Call It Love: Yoon-jun & Hye-seong
A jester and a pushover sitting at a bar drinking soju. I feel like both of them so quite often
They're almost invisible, taken for granted. They're always there though. Performers of the group. Yoon-jun's role is providing psychological support, guidance, comfort, protection. He's like that comfy old couch you liked taking naps on as a kid, only with a boring voice of reason, which is why he bites his own tongue so often. Hye-seong's role is only seemingly of a lighter kind, but she is the space filler, energy provider, the background noise, someone to laugh at, but also someone to kill the solitude with, and most importantly, she is someone whose absence echoes a little too loud. They both agree to these terms completely voluntarily, playing the roles comes naturally for both.
My dearest. Their interactions are e v e r y t h i n g. It took some time to get to this point, but it's worth it. 🌹
Both are givers in their nature, but when they're together, something magical happens. It's no longer about one sided giving or providing of any kind. It's like a solved puzzle with no missing pieces. Yoon-jun has a terrible need to lead and be seen as a leader. Hye-seong has a terrible need to endearingly follow and be cherished for doing so. Sometimes, they gladly exchange these roles, Yoon-jun submits to her easily and follows for as long as Hye-seong needs it. In those simplest of yearnings they found each other so complementary. When they're all alone, they reveal their true nature without playing any additional roles or games; in comfort of their tiny universe they suddenly feel completely seen by each other.
Time is never a valid indicator of quality of relationships. That's why I find their friendship much more profound in comparison to other displayed friendships. Drama implies that he's been there for her through her every break up, which means she continually exposed her most wounded self, her most embarrassing parts right there for him to see. He works his wonders of just being a shoulder to cry on. It's not explicitly said, but drama implies that Hye-seong is the first person Yoon-jun opens up to about his family's dynamics and the burden of being a black sheep among them. She gets to experience that cold atmosphere firsthand. His family rejecting her, like they would have done to Jun if only he showed his true face, and Jun insisting she is still valuable to him with or without their approval, probably pushed her towards him even more. As the show suggested she grasped at every display of affection, no matter if it isn't quite genuine or even directed towards her (like when Suho gave her a first drink).
I'd die (live) for a friendship like theirs. If there's no deeper understanding, if our souls haven't stared at each other despite all the shame and inner ugliness, I don't want it.
Watching Call It Love, I tend to put myself in Hye-seong's and Yoon-jun's shoes quite often. So many of their lines and behavioural patterns feel natural and close to what I'm personally used to. Maybe that's why I prefer watching these two and their interactions, reactions and character growth, no matter the outcome. They feel genuine, not fictional at all, plus they're like a breath of fresh air in this gloomy pool of family drama, as they don't go breaking our hearts, despite the complexity of their connection.
