I regained access to this blog so now I'm both here and @weakhero-diaries. I will post alternately from both so that Tumblr doesn't think that I'm a spammer (yes they told me that they thought so). Thank you!
NEW SETS: Weak Hero Character Name Meanings (Korean) ~ LITERAL & METAPHORICAL ~ Part 1
I was in a bit of a somber mood after the ending so I made yet another set of character name meanings (Korean). If you notice the differences from my previous edits it's because I had since learned a little bit more about naming culture in China, Japan, and Korea. Enjoy!
Weak Hero Musings (10): On the Wasted Potentials of That Death
SPOILER ALERT
(Parts 1-8 were posted on my other blog @weakherodiaries)
A part of me is still resentful that Baekjin (Donald)'s death does nothing to end the criminal enterprises of Changhui's Cheongang (Sky River) and Lee Chungil's network.
Don't get me wrong, I never wanted for Baekjin to become a murder victim. But to simply use his death to highlight the problems of child abuse, youth mental health, and loss of true friendships is such a wasted potential to me. Because Baekjin wasn't just an abused minor, he was also a juvenile criminal. The story is no longer about school violence because Baekjin's crimes were tied to those two crime syndicates.
So I used to wish that Baekjin's death was the result of criminal intent (a conspiracy to murder) by either Cheongang or Lee Chungil. The death would've served as the punchline for the story, and brought the Union and Eunjang kids together. Conspiracy to murder through traffic accidents is a classic trope in kdramas and films, so I thought that my expectation was reasonable (I know, the joke's on me. Ha. Ha. Ha). However, since Baekjin's funeral proceeded without the appearance of the law enforcement before, during, or after, I knew that I was hoping in vain.
With the Eunjang and Union kids as eyewitnesses in the syndicates' trials and/or investigations, every character would've had the chance to shine as weak heroes too. They would've pulled through, not by muscles, but by brain and bravery.
With how things are going now, I'm worried that the webtoon might just end openly with Eunjang and Union kids' brawl against Cheongang's or Lee Chungil's thugs. How regrettable would that be, since this story has never been simply about brawls.
Seeing as Changhui demanded a favour from an owner of a transportation company to overlook that man trying to run off with money (before Sieun fough Doyoon), the people I talked to about it are all kinda assuming that Cheongang set the accident up somehow.
(There were also two Cheongang mooks at the river fight, at least two people with their design.)
So I am kinda wondering what could still happen there once the shock starts wearing off and Cheongang starts pushing.
May even help Sieun to overcome his trauma and reassure him that it was not his fault.
You gave me hope, honestly. The series of real estate-related incidents that took place at and around Yeongdeungpo, especially the Dorim-ro area, is a real phenomenon, although the corruption under the name of a union etc took place elsewhere (at least from the news that I could access). Seopass seemed to pay close attention to these problems so for the sake of the story I hope they closed it properly
Bonus Real pictures of Dorim area btw
Cr: Korean Dramaland and Placesjournal.org (Can't link because I might get banned again)
Weak Hero Musings (10): On the Wasted Potentials of That Death
SPOILER ALERT
(Parts 1-8 were posted on my other blog @weakherodiaries)
A part of me is still resentful that Baekjin (Donald)'s death does nothing to end the criminal enterprises of Changhui's Cheongang (Sky River) and Lee Chungil's network.
Don't get me wrong, I never wanted for Baekjin to become a murder victim. But to simply use his death to highlight the problems of child abuse, youth mental health, and loss of true friendships is such a wasted potential to me. Because Baekjin wasn't just an abused minor, he was also a juvenile criminal. The story is no longer about school violence because Baekjin's crimes were tied to those two crime syndicates.
So I used to wish that Baekjin's death was the result of criminal intent (a conspiracy to murder) by either Cheongang or Lee Chungil. The death would've served as the punchline for the story, and brought the Union and Eunjang kids together. Conspiracy to murder through traffic accidents is a classic trope in kdramas and films, so I thought that my expectation was reasonable (I know, the joke's on me. Ha. Ha. Ha). However, since Baekjin's funeral proceeded without the appearance of the law enforcement before, during, or after, I knew that I was hoping in vain.
With the Eunjang and Union kids as eyewitnesses in the syndicates' trials and/or investigations, every character would've had the chance to shine as weak heroes too. They would've pulled through, not by muscles, but by brain and bravery.
With how things are going now, I'm worried that the webtoon might just end openly with Eunjang and Union kids' brawl against Cheongang's or Lee Chungil's thugs. How regrettable would that be, since this story has never been simply about brawls.
I don't know whether you've read it or not but in the interview with Seopass (I think I read the translation on Reddit,but I forgot to bookmark it) they mentioned that they were preparing for another project. That and Idk whether the readership in Naver has been steadily declining. After all, many readers mistook the webtoon to be a full-on action webtoon when in fact even Suho (Stephen)'s accident in the first season was based on a real, controversial bullying case that took place in Korea in 2019.
So when the new season started, and as it progressed, people were disappointed in several things (I might be mistaken, this is just my personal observation on the state of things from Reddit and Webtoon and might not reflect the Korean readership pov AT ALL)
That there were real estate corruption inserted into the plot
That Sieun (Gray)'s action scenes were less than the previous seasons
That a group like Cheongang was inserted without real importance
That Baekjin (Donald)'s backstory and real personality made him less than the scary fighter king some readers were hyping him to be
I will combine the review for this week's episode with the one after that because plotwise nothing much happened...but fgs I hope Sieun (Gray) made this face because he saw Suho's pic in Jihwan's text (Stephen) and not Beomseok (Bryce).
to explain the context of this song (would've could've should've from midnights) taylor is talking about how if she never met the man who groomed her at a young age, she never would've experienced many things that resulted in her losing her innocence so quickly.
obvi this situation isn't super specific to donald, but i think you get how it speaks to how if his whole...childhood situation didn't happen he'd never have sold his soul with the union. he'd have grown into a sweet and kind boy who loves chocolate and is the top of his class and is en route to becoming a future nasa engineer, but now he's the boss of a criminal empire and is committing real estate fraud. he runs from his memories now that he's older, from the feeling of being weak and pitiful, being bullied in school and beat up by his stepdad at home with his new persona.
he's too terrified to confront the past and hides from it under the illusion of strength, but simultaneously he holds it close as a reminder of what might become of him if he doesn't keep striving, keep working till he dominates anything and everything.
the way taylor sings the bridge is so full of ??desperation?? the chorus is fast-paced, with a tone of regret and anguish that creates anticipation for the bridge. which taylor delivers, by the way, bc if the tone of the chorus is one of despair and haunting memories, the bridge practically blares it in your face!!
'God rest my soul, I miss who I used to be' carries resignation and hopelessness, and it reminds me of how donald transformed himself completely into someone he hated. he covered himself head to toe in tattoos even though they disgusted him, pierced every available inch of skin on his ears and his face (thank Razen he didnt get a nose piercing though🙏🙏THAT WAS NEVER THE MOVE) and bought those expensive but scary ass clothes just so he could pull off his 'intimidating' image. he invested so much time and so much money...for what?
i read on Genius.com that 'the tomb won't close' means taylor can't find peace with her situation despite trying. similarly, donald has never stopped hurting because of his past, yet he doesn't confront it. he runs from the pain in an attempt to escape without realising he's just running in circles.
verse three has GOT to be my favourite part in the song. you can really feel the frustration delivered by the last two lines of the song as the pitch and speed increases (soz hope im not wrong in saying this). it reminds me of how donald initially felt ashamed of the helplessness displayed in his childhood and adamant that he never experience it again, versus donald right before his death, finally looking back on his younger self with love and protectiveness.
it also holds the feeling that you get when you feel as if something has been taken from you. donald feels the unfairness of his childhood and innocence being robbed from him at such an early age. he mourns the injustice that his younger self was treated with, and my personal interpretation is that he wishes he could change it. it's normal when you feel like something was stolen from you...which in his case, it most definitely was.
donald is also SUCH a mirrorball girly. yes, he's always been a natural at everything (he's strong, he's smart, and he's sexy. what CAN'T he do?) but he's done nothing but try all his life. he had to work so hard from such an early age, and he could never stop to take a break, because if he stops, he dies. his mom is dead. his stepdad has left him. he's a newly orphaned 13 year old with no money and no school. if he doesn't look after himself, he passes away on the streets.
he never wanted to do crime. even in the union, he wanted to gravitate more towards the business parts of his job. he never got to experience a life where he got to do what he wanted rather than have to fight for survival all the time. he never got the option to learn that he doesnt have to live the rest of his life punished for his poverty and broken home.
because yk, there wasn't a 'rest of his life'.
the archer is another song. don't think i have to explain how the first couple of lyrics express the loneliness he felt in his journey to the top, but ARGHHHH!! the lines 'i cut off my nose just to spite my face, then hate my reflection for years and years...' it's so him, covering his whole body with tatts knowing he'll feel repulsed everytime he looks in the mirror.
the rest of the verse imo, embody the panic and trauma he must've felt with his circumstances that he probably subdued while he was alive.
i bet on losing dogs and class of 2013 by mitski are also honorable mentions
so kudos to taylor for being able to write music that panders not just to academically burnt out eldest daughters but also seventeen year old mafia bosses created by (assumably) generational poverty and a screwed up system
I love this analysis! Taylor Swift was a kid who was so ahead of the curve (excuse me for quoting "This Is Me Trying") and so was Baekjin, and the curve for both kids became a sphere (still from the same song), meaning that they felt trapped and didn't know how to get out. And for that reason they simultaneously stood out yet were so alienated, knowing full well that people talked behind their backs and realizing that what they showed to people wasn't always authentic to their own perceptions about themselves.
Weak Hero Musings (10): On the Wasted Potentials of That Death
SPOILER ALERT
(Parts 1-9 were posted on my other blog @weakherodiaries)
A part of me is still resentful that Baekjin (Donald)'s death does nothing to end the criminal enterprises of Changhui's Cheongang (Sky River) and Lee Chungil's network.
Don't get me wrong, I never wanted for Baekjin to become a murder victim. But to simply use his death to highlight the problems of child abuse, youth mental health, and loss of true friendships, to me, wastes the potentials of his death.
Because Baekjin wasn't just an abused minor, he was also a juvenile criminal.
The story is no longer about school violence because Baekjin's crimes were tied to those two crime syndicates.
So I used to wish that Baekjin's death was the result of criminal intent (a conspiracy to murder) by either Cheongang or Lee Chungil. The death would've served as the punchline for the story, and brought the Union and Eunjang kids together. Conspiracy to murder through traffic accidents is a classic trope in kdramas and films, so I thought that my expectation was reasonable (I know, the joke's on me. Insert sad clown laugh: Ha. Ha. Ha). However, since Baekjin's funeral proceeded without the appearance of the law enforcement before, during, or after, I knew that I was hoping in vain.
With the Eunjang and Union kids as eyewitnesses in the syndicates' trials and/or investigations, every character would've had the chance to shine as weak heroes too. They would've pulled through, not by muscles, but by brain and bravery.
With how things are going now, I'm worried that the webtoon might just end openly with Eunjang and Union kids' brawl against Cheongang's or Lee Chungil's thugs. How regrettable would that be, since this story has never been simply about brawls.
His birthday was on Sep 30 (per the Korean original text). Fun fact: in literal sense the name "Gayool" means "excellent pen brush" but metaphorically means:
"to become someone whose artistry is praiseworthy".
Which is true. He's a very good singer and guitarist!
Weak Hero Musings (9): On Jihoon's and Pilyoung's Human Decency
SPOILER ALERT
During Baekjin (Donald)'s funeral service episodes, several characters surprised me with their human decency. I already posted about Dongha, so now I'll talk about Jihoon and Pilyoung (Phillip).
Jihoon stayed with Seokhyeon (Kingsley) and Hakho (Jake). To wear that one-striped yellow armband means that he shared Seokhyeon and Hakho's physical and mental burden, as the deceased Baekjin's brother. Which was why he was seen exhausted outside of that charnel house. It wasn't just the gloomy atmosphere, he must've lived very roughly in preparing the funeral for days. But he didn't complain of it, and he stayed.
To be fair to Jihoon, I knew that there's something good in him because he genuinely cared about Jeongyeon (Jack) and sincerely trusted Goseon. Contrary to what strangers might think about him, he didn't care that much about money. But I thought that his own strength was the only thing that really mattered to him.
Or was it because of this mindset that he was willing to lend his strength to Hakho and Seokhyeon? "I'm strong enough to help you both a little bit?" Was that it? Isn't that still decent and kind, anyway?
***
Then there was Pilyoung (Phillip), the guy who started out as a showy opportunist. He'd come a long way, spending more and more time alone even though outside of the school he was still wearing that façade of the popular scary thug who had eased his way into building networks. Probably because, unbeknownst to himself, Pilyoung no longer cared for the privilege of things, just for things that mattered.
This gradual growth was what led him to coming alone to Baekjin's funeral. Pilyoung couldn't make it because of his emotional turmoil, but the fact that he was willing to go there in spite of past events, and without any rewards, is a testament that all that Pilyoung was missing about the Union was the feeling of camaraderie with Baekjin (and the others).
The fact that Pilyoung spent time personally grieving for Baekjin while also wondering about Sieun's absence is an indication of tremendous emotional growth to me. It's so satisfying to see that in a character and a human being.
Thanks for reminding me to be kinder and wiser in the tags. But yes it was easier for me to see them simply as bullies and sometimes I got carried away while forgetting that they were just kids. And for people their age (and older), they'd been through a lot.
Weak Hero Musings (9): On Jihoon's and Pilyoung's Human Decency
SPOILER ALERT
During Baekjin (Donald)'s funeral service episodes, several characters surprised me with their human decency. I already posted about Dongha, so now I'll talk about Jihoon and Pilyoung (Phillip).
Jihoon stayed with Seokhyeon (Kingsley) and Hakho (Jake). To wear that one-striped yellow armband means that he shared Seokhyeon and Hakho's physical and mental burden, as the deceased Baekjin's brother. Which was why he was seen exhausted outside of that charnel house. It wasn't just the gloomy atmosphere, he must've lived very roughly in preparing the funeral for days. But he didn't complain of it, and he stayed.
To be fair to Jihoon, I knew that there's something good in him because he genuinely cared about Jeongyeon (Jack) and sincerely trusted Goseon. Contrary to what strangers might think about him, he didn't care that much about money. But I thought that his own strength was the only thing that really mattered to him.
Or was it because of this mindset that he was willing to lend his strength to Hakho and Seokhyeon? "I'm strong enough to help you both a little bit?" Was that it? Isn't that still decent and kind, anyway?
***
Then there was Pilyoung (Phillip), the guy who started out as a showy opportunist. He'd come a long way, spending more and more time alone even though outside of the school he was still wearing that façade of the popular scary thug who had eased his way into building networks. Probably because, unbeknownst to himself, Pilyoung no longer cared for the privilege of things, just for things that mattered.
This gradual growth was what led him to coming alone to Baekjin's funeral. Pilyoung couldn't make it because of his emotional turmoil, but the fact that he was willing to go there in spite of past events, and without any rewards, is a testament that all that Pilyoung was missing about the Union was the feeling of camaraderie with Baekjin (and the others).
The fact that Pilyoung spent time personally grieving for Baekjin while also wondering about Sieun's absence is an indication of tremendous emotional growth to me. It's so satisfying to see that in a character and a human being.
Donald Na remembered the nose bleeds he had as a kid. He remembered the blood trickling down his philtrum into his lips, down his chin and to whatever surface awaited each drop of blood below. More times then not, a significant amount of the blood always went to his shirt, it would go into the loose, tattered threads of his plain, oversized shirts and the blood would find itself a home there. The stores and the vending machines always had bottled water which he could use to clean out the blood, but he always lacked the money to buy it. And his stepfather never had the capacity to care. Out in the streets, a few drops would always be unlucky enough to fall to the cold, hard concrete of the sidewalks or the asphalt of the road, where the blood would build up into a small little puddle. It always left a mark when it dried, Donald could've always noticed the stains on the asphalt, even when it rained and the water droplets swept the bloodstains away, he remembered where they were. It was always later in the nights, after Donald Na got into whatever flat was abandoned in his building would he be able to use running water from those homes to clean himself up, he slept in damp clothes those nights. He hated his nosebleeds, he grew up resenting the memories of rubbing the blood off his shirt.
Donald Na didn't see the rays of light come from the semi-truck's headlights, he didn't feel warmth or sense it's presence. His desperation led to his high, his high led to his low and now he bled into the asphalt. Life left with his blood out of his body, his clothes, now luxurious, feel heavier on him. Even when slowly losing consciousness, sounds around him blurring into one, loud noise and his eyes heavy with death weighing them down, he feels the cloth stick to his clothes, using drying blood as glue.
In his dying moments, Donald Na is left to remember, his childhood, the Union, his mother and bloodstains from many. He has one final dream, one of all his life's memories. It's nothing near a good one. Donald Na is a dog bleeding in a field, his blood stains the soil and its nutrients nurture the plants around it. He's too tired to bark, but like the bloodstains on the asphalt of abandoned roads he ventured as a child, he'll remember this spot. The rain will wash his mark, but he'll remember, and he frowns in death knowing he won't be along in remembrance.
Sometimes Beakjin wondered about death and how people dealt with dead bodies. In Seoul bodies got cremated because space was precious and graveyards needed space, with way less slots for bodies to be put in, which would also increase the price for a slot.
On the internet were many pictures of different graveyards, orderly lines of crosses or small tombstones, terraces on hillsides or the big western ones next to churches with big trees reaching into the skies, branches shadowing the graves and the decorations put on them, be it plants or statues or anything the people caring for the person buried had thought off.
His mother was in an urn on a shelf among rows of other urns, all in similar shapes and only differentiated by the images and letters on them.
When memories came back to haunt him during quiet hours, the teen wondered if there were any places she would have preferred to be.
But graves needed people to care for them and the charnel house was better at keeping records.
Some people pictured the dead as chained to their remains. If the urn was in a graveyard, buried in a grave, would she be stuck underground? Not seeing anything other than darkness? Or would she sleep as seasons passed and the body decayed in a coffin.
What would even be more bearable? Seeing the urn and knowing it contained all that was left of her or standing in front of a tombstone, the remains buried underground, a fancy sentence carved into the stone?
It was definitely easier to visit the urn than driving to some graveyard though. Also safer for the urn as the building could be locked and easier patrolled by the security. For some reason people sometimes did things to graves.
And there wasn't a nice one nearby anyway. It was all just tight rows of the same tombstone, just differing in the words carved in.
It was very different from what he could imagine from the pictures of the old, western ones, where wind rustled through leaves and branches, and flowers were blooming on other graves and maybe his mom's. With birds flickering around and there being generally a more… peaceful atmosphere.
Baekjin knew it was an illusion, a wishful dream, a place that didn't exist in real life and that no real place could surpass.
When he opened his eyes, he was back in the spot where his thoughts had started to wander.
In the end it didn't really matter anymore if his mother would have preferred a graveyard or the charnel house. It was all already done and over after all.
Chief Mourners: Why did Seokhyeon, Hakho, and Jihoon wear yellow armbands during the funeral service?
SPOILER ALERT
TW: grief, depression, death
DISCLAIMER: I'm not Korean, just learning about their culture.
The yellow armbands around Jihoon (Jimmy), Hakho (Jake) and Seokhyeon (Kingsley)'s arms were the sign that they were the chief mourners of Baekjin (Donald)'s funeral. It means that these three were the substitutes for Baekjin's family in preparing the funeral from start to finish. Theirs was the role that his absent stepfather and/or kin were supposed to carry out.
I'll try to explain to you about their responsibilities. After reading this, hopefully you'll understand why they crumbled and seemingly grew up so fast.
Seokhyeon, Hakho, and Jihoon's responsibilities as chief mourners:
NOTES:
They didn't do it simultaneously since usually there's an agreed upon division of labor among chief mourners of a funeral;
For nos. 3, 5, 6, 7 & 18, since Baekjin, Seokhyeon, Hakho and Jihoon were minors, then per Korean laws the bank accounts that they and the Union used were under their parents' names, and the legal representative was hired under their parents' names too.
Choosing and preparing Baekjin's photograph to be displayed at the funeral hall;
Sending an obituary and/or a death notification to Baekjin's school and to the Union members/related people as soon as his time of death was established;
Hiring a legal representative to be present when Baekjin's personal effects were released before his autopsy started. Since Baekjin had no immediate family and his death was from non-natural causes where autopsy is a must according to their laws.
Being on standby to receive Baekjin's personal effects from said legal representative. Note that this must've been very VERY upsetting to them since these were the things that Baekjin wore on the night of the accident. Just imagine.
Ensuring that the legal representative from no. 3 was present to receive the autopsy reports and photos on behalf of them, usually 3 days - 1 week after the autopsy was performed. The autopsy report for an accident usually look like this:
6. Calculating and paying the expenses to register for funeral, cremation and charnel house (mausoleum) services;
7. Ensuring that everything is taken care of by the funeral & cremation services from there on, including:
The issuance of Baekjin's death certificate (it usually looks like this);
The renting of mourning clothes. These clothes usually look like this (basically what we see in the funeral episodes):
The availability of a funeral hall (complete with condolence money box, incense, floral arrangements etc). The hall is usually located at the basement of the hospital where Baekjin was taken to after the accident, and arranged by the hospital's funeral services that Seokhyeon/Hakho/Jihoon hired;
The availabillity of foods and chrysanthemum flowers provided for mourners during a 3-day funeral service, because Baekjin had no female kin who oversaw this. Note that there are usually several types of foods that MUST be served in a day on tables, like this (usually the minimum is 3 menus):
The availability of a crematorium and a fixed cremation schedule;
The allotment of a charnel house (mausoleum) space for Baekjin's urn and photos, and maybe some personal belongings. Note that for Baekjin to be placed next to his mother, either Seokhyeon, Hakho or Jihoon had to notify the funeral services person(s) in charge who then notified the mausoleum in advance. Later, the persons in charge forwarded their payment of the space to the mausoleum. (EDIT: Or they registered it by themselves and paid directly to the mausoleum).
8. Spending 2 nights and 3 days in that funeral hall for a 3-day funeral service, in the same mourning clothes (if personal bellongings, these were usually later burned or shelved, never worn twice). Note that there's usually no comfortable sleeping arrangement in funeral halls, so they must've slept on the floor on hard pillows and thin blankets for 2 nights;
9. Greeting and welcoming all the mourners during the three 3-day funeral service and ensuring that they signed the guestbook. Note that mourners usually come after school/work hours from 6-11 p.m so Seokhyeon, Hakho, and Jihoon had to finish showering, eating, etc before those hours;
10. Receiving and storing the condolence money. The condolence money is usually placed in envelopes like these:
And the box where these envelopes are stored look like this:
11. Arranging with the funeral services to ensure that there was food and drink for these mourners (since Baekjin had no female immediate family);
12. Receiving any standing wreaths from organizations that are connected. Note that standing wreaths in Korean funerals usually only come from organizations and not individuals, so probably if there was one, it would only be from Yeoil High since all of Baekjin's other contacts were made in an illegal business setting. Standing wreaths usually look like this;
13. Going to the crematorium and attending the cremation process along with select mourners;
14. Receiving Baekjin's ashes in a container (usually an urn purchased through the funeral services);
15. Going to the mausoleum and attending the placement of Baekjin's urn, photos and select belongings in the mausoleum/charnel house;
16. Thanking other mourners properly on behalf of Baekjin's family.
17. Counting the condolence money and deciding what to do with it afterwards other than covering the funeral costs.
18. Paying off Baekjin's personal debts and The Union's (if there was any), and dividing the remaining money and assets (probably needing to hire a legal representative again).
Honestly learning about all of this made me sympathize with Jihoon, Seokhyeon and Hakho more. I sadly realized that in a better time and a better place these three might have been real friends to Baekjin. It's not too late for the three of them yet.
The one striped yellow armband means that Seokhyeon, Hakho, and Jihoon are BROTHERS of the deceased (Baekjin). There are several types of armbands for a Korean funeral and theirs means that.
Chief Mourners: Why did Seokhyeon, Hakho, and Jihoon wear yellow armbands during the funeral service?
SPOILER ALERT
TW: grief, depression, death
DISCLAIMER: I'm not Korean, just learning about their culture.
The yellow armbands around Jihoon (Jimmy), Hakho (Jake) and Seokhyeon (Kingsley)'s arms were the sign that they were the chief mourners of Baekjin (Donald)'s funeral. It means that these three were the substitutes for Baekjin's family in preparing the funeral from start to finish. Theirs was the role that his absent stepfather and/or kin were supposed to carry out.
I'll try to explain to you about their responsibilities. After reading this, hopefully you'll understand why they crumbled and seemingly grew up so fast.
Seokhyeon, Hakho, and Jihoon's responsibilities as chief mourners:
NOTES:
They didn't do it simultaneously since usually there's an agreed upon division of labor among chief mourners of a funeral;
For nos. 3, 5, 6, 7 & 18, since Baekjin, Seokhyeon, Hakho and Jihoon were minors, then per Korean laws the bank accounts that they and the Union used were under their parents' names, and the legal representative was hired under their parents' names too.
Choosing and preparing Baekjin's photograph to be displayed at the funeral hall;
Sending an obituary and/or a death notification to Baekjin's school and to the Union members/related people as soon as his time of death was established;
Hiring a legal representative to be present when Baekjin's personal effects were released before his autopsy started. Since Baekjin had no immediate family and his death was from non-natural causes where autopsy is a must according to their laws.
Being on standby to receive Baekjin's personal effects from said legal representative. Note that this must've been very VERY upsetting to them since these were the things that Baekjin wore on the night of the accident. Just imagine.
Ensuring that the legal representative from no. 3 was present to receive the autopsy reports and photos on behalf of them, usually 3 days - 1 week after the autopsy was performed. The autopsy report for an accident usually look like this:
6. Calculating and paying the expenses to register for funeral, cremation and charnel house (mausoleum) services;
7. Ensuring that everything is taken care of by the funeral & cremation services from there on, including:
The issuance of Baekjin's death certificate (it usually looks like this);
The renting of mourning clothes. These clothes usually look like this (basically what we see in the funeral episodes):
The availability of a funeral hall (complete with condolence money box, incense, floral arrangements etc). The hall is usually located at the basement of the hospital where Baekjin was taken to after the accident, and arranged by the hospital's funeral services that Seokhyeon/Hakho/Jihoon hired;
The availabillity of foods and chrysanthemum flowers provided for mourners during a 3-day funeral service, because Baekjin had no female kin who oversaw this. Note that there are usually several types of foods that MUST be served in a day on tables, like this (usually the minimum is 3 menus):
The availability of a crematorium and a fixed cremation schedule;
The allotment of a charnel house (mausoleum) space for Baekjin's urn and photos, and maybe some personal belongings. Note that for Baekjin to be placed next to his mother, either Seokhyeon, Hakho or Jihoon had to notify the funeral services person(s) in charge who then notified the mausoleum in advance. Later, the persons in charge forwarded their payment of the space to the mausoleum. (EDIT: Or they registered it by themselves and paid directly to the mausoleum).
8. Spending 2 nights and 3 days in that funeral hall for a 3-day funeral service, in the same mourning clothes (if personal bellongings, these were usually later burned or shelved, never worn twice). Note that there's usually no comfortable sleeping arrangement in funeral halls, so they must've slept on the floor on hard pillows and thin blankets for 2 nights;
9. Greeting and welcoming all the mourners during the three 3-day funeral service and ensuring that they signed the guestbook. Note that mourners usually come after school/work hours from 6-11 p.m so Seokhyeon, Hakho, and Jihoon had to finish showering, eating, etc before those hours;
10. Receiving and storing the condolence money. The condolence money is usually placed in envelopes like these:
And the box where these envelopes are stored look like this:
11. Arranging with the funeral services to ensure that there was food and drink for these mourners (since Baekjin had no female immediate family);
12. Receiving any standing wreaths from organizations that are connected. Note that standing wreaths in Korean funerals usually only come from organizations and not individuals, so probably if there was one, it would only be from Yeoil High since all of Baekjin's other contacts were made in an illegal business setting. Standing wreaths usually look like this;
13. Going to the crematorium and attending the cremation process along with select mourners;
14. Receiving Baekjin's ashes in a container (usually an urn purchased through the funeral services);
15. Going to the mausoleum and attending the placement of Baekjin's urn, photos and select belongings in the mausoleum/charnel house;
16. Thanking other mourners properly on behalf of Baekjin's family.
17. Counting the condolence money and deciding what to do with it afterwards other than covering the funeral costs.
18. Paying off Baekjin's personal debts and The Union's (if there was any), and dividing the remaining money and assets (probably needing to hire a legal representative again).
Honestly learning about all of this made me sympathize with Jihoon, Seokhyeon and Hakho more. I sadly realized that in a better time and a better place these three might have been real friends to Baekjin. It's not too late for the three of them yet.
"Sometimes I count up to ten just to see when... when will I see the sun? In my mind I've just begun... " - 'GONE', Thirteen Senses
During Baekjin (Donald)'s funeral, everyone in the Union was devastated. But the most devastated was Seokhyeon (Kingsley), who found it hard to accept that he really had to prepare the funeral (oh my god how unfair this world was to these kids).
Whereas Dongha was in tears, while Seongmok, Sehan (Forrest) and Jongyeon (Jack) were too stunned to process the tragedy, Hakho (Jake)'s kindness shone the most during the funeral. In a quick understanding of the human vulnerabilities of the once-omniscient Baekjin and the immovable Seokhyeon, he managed to support Seokhyeon like a friend (and no longer just a fellow executive of the Union) would.
In the meantime, Jihoon (Jimmy) was coping with his belated realization that, true to his name, all he had ever wanted was to be acknowledged by someone as strong as Baekjin (Jihoon's name means "The Will for A Merit/Recognition").
To every Union members's surprise and indignation, Humin (Ben) showed up at the funeral, against his friends' advice. Always being genuine and generous (this is also true to the part of his name that means "genuinely generous") , he was paying respects even to his bitterest enemies.
Being perceptive of the role that Sieun (Gray), and Humin & co.'s in trying to get help for Baekjin that night, Hakho later talked to Humin outside the charnel house. He even asked Humin how Sieun fared, and unfortunately he hadn't showed up to school, and so hadn't Juntae, according to a flashback to Taeoh (Teddy), Juyang (Rowan), Gayool (Gerard) as they talked at school. (WHAT...)
From a hill behind the charnel house, we saw Hwangho and Seongje (Wolf), paying their last respects, or rather, saying a badass goodbye, to Baekjin.
Elsewhere in the city, Sieun woke up and washed his face. But his own reflection taunted him, calling him the seed of all misfortunes since he had caused Juntae, Suho (Stephen) and even Baekjin so much unhappiness. (YOU'RE NOT THE SEED OF MISFORTUNE. YOU NEVER WERE, SIEUN. THIS IS ONLY YOUR OWN DEPRESSION TALKING!)
Sieun couldn't forget Baekjin's last distraught face and words, as he was standing alone and wounded on that road before the tragedy happened. All that Sieun wanted was for the memories to stop but they wouldn't. He tossed and turned in his sleep, beset by the nightmares.
Meanwhile, to Jihoon's frustration, there were already talks from Seokhyeon that the remaining finances of the Union would be evenly distributed, meaning that no further activities would be made in the name of the Union. He understood however, that everyone was still in shock, although he wondered why "that bastard" Hakho spent so much time with Seokhyeon.
Hakho told Seokhyon straightforwardly that it was Baekjin's last wish to dissolve the Union, but to Seokhyeon, it was only right to respect Baekjin by maintaining the Union and only temporarily halting its activities. He refused to accept that this was where Baekjin ended up. (Learn to let go, kid, it's not good for your health).
It wasn't just the Union members' moods that was somber. It turns out that Humin, Hyuntak (Alex/Gogo) and Pilyoung (Phillip) went to the funeral, too.
Hyuntak and Pilyoung didn't go into the funeral house because Hyuntak was only worried about Humin, while Pilyoung was too overwhelmed by his own emotions.
The other Eunjang kids were gloomy too, especially class 1-5 whose two students still hadn't returned to school. Juntae had regained his consciousness (YESSS) but Sieun went off radar completely. So Humin decided to come to Sieun's house after visiting Juntae at the hospital, and the others agreed. (The fact that only Gayool knew Sieun's address broke my heart, Sieun had never really opened up to his new friends. And Humin, you're such a precious human being).
Hyoman (Colton) & co. found Pilyoung, and thought that he looked cooler than Humin, standing alone. But Pilyoung was actually privately grieving Baekjin's death and worrying about Sieun, as he realized that what he was missing was not the Union itself but the sense of companionship. Only Hyuntak knew about this as he found Pilyoung crying in a Dorim street alley the other day. (My goodness I love these small details. ALSO PILYOUNG YOU DECENT KID YOU).
Somewhere far at Donghae Beach Rest Area, a Byeoksan Middle alumni (EDIT: Jihwan a.k.a Jeremy. Also, REMEMBER that he went to Suho and Sieun's middle school) spotted someone that he thought he knew...
tangentwithtanner
jacobvanloon
prguitarman
turnnoffyourmind
