“It doesn’t matter if it’s in mud or clean water,
I do not care about any of them,
I am hopelessly,
Hopelessly…
In love with you …”
He said while looking into her eyes, trembling from both excitement and panic.
Finally, they found each other and the peaceful days they’ve been dreaming of from a long time…
…Stop! Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? 😝
The review below have minimum amount of spoilers so if you still haven't seen this, don't worry, you can still read this post ❤
This story is settled in Joseon times when the law was the most strict. Alcohol prohibition was the main law, breaking it was leading even to death sentence. In those RAW times, one girl was looking for a way to earn money to pay a big debt. Her father taught her how to make amazing alcohol so there it is, a great idea to make money. But how to do it and not get caught?...and on top of that, why does this inspector need to rent a room in her house at this moment?!
That's how the story unfolds...
Characters
RoSeo - main protagonist, strong personality, and Clever mind. It looks like she's both thinking and taking action for both her and her older brother as he is lacking the charisma very much. Their father suddenly passed away a long time ago and there wasn't much said about their mother.
Nam Young - inspector, the most living-in-the-name-of-law person I have ever seen. King's words and the rules are his life's purpose. He will Punish everyone who won't obey, even his family.
Lee Pyo - prince charming, Royal rebel, Crown Prince who loves drinking, women, fighting, and running out of the palace at night to live a life in disguise.
YaeJin - princess Han, daughter of the minister of war. Cheeky little lady, can buy everything but the stolen jewelry looks better, also father loves her so whatever will happen He will believe her not them!
Few words from me...
The story itself is not very complicated, we also don't have many plot twists. The first 4 or 5 eps were just pure comedy. I wasn't convinced at first but I don't like to drop something at the beginning so I gave it a go. Later the atmosphere became deep and dark, it became like a different story. I started to enjoy this from that point. The main couple doesn’t have much of romance, at least not which moved my heartbeat in any way, most of the scenes together were action. The very sorrowful, love plot was between SIM Heon and Woon SIM, their story was a masterpiece and I think they should have their own drama. From the beginning to the end, I enjoyed every moment and there was so many unexplained questions and script material that it would be easy to create at least 10 full episodes of their own story.
Prince charming - I fell in love with that character from the start and I am happy how it ended. I was afraid he will be left alone at the end like most of the second lead males in historical drama. Becoming a lonely Kind who will need to accept the ending and live with broken heart....Hopefully, He found an ideal partner with the same vibe, and let's talk about princess now - she was a fire! All her act was unexpected and she gave such a fresh feeling to this drama. To be honest, I liked her more than RoSeo.
PS. A little dissapointed in SeungHo's role this time, inspector was ok but SeungHo is such an amazing actor and I have a feeling this role was too weak for him...just my opinion...
Summing all -
I had better and worse impressions while watching but I don't regret and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys light, action historical series with a little bit of everything - comedy, drama, romance, friendship. You will find it all here.
Now it's time to find another title to watch.
I started with "Twenty five Twenty one" and so far it's promising, I'll drop a few words about the episodes later on.
Anyway! It was long but anyone who reached the end of this post - I really hope you like it! And please leave a heart if you did ❤
words: 1.8k words of bigger sad than belle vie. enjoy!
warnings: mentions of sickness, a few hinting at blood, character death
synopsis: taehyung has always been your red carnation, your one true love but he never viewed you the same way.
a/n: *this fic is part of the special prompts for my milestone event. had fun writing this one (yes i’m happier when i write angsts lmfao) hope you guys enjoy!! was listening to how can i love the heartbreak, you’re the one i love by akmu while writing!!
masterlist | events masterlist
Ever since, Taehyung never understood why people value flowers so much. They were simply budding pinks and yellows, violets and whites, and other plethora of colors that sprouted from the soils. They were meaningless tokens that were impermanent, that would soon wither, and would soon return back to the soils from which they came from.
While he wasn’t onboard with the masses’ opinion on these flowers, he really didn’t exactly hate it. Often would he receive a bouquet in his locker from one of those girls that deemed themselves his fans. He wouldn’t mind receiving such, but he’d never really see himself wasting as much money as the girls did for a measly flower with a lifespan shorter than his friend’s height.
You, on the other hand, were much more knowledgeable on botany. You were a natural and would be able to identify flowers, their meanings, and even their significance.
You and him were nothing alike, yet you found solace in each others’ presence. Taehyung stuck with you and only you, finding comfort in the fact that you weren’t like the girls in your school - that you weren’t a girl who’d fling herself at him.
Your fate was sealed as his best friend.
As much as you loved your flowers, you always voiced the opposite. Taehyung never understood why you’d go on and on about how much you hated carnations when you did in fact love such once you received one from him. He never got to ask why you’d act like they were the bane of your existence when you two hang out in school.
He never understood you as much as he never understood flowers.
You hated them. Every speck of vibrance, every bundle of red, every petal that made one a whole.
You hated flowers.
They were too romanticized, too overpriced, too overhyped. People associated so much meaning to something so impermanent. Heck, people themselves grow too attached to these easily-withering measly things.
You hated them so much. How each took its time to grow in beauty, how each carried a specific symbol, how each added a little bit more of color to the room.
You hated how much they reminded you of him.
Every blossom you’d see on the road would always lead your mind back to Taehyung. He was like a song that would always be on repeat- always in the back of your mind. You didn’t want him in your head yet he was annoyingly unforgettable.
You hated how much flowers symbolized you and your growing love for your best friend.
Strikingly similar to that of a growing bud, the florescence of your feelings for said best friend alarmed you greatly. While it did take its painstakingly long time to develop, somehow you didn’t even notice it, your feelings towards Kim Taehyung blossomed into love.
Love. Fucking love. Why love of all things?
Why your best friend?
The idiot was an airhead at heart who took things too lightly. Kim Taehyung was always indifferent to everything that occurred in life. So why him? The Kim Taehyung who never knew what flowers meant. The Kim Taehyung who always received bouquets and baskets of expensive reds. The Kim Taehyung who only confided in with you.
Why him?
Why did it have to be the airhead you grew up with? Why did it have to be with the sole being that knew you did in fact love carnations?
You didn’t know.
But one thing was clear.
You hated flowers so much.
“I don’t get why you try to deny your love for them, sunflower,” Taehyung snorted as you two gazed at yet another basket given to him. This time it was roses- I love you.
“I don’t love them. I hate them,” You grumbled, yet ever so gentle when you handled the abomination on Taehyung’s desk.
Taehyung only hummed to disagree, observing the way you handled the expensive bunch given to him by some seniors he didn’t bother to know. He spotted a small bouquet of carnations beside the rose basket.
Carnations. Didn’t you like them the most?
“Sunflower, look! Aren’t these your favorite?” He grinned, the smile on his face seeming more coy than it looks.
“Don’t call me that and carnations? I hate them the most,” Your eyes twitched as you reached for the bundle.
Taehyung noted the way you’ve become much more gentle as you held the bouquet. He chuckled. You seemed like a tsundere even if it’s towards flowers.
“What do they mean?”
“A lot of things, mostly connected to love. Fascination. Admiration. Rejection. Innocence,” You listed all that came to mind.
All except one - they remind me of you.
For someone who claimed to hate carnations so much, you sure have a lot of knowledge about it. Taehyung didn’t point it out though, he kept that thought to himself.
Yet again, as you two look over the gifts that Taehyung’s fans gave him, you are reminded of your predicament. Your fate was sealed as his best friend. Really, can you blame anyone?
You never acted on your small crush for Taehyung because you were too scared to do something; that if you took it a step further, the bond you two had would disappear, break, and wilt.
Once again, you are reminded of flowers. Maybe everything in your life was like flowers. Your best friend were carnations, your love was a rose, your friendship was lilies. While all did bring beauty to your life, they were still impermanent. Soon they will wither and die. Soon they will leave you.
You hated flowers so much. And that hatred grew the day Kim Taehyung asked you for advice.
“What should I buy if I wanted to court someone?”
That phrase was on repeat in your head like a broken record. Over and over again, all you could hear was him consulting you on what to give someone he liked. Someone he liked that definitely wasn’t you.
Ironically enough, you blurted out carnations - red carnations for admiration and white carnations for pure love. It was an answer given on a whim because you were too shocked to comprehend that Taehyung is pursuing someone else.
You hated flowers but you hated yourself so much more. You shouldn’t have given him that answer because soon, he’ll gift whoever this lucky person was with carnations - your favorite flower.
It hurt so much to think that your carnation liked someone else.
It hurt so much that flowers began to bloom in your lungs.
Hanahaki, they said. A phenomenon in which a victim of unrequited love vomits petals and flowers from a blooming plant in their lungs. Soon said flowers would fill your lungs, ensuring an impending death.
How cruel life was. Your fate was sealed as his best friend. Only his best friend.
Despite the inevitable death promised by the damn disease, you told no one. Not even your carnation, the love of your life, and your best friend. God.. If Taehyung found out, you were sure you’d rather choose death than his rejection. So instead, you silently wished he would notice your turmoil. That he would miraculously choose you over his current fling.
You guess it never happened. Never had, never will.
The red-painted petals that covered your bathroom weren’t recognizable at first. You’d only cough out reds and whites and pinks and yellows, but you haven’t been able to discern which exact flower bloomed in your lungs.
That is until one day, when Taehyung relayed that he had been successful in his romantic pursuits. You blanched just as he finished his story. You can feel it coming out of you. So you rushed to the nearest bathroom and vomited out the damn bunch of petals.
Except it wasn’t a petal. It was a whole flower.
A yellow carnation. Disappointment. Rejection. “I don’t like you”
How ironic. The flowers that grew inside of you were your favorite. Another reminder that you’d never be able to experience being on the receiving end of Taehyung’s affections.
You hated flowers so much.
Since then, you began to distance from your best friend. As much as your love for him grew, said love was killing you. Sad to say, Taehyung never really noticed.
From a single flower vomit to ten to… you stopped counting. Red-smeared yellows covered your bathroom floor. You stopped caring about the mess. After all, since your fate had been sealed as Taehyung’s best friend, your life would soon wither. He wouldn’t notice anyway.
He never did.
Taehyung never got to hear from you again since the day he shared his success with his crush. It hurt, knowing that he lost his best friend in the process of pursuing the one he thought he loved. Three weeks, yes it took him three weeks, later, he decided to finally get his best friend back.
But he was too late.
He literally lost his best friend.
The day he visited you was the day you had your worst fit. You couldn’t breathe, you knew it was time. This is it. This is how everything will end. Another bunch of yellow carnation was coughed out. You couldn’t stop the tears. It hurt so much.
It hurt so much.
I’m sorry, Taehyung. I never got to say that I-
There he stood at the door of your bathroom, speechless to see that you’ve been suffering. Clumsy steps as he hurried towards you, he discarded everything in his hand to cradle your head on his lap.
You couldn’t make out what he was saying. Too hurt to comprehend anything but the burning sensation in your lungs. He couldn’t exactly give out straight sentences either, he was choked up to see you were dying.
You died that night, among the red-painted yellow carnations, on the lap of your best friend who never loved you back.
Taehyung was miserable. He never even got to say what he found out from his three weeks of lamenting. He finally figured out why that fling of his didn’t matter, why he was so much hung up on your sudden avoidance.
He finally realized that he liked you.
But as he cradled your unconscious, blood-covered, body, it was already too late.
His sunflower was slowly withering in front of him but he never noticed until it was too late.
Kim Taehyung was your carnation, your red and white, and while you thought he saw you as a measly yellow bud of carnations, you thought wrong.
The flower that Taehyung coughed out that night was enough proof.
Sunflower.
A sunflower covered with blood but still a sunflower nonetheless.
