AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT late last week that Samuel Kwon would be starring in the upcoming drama 100 Days My Prince, the Internet began to speculate who would be alongside him. Thankfully for fans, they didn’t have to wait for too long, as earlier this morning it was announced that Min Saeun would play the starring female role of Yeon Hong-shim / Yoon Yi-seo.
Known for her work as the leader of Summit Media’s top idol girl group, Iota, Saeun is expected to draw viewership due to her association with the group alone. Although she does not have any past acting experience, Earthshines appears confident that she will provide an exceptional performance, while others are still skeptical. Some suggest that she has undergone vigorous acting training prior to auditioning, and others believe she was simply picked for her visuals. Regardless, those awaiting the drama’s release are thrilled to have finally received information about the two main roles.
The drama’s first episode will air on October 9th.
For more information on 100 Days My Prince, please visit the drama’s website.
COMMENTS
[+188, -43] earthshine, turns out we don’t have to riot at dawn
[+182, -36] summit media really said “ok kids, out of the basement,” huh??
[+175, -31] at least their height difference isn’t bad. that’ll be cute
[+169, -27] the leads are revealed. finally. any guesses who will be announced next? still holding out for some atlas records idols
[+150, -22] what’s up with lee soo-kyo picking actors who aren’t actors? am i missing something?
It truly wasn’t. Saeun knew by fact how little free time Particle had and she had seen firsthand how tired they were at times, so the fact that he was here to help her instead of resting really meant the world to her. Truth was that they weren’t friends, they barely knew each other, but she definitely saw him under a different light now. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.” And if he refused the crown and the monuments, then she would have to bake him the most amazing cake.
Lips parted to say so, and words caught in her throat as her eyes took in the sight of him. Jinhwan was incredibly tall in person, even more so than whenever she had seen him on stage or the screen. Perhaps she was used to be one of the tallest female idols around, and that almost all of them were shorter than her. Of course she was friends with many male idols, some a bit taller, others way taller. But somehow, as Jinhwan crossed the room to her, he simply looked impressive. Saeun managed to smile, trying her best to focus on what he was saying instead. “I still thank you. It means a lot.”
His excitement was contagious and Saeun found herself looking forward to the actual practice. It wasn’t that she didn’t like dancing, she just didn’t do it much outside practice or performances, or really the occasional dancing around the kitchen when she was in a very good mood, but that didn’t count. Saeun reached for her phone, fingers sliding across the screen with quick movements. It didn’t take her long to find the video of their latest comeback stage and found the minute she wanted to show him, her part right after the first chorus.
No matter how long she had practiced, coordinating her hands and legs and mouth had been quite a challenge when the whole choreography was full of short and quick steps, fingers creating figures in the air that had to be precise enough for the public to see it but fast enough so she didn’t miss the next one. And of course, she had been slower than the others, and she had almost missed it, falling a microsecond behind the other girls. It wasn’t too obvious if one didn’t pay attention, but she did and she still thought about it. All she wanted was to do better.
The last notes of What Is Love? ended and she looked up at him with a smile playing on her lips. “See? I assure you that I tried my best and I practiced really hard, but at the end, it wasn’t enough. I know that we might end up filming more dance practice videos and I want to be better. I also know it’s not like anything you dance, and let me tell you, I love your choreographies, but it would be great to surprise the girls.” She hadn’t told anyone that she was meeting Jinhwan, and she wasn’t planning on it. This was something she needed to do.
jinhwan knew he was probably straining himself in the near future by helping saeun instead of practicing or taking time for himself. truthfully, the stress of being a member of particle had been eating away at his mind for months, and he knew he was on the brink of something if he didn’t allow himself to relax. as much as his mind pushed him to break away from everyone and spend time alone, there was an unfathomable urge deep within his mind to help her, to teach her.
watching her eyes scan his face, he was amused. her smaller form was a complete contrast from his large frame, nearly completely enveloping her body from the lighting of the practice room. though she wasn't short, it was jocular, their height difference. "no worries, saeun-ah. don't worry about it! it's my pleasure."
he swayed to the music, her body capering to the beat, his eyes following her figure. he picked up on the way her feet would subtly lose their balance, the way her hands should be held higher, the way her focus on the lyrics would pull her focus away from the choreography. the woman in front of him wasn't a bad dancer — no, she was better than how she'd described herself — but many tenuous habits prevented her from dancing to the best of her ability. letting her finish, he made mental notes to the tee. shifting his focus to the mirror briefly, he realized his focused face was more intimidating than he remembered. letting his face fall, he scanned her as she took her ending pose.
"great job!" he complimented, clapping his hands together. picking up her phone, he switched to a group fan cam, skimming the video to see how the other members danced in comparison to her. nodding his head in understanding, he shut off her phone, placing it carefully onto the floor. glancing down at her, he eyed her smile, returning her friendly gaze.
"trust me on this, you aren't a bad dancer. all of iota are great dancers! it's not a question of your skill, but rather small habits that distract you from the choreo." he looked towards the ceiling and exhaled loudly, running a hand through his growing hair as he gathered his words. "like, for example, during the chorus, where you sweep your hands across your face, you're slightly stiff." picking up her phone, he played the chorus of their comeback track. "like this," he danced, exaggerating stiff arms to make an example, "versus this!" he replayed the chorus, dancing smoothly, arms flitting to the beat.
"did that make sense?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his mop of hair. "oh, i don't think that conveyed what i meant," he sighed, dropping his arms, slightly defeated. he glanced at her once more, concocting another way to teach her so she understands exactly what she needs to fix. after a couple of moments of silence, he gasps quietly; an idea! "i could show you!" he snaps his finger excitedly. "dance with me, saeun."
When: TBD | 6:24 PM
Where: A dance studio in Gangnam-gu
With: @vldjhwans
As a leader, Saeun was the first to notice and admit any weakness within the group. She wanted them to be the best they could be, and the girls were incredibly talented as it was already, that of course she found all it all in her. Dancing was fun and she always gave her best during practices, listened to their instructors and even booked any available room when her members were busy. But she was the first to admit that dancing was not something she amazing at it. Yes, she was good, average perhaps, enough to stand on the stage with the girls. It was good, but not enough, and that had to change.
It had taken her a while to decide, realizing that she couldn’t keep asking the instructors to focus on her when there were nine of them and each wanted their moment to shine. Whilst Saeun was perfectly happy to stay in the background, she also knew that, as leader and main vocalist, the spotlight was on her one way or another. So desperate times most definitely called for desperate measures.
It hadn’t been her idea, but one of the girls had suggested it out of the blue, and it sort of made sense – asking someone who wasn’t part of their group but a great dancer could help her to improve, and who was better than the main dancer of the biggest and most popular boy group? Saeun was grateful and beyond happy that Jinhwan had accepted to give up a few hours of his very tight schedule to help her.
Finding a place to do it wasn’t easy, privacy was important and they couldn’t get K-wave taking their pictures and asking the wrong questions that would only lead to misunderstandings. The last thing Saeun wanted to do was to cause him any trouble. Thankfully, one of their instructors knew someone who owned a private studio and it had only taken a few calls to set it up.
Saeun smiled at him as soon he stepped into the room, getting back to her feet from the corner where she had been warming up. “You know you’re my hero, right? There will be monuments in your honor and your hair will be adorned with an olive crown that only the best of the best are allowed wear.”
jinhwan wasn’t shocked when saeun had requested to dance with him, it was rather a state of confusion. outside of naeun, jinhwan wasn’t aware of any relationship he had with an iota member — at most, it would be bowing and waving to acknowledge each other’s presence. dancing was always his escape, whether it be freestyling or rehearsing his favorite particle b-side tracks; dancing with another person, or teaching them, per se, was something he’d rarely done with anyone other than his members. as it was new for saeun, it was also new for jinhwan, in its own peculiar way.
he’d almost immediately said yes, not blinking an eye at his schedule. he recalled scrambling last minute, trying to make sure that everything would be timed so that he could have a solid amount of time with saeun to make sure she had as a great understanding of the choreography as he did. it was currently one of particle’s rare breaks, one longer than the ones normally gifted to reward the group for hard work. he hadn’t really told any of particle where he was going or who he was meeting, just that he had something important to do.
opening the door quietly as to not disturb the animated form he could see through the small window, he slipped into the practice room, bowing politely to greet her. he was glad she noted the fragility of their public personas and scheduled a private room as to not be followed by news reporters or obsessive sasaengs. of course, he could understand the struggles of the larger artists of the industry, as they struggled with the same pressures of hoards of fans and the international market. it brought him a sense of calm, to be reassured that he was in a room with someone who knew almost exactly how he was feeling when they didn’t know each other too well.
“ah, that’s too much,” he chuckled at her compliment, cheeks flushing light pink. though he receives an endless amount of praise for his dancing and rapping skills, he can never seem to be complimented without becoming shy while his entire face turns red. he pulled off the coat enshrouding his semi-muscular form, revealing the whole of his 183 cm form. glancing at his figure in the large mirrors, he observed how his legs always seemed to look longer when he was looking back at himself. “anything for a friend, let alone an iota member.”
stretching and twisting, he quickly warmed up in front of saeun as to not waste a moment. pulling up the cuffs of his loose sweater, he approached her, towering over her seemingly fragile form. “now, what did you need help with? was it the chorus? i’m not completely familiar with the choreo, so it might take me a moment to memorize everything quickly. no biggie, though, that’s what makes dancing so fun!” he beamed, exhilaration essentially bursting from his chest. “i’m ready, are you?"
it’d been days after isac. jinhwan, still exhausted from the bright lights and cameras following him like shadows, spent his nights wallowing by himself, refining the unreleased tracks on his laptop or practicing particle’s choreography for their upcoming performances. it felt as though something was missing, as though something had been taken from him. jinhwan knew he was stressed beyond capacity, making mental notes of how he acted to ensure they wouldn’t become habits or trends in his character. trying to decipher what exactly felt lost, he lay on his bed, running through any possible answer. and suddenly, he shot up, naeun’s name pulsing through his mind. naeun.
naeun was what jinhwan had been missing recently. his stress relief, someone he could love into the morning, someone who made him feel secure, even if it was for a couple nights. her welcoming aura mixed with the way they’d harmonize together in between the sheets made him forget about all the problems that clouded his mind, not to mention their friendship being a sort of therapy as well. he needed to visit, needed to check-in, needed to hold her.
darting his head either side to make sure no sasaengs or paparazzi had tracked him to his exact location, jinhwan slips out of his car, quietly making his way to the iota dorms. he checks his watch.
2:00 a.m.
he wasn’t even sure if she’d be awake at this hour. if she wasn’t, he wouldn’t blame her; it was late, and this was an unscheduled visit. he pressed his thumb against the doorbell, tapping his foot quickly. every second he spent in front of this door was another second someone could find him and ruin both his and naeun’s careers. his head lifts quickly at the sound of the door swinging open, revealing naeun’s smaller frame.
“hey,” he sighed, pushing the door open further to let himself in. “sorry for showing up right now. i know it’s inconvenient."
it had been a long day in seoul, jinhwan finally getting a chance to unwind after isac. he'd never tell, but his homesickness was starting to overtake his excitement to be in the city of bright lights and dreams. it wasn’t that he wasn’t grateful, no, jinhwan knew how privileged he was to be performing, living and thriving in seoul and have international success — it wasn’t an offer you get every day. but, as the weeks flew by and dusks became dawns, jinhwan's yearning for his family and childhood friends back in gwangju only grew. the friends he brought with him and the ones he made during his stay were more than his happy pill, they were mainly the reason why he was living and thriving if living and thriving at all.
jinhwan finds himself seemingly alone. it was kmg’s lounge, the room spacious but cramped thanks to millions of couches and large vending machines that towered over everyone, including 182 cm tall jinhwan. reaching down to grasp the bottle of water he purchased, he sighed aloud, trying to sidetrack any homesick thoughts that plagued his mind. he knew that any moment he spent worrying about those he knew were okay was a moment he could be practicing, writing, dancing. fueled by the fear of losing time to better himself, he turned on his heel, walking blindly towards the exit to find the practice room.
thud. jinhwan glances in front of him, finding he’d bumped into someone who was very clearly in the midst of walking towards him. “shit, i’m sorry!” he mumbled, shaking his head. he holds their arms and pulls them into a brief hug, an attempt to show his remorse. “i really didn’t expect anyone else to be here right now.” he pauses, leaning against the door frame and taking a swig at his water. “what brings you here at this hour? i’m curious.”
in which nayeon and @vldjhwans play a game of cards at isac.
there’s nothing that nayeon hates more than muting herself. usually, she’ll blatantly refuse to. there are lines that she can’t cross if she doesn’t want to get into trouble with her company, but she toes those lines as much as she can, and in the grand scheme of things, she doesn’t think that it matters that much. it’s not like the general public sees b.witched in a positive light, anyway, and while she tries to avoid bringing their image down even further, she sees no use in making herself out to be softer, kinder, more modest when the public’s just going to think whatever they want, regardless. but, everything in the world has an exception, and nayeon’s exception happens to be son jinhwan.
she understands that the company has fought tooth and nail for seven years to protect particle’s image, and it’s something that she’ll scoff at in private, but the last thing that she wants is to tarnish that carefully polished reputation. besides, there’s been enough gossip about their friendship in the past to let her know that even the tiniest things won’t go unnoticed. so, for jinhwan, she’ll mute herself.
this careful muting is seen in the details. like how there’s an unnatural amount of space between them as they sit on the floor of the gymnasium, and even then, she fears that it’s too close. and how when he wins another round of go fish, she starts to lean forward, hand balled into a fist, prepared to punch him in the arm… but, at the last second, she leans away again and just gives him a playful look that says if we weren’t in public, you’d be dead.
she throws her deck of cards onto the ground and mutters, “you’ve got to be kidding me.” she exhales loudly to express her annoyance, then declares, “i don’t even want to play anymore. it’s not fun when you win.”
there wouldn’t be anyone in the world you could possibly find that jinhwan trusts as much as nayeon. she was his partner in crime, his savior, one of the only people who’d actually helped jinhwan in a time of need, which is more than what you can say for some of his other friends. from the days where he’d buy ice cream for the two of them while he makes fun of her height to the nights where they bask in the artificial light of the practice rooms on the floor and just talk, jinhwan enjoyed every second he spent with nayeon.
most would eye their behavior and mark it as flirting or a stab at romance when their relationship is nothing more than platonic. hell, the majority of kmg fans are convinced the two are hiding a relationship from the countless rumors and gossip threads that have been posted about them. jinhwan loves nayeon. not as a girlfriend, not as a lover, but as a friend. as a sister.
jinhwan’s eyes drift upwards, gaping at the hundreds of fans surrounding him at this years isac. he’s been an idol for years, yet every single time he finds himself gazing at all those people, he feels a deep-rooted sense of fear. he pulls his head down, scrutinizing the space he and nayeon currently occupy. regardless if it was uncomfortably far apart for them, it’d always be too close for fans. with the constant rumors and his spike in fame after his famous 2017 ‘glow-up’, the public has kept their eye on him closer than he’d like. he remains wary of the physicality of their relationship, seeing nayeon lean in and knowing a punch in the arm or something along the line was coming his way. noticing her sway backward, he sighs in relief, knowing somewhere a ‘nahwan’ fan just lost more ‘evidence’ that they’re in a relationship. her expression, one that matches her fiery spirit, alerts him that he wouldn’t have gotten away with winning if there weren’t so many people surrounding them.
“hey, that’s not fair!” he chuckles at her exasperation, recognizing how this is something he can tease her for later. “it’s fun when i win! for me, at least.”
hi I realized my theme is WACK and you can’t mf SEE ANYTHING so until i find a new theme that doesn’t overlap all my stuff at once here are my wanted connections
platonic
𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐞 (m/f/nb) jinhwan’s #1, his best friend. someone who’s known him since they were kids (optional), and someone he’ll always talk to. essentially, the person he platonically loves the most. (must be from gwangju / seoul, 22+)
𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 (m/f/nb) someone jinhwan has way too much fun with! they’re drinking buddies; he’ll visit them often, knowing that whenever he’s bored there’s only one person who can fix that problem. (21+)
𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 (m/f/nb) someone who jinhwan helps all the time. regardless of age, jinhwan will help them if they need it and don’t feel comfortable talking to someone up top. he’s there for them mostly in their low points, guiding them and giving them advice.
𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (m/f/nb) his group of friends that he’ll always hang out with. aside from his group, he loves to be around these people! they’ll always go out together and be something like the fantastic four. (can include his own group members)
𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞 (m/f/nb) someone who looks up to him and goes to him for advice on excelling as an idol or a person. he may stray away from them, being confused as to why someone would look to him for assistance, but will eventually warm up to them!
romantic/suggestive
𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 (m/f/nb) someone he denies having feelings for. why, oh why, will this person never leave his mind? never learns his lesson when it comes to people he’s really into and getting in a relationship. potential to be extremely angsty/very cute. i love this one.
𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 (m/f/nb) sex partner. when stress hits, when life seems unescapable, they’re always there and willing to love him into the morning. he’ll trust them more often than others, he’ll come and vent to them if there are any problems and help them if they ever need help. will never leave them behind.
𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 (m/f/nb) a one-night stand/fling that didn’t go particularly well after it ended. the two of them rarely talk; he’s embarrassed and will most likely avoid you if he sees you. won’t ignore you, but won’t want to talk to you. he just doesn’t know what to say.
𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 (m/f/nb) (0/1) an ex. someone he’ll actively avoid as well, trying not to interact with them. this relationship possibly could’ve had a rocky ending, and he’ll forever disconnect from that experience, regardless if he feels better about you or not. this is why he should spend time working instead of being in a relationship, so he doesn’t get hurt again.
hey guys! i'm anna and i'm so excited for you guys to meet jinhwan! i love making characters that have more to them as you dig deeper, so expect some very versatile and wild plots, haha. if you didn’t catch it, my timezone is pst. i’m glad to meet all of you and hope i can plot soon! please like this post if you’re interested :>
i’m also super shy so please bear w me 💀
* my connections can be found here!
the basics
son jinhwan | 손진환.
born september 21st, 1995.
he / him
bisexual, leaning heterosexual
hometown: gwangju
family: son minjun, (father) son sooyoung, (mother) son jinju (sister)
particles main dancer, rapper, vocalist
personality
jinhwan on camera is probably one of the sweetest and most considerate people on the planet. like, seriously, he’s been acknowledged multiple times by the korean and western public for his respect towards others and especially women.
he’s known for being one of the more energetic members, his affection towards his fans and his members is a never-ending cascade of hearts, kisses, and hugs.
jinhwan struggles with confrontation. a lot. if something’s bothering him, it’ll take him weeks to even consider the possibility of telling you. he doesn’t want to cause trouble because he sometimes feels as though he’s an annoyance to people he knows
even though he can be insecure, he’s quite the social butterfly. he wants to meet everyone
when he catches feelings for someone, his ass really doesn’t know what to do
he deals with romantic feelings the same way he deals with confrontation: avoidance
he’s super affectionate, but if he starts to feel some way about someone, he will stop being affectionate because ‘He DoESn’T wANt thEm TO tHInK hE LikES ThEM’
little does he know, he’s amazing in bed ;)
like, seriously. he does not have any confidence in his sexual capabilities
he loves to draft and write music on his laptop. even if he doesn’t share them or use them, he’ll save them for a later date just in case either he gets the chance to put it out or someone else is interested
he has two cats, tokki and saesae. yes, he has a parenting scrapbook with pictures of them, no, he will not show you
cannot deal with negative comments. because of his history with bullying, every time he sees a threatening comment he’s immediately brought back to the days where he was abused by his classmates. he’ll often disappear into his bedroom for days, not coming out unless it’s for something mandatory.
again, he loves his members more than anything. if anyone fucks with them, he immediately wants to defend them. family is number one in his books, front and center.
loves his sister, jinju. though they struggle to keep in contact, he’ll always send her messages of support so that she doesn’t feel alone the way he did.
september by earth, wind, and fire is his favorite song. he knows it’s cheesy, but it’s always cheered him up when he feels he needs to pull himself together
backstory
jinhwan was born on a rainy, september night in 1995, the warmth of love and anticipation keeping him bundled from the stormy night outside. his father always found his birth quite joyful because, for one thing, he was born on the 21st night of september, and, when he first came out of his mother’s womb, everyone in the room swore jinhwan giggled before he cried.
although his family was poor, his family was rich in love. his father, son minjun, and his mother, son sooyoung, loved their children, jinhwan and jinju, more than anything in the world. jinhwan would often find himself swaddled in kisses and hugs from his mother, while seeing nothing but encouragement from his father. all had gone well until jinhwan encountered bullies at his high school.
hey’d taunt him for his torn shoes and his outdated clothes, his interests and the way he’d hold back tears when they jeered at him. he didn’t know what to think — he didn’t know whether or not he was exaggerating the emotional trauma they’d caused him. unbeknownst to him, he was never in the wrong about them: they’d threatened to kill him, they’d throw him around and leave him to cry on the concrete floor, spread countless foul rumors about him.
jinhwan, the star student, began skipping class. skipping days, weeks of school. as his grades fell, so did his confidence. all he could do was dance. instead of attending class, he’d found an old, abandoned studio, where he cleaned a dirty mirror and used it to express his emotions in the only way he knew how: dance.
one day, a teacher of his mr. kang, found a silhouette dancing across the walls of the building, communicating passion he’d never seen before. sticking his head in carefully, he found jinhwan, leaping across the floor with earphones blasting music so loud mr. kang could hear it. knowing jinhwan hadn’t seen him, he slipped out silently, waiting until the end of the day to knock on the son family’s door and request to speak to jinhwan.
jinhwan found his teacher at the edge of the dining table, a bowl of jjamppong steaming in front of him. sitting alone at the table with his teacher after his family left the room, mr. kang confessed what he saw that day. jinhwan was appalled, embarrassed that anyone, especially a teacher, had seen him like that. it was the words that followed, though, that touched jinhwan in a new way. mr. kang explained how he’d never seen anyone with such passion, such grace. he discussed how he knew that jinhwan was missing school to avoid his bullies, how jinhwan would pull fake faces and fake tones masking his feeling of depression with happiness. mr. kang made a deal with jinhwan: that if he continued to come to school and work with him, he would fund jinhwan to continue to dance and pursue performing arts. jinhwan burst into tears, falling out of his chair into a crouched bow, one that indicates the largest amount of respect.
with the encouragement of his family and teachers, jinhwan auditioned for kmg entertainment and was elated when he’d been accepted. jinhwan was no longer the shy, quiet child he’d grown into because of his bullies, he was a confident young man who’d finally found his purpose. knowing the members of PARTICLE was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he values his members over anyone else. because he’s had experience hiding his feelings, he’s quite good on variety shows, being able to appear completely fine even if his world is falling apart. in terms of acting, he struggles to appear genuine while acting, as he cannot fully understand a character unless he feels a connection with them.
all in all, jinhwan cherishes those he’s close to the most. he catches feelings quite easily, but cannot understand when someone’s flirting with him. he has a lot of emotional baggage. and, he’s babie.
