Gon is later poisoned by Luna, since it can happen because he stays in the Republic for longer than planned. Lee Gon and Jeong Tae-eul are both incredibly responsible people. Lee Gon always prioritizing the safety of his country (his first and most important duty as King) over himself and Tae-eul choosing to be a cop despite the dangers that it entails, a decision she has made on the basis that she is able to be brave, something she knows not everyone can be. (Side note: I feel a bit weird about expressing un-nuanced positive sentiment about cops here, please know that I’m not referring to the current real world with its problems with unregulated, violent and racist cops etc. but to the story’s world). In light of this it is a bit heartbreaking that when they for once ”overstep” they immediately get punished for it. They never make this ”mistake” again though (Lee Gon leaves immediately to time travel when he has to and Tae-eul allows him to leave in ep 15), and being the heroic and good characters they are they are thus able to save the world(s) and find each other. They choose to be each others fates and are prepared to go the distance necessary in the end (remember Tae-eul’s and Prince Buyeong’s words about fate?). Love overcoming all is honestly an underrated story theme in my opinion and I loved seeing it in this drama.

I’m thinking about writing some more analyses about Lee Gon and Jeong Tae-eul as the protagonists/heroes of TK:EM if I find something interesting to say. Also if there is a scene/theme/character or aspect of TK:EM anyone found interesting which they would like to see analyzed or just would like to discuss, please feel free to message or ask me. As well if there is a moment/scene people would like to see screenshots of.