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mel-0n-earth · 3 months

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BG3 February Writing Challenge: Day 1

Day 1 (SFW, except one or two sentences are NSFW): What was Tav doing when they were abducted?

Link to the original prompt list

[Using this as an opportunity to plot out some backstory for a nonbinary Tav for the Kar'niss fic I'm brainstorming. Enjoy :) ]

Sunshine gleamed blinding over the pristine blocks of limestone lining the Upper City’s manicured streets like so many rows of straight, white teeth. The sun hung white hot from the cloudless blue sky, pouring radiant rays of heat onto the city below. The only shade to be found consisted of bleak shadows clinging to over-trimmed trees, all frighteningly identical to one another. The very air smelled sharply of soap and freshly juiced lemons.

Kai couldn’t stand it. The brightness, the sterile perfection of it all. It was difficult to believe that anyone actually lived here amidst the immaculate aisles of townhouses and fountains spouting pearly blue water. They’d seen at least two picturesque flocks of white doves since they crossed the bridge, yet the whole district was utterly spotless. It seemed even the birds saved their shit for the Lower City.

Besides, all the sunshine hurt Kai’s eyes. That was one of the shit parts of having a deadbeat drow for a mother. At least dear old dad had the good sense to be humor, or Kai would be burnt to a crisp in this sun. They could practically feel their sclera cooking like eggs inside their skull. How much longer were they going to stand around out here?

“Getting impatient, Rahim,” Kai drawled, fingers tapping their bicep.

Their partner didn’t move an inch, or so much as spare them a glance. He’d been sitting like a statue on that bench for what must have been over an hour now, solid as a gargoyle, and perhaps just as frightening, with that craggy scar of his raking a diagonal across his tanned face, black hair pulled back into a bun and beard trimmed short. Even his dark eyes hadn’t moved from whatever distant spot they’d been studying since they got here. Kai might have thought him under a holding spell, if it weren’t for the glaring sparkle of sunlight catching his earring every time he moved even the slightest bit.

“Rahim?”

“We just got here, Kai,” he said in his usual cool tone. “What’s got you all twitchy?”

Kai rolled their shoulders—a nervous habit. “Nothing. Just don’t like it here. Too damn clean.”

“There’s a nice thorny rosebush ‘round the corner if you want to squat for a piss. Hells, I’ll take a whole shit in it if you’ll hold still for five damned minutes. You’re drawing attention to yourself.”

Kai frowned at a saccharine house across the street, its latticed windows framed by painted window boxes stuffed with yellow tulips. “Your guy should’ve been here by now.”

“We’ve got time. Last thing we want is a rushed job.”

“Maybe, but why I haven’t seen a single Fist since we hit this street.”

“This is Upper City, Kai. Most Fists are posted in our neck of the woods.”

Kai nudged Rahims calf with their boot. Finally, he turned to face them, his brown eyes melted to amber honey in the sunshine. The color was made all the more striking by the kohl lining his lids. It gave Kai pause. No one should look that beautiful, especially smarmy rakes like him.

“Don’t you think it’s a little odd?” Kai asked, fingers digging into their arm.

Rahim’s lips quirked up, softening the hard edges of his sea-worn face. Kai steeled themself against the devilish look he only wore when he was busy reading them like a book. “What, you nervous? Looking for some reassurance?”

A breeze drifted by, and Kai caught a hint of the familiar saltwater scent that clung to his skin. Fuck, he even smelled good. Damned pirate bastard.

They looked quickly away. “I don’t trust this new guy, is all. Never worked with him before.”

Rahim turned his attention back to the distance. “Plan’s all his. If we want our cut, we better play along.”

“Yeah? Would love to hear about this plan of his.”

A muscle twitched in Rahim’s jaw, then he smiled. “All in due time. Just trust me on this one, love. Have I done you wrong before?”

Kai tilted their head back. The white hair over their neck was damp with sweat, and the shaved side of their head felt ready to blister under the sun. “No,” they conceded. “Just…got a weird feeling. Can’t quite shake it. Like something isn’t right.”

Rahim rested one rugged hand at the small of Kai’s back, fingers slipping beneath their shirt to brush the sensitive skin there. “Easy there. Should be a quick one, in and out. When it’s done, we can have some time to ourselves, eh?”

Kai shifted, but said nothing.

Rahim breathed a laugh. “See, nothing but cheek, until I talk sex, then you melt like butter.”

“I might actually melt if we have to stand here any longer. It’s hot as the Hells out here.”

Rahim’s eyes darted to the other side of the street. Something flickered in his eyes that Kai couldn’t recognize, jaw tensing. “Hells indeed, speak of the devil…”

Kai followed his gaze across the street, only for their eyes to be immediately assaulted by yet more gleaming light. It was a dragonborn. A fucking copper one, light dancing off his scales in a a blinding dazzle. A headache started to prick at Kai’s skull.

“You’re kidding me,” they muttered to Rahim. But the damned handsome pirate didn’t say a word. He simply followed the dragonborn’s approach from beneath darkened brows, heel tapping against the foot of the bench.

The dragonborn regarded them both with acid-green eyes and a flick of their scaly tail before approaching the bench, hand outstretched. “Rahim,” he hissed in a voice that was unmistakably lizard-like.

Rahim clasped the proffered hand. “Cadmus. You’re late.”

The lizard—Cadmus, apparently, flashed him a toothy grin. “Apologies. Our decoy required a few finishing touches.”

Kai lifted a brow. “Decoy?”

Cadmus’s passed his gaze over them, eyes narrowing. “A drow?”

“Only half.”

His reptilian mouth approximated a frown. “Male or female?”

“If you’re wondering whether to call me a bitch or a bastard, either is fine with me.”

“I need to know for your uniform,” he intoned.

Kai gave them a bewildered look. “What uniform?”

Cadmus cast a glance at Rahim. “You didn’t brief them?”

Rahim gave a noncommittal tilt of his head. “Thought I’d let you do the honors.”

The dragonborn swiveled his head to check that no one was listening, even though the street was nearly empty, then gestured for them to follow. Rahim rose from his bench without question. Kai frowned, but made no argument as Cadmus led them to a nearby alleyway. At least they were in the shade now.

“The two of you will be retrieving an heirloom from the Jannath manor,” Cadmus explained. “My sources tell me the family just fired and replaced half their staff after the Lady’s lover disappeared. A perfect opportunity to pose as new hires.” He angled his chin at Rahim. “The Hells hath no fury like a lover scorned, no?”

Rahim’s lips thinned. “You think either of us will pass as servants?” His dark eyes slid to Kai’s—pale purple, like most surface drow. The color of lavender, he’d told them one night, sharing a pillow while his cock softened inside them. Like the sea at sunset.

“So long as you’re dressed the part, no one will notice a thing.” Cadmus insisted. “But the uniforms…” he looked back to Kai. “Males wear pants, and females wear skirts. Which would you prefer.”

Kai rolled their eyes. “Pants, obviously. You think I want to do a heist in a skirt?”

Cadmus inclined his head, then reached clawed hands into the pack slung over his shoulder and produced a set of clothing—nothing exquisite, but far finer than anything Kai had ever worn. They resisted the urge to reach out and touch the supple material.

“Who’s this decoy you were mentioning then?” Kai asked.

“Not who,” Cadmus corrected. “What. See, we’ll be stealing this.” He spared another quick glance around, then opened his bag so Kai could see.

Kai frowned. “A necklace?”

“Not just any necklace. This one is gnome-made.” He pointed a single talon to each detail as he named it. “Rubies set in gold and silver, with a dewdrop diamond at the apex. See the flowering detail? It was popular a few hundred years ago, and just came back into fashion. Should fetch a handsome price.”

Kai leaned in, squinting at the sparkling stones where they lay limp in his pack. “So this is a fake? Could’ve fooled me.”

The dragonborn’s maw split into a toothy smile. “That’s the idea.”

“So, how are we going to do this? Rahim?”

Rahim blinked, as if waking from a dream, then rubbed a hand over his thigh. “Ah, right. It’s just going to be you and me. You’ll watch the door while I run in. Once I grab the necklace, we make a break for it.”

Kai gave him a skeptical look. “What’s the catch?”

Rahim’s mouth pressed into a flat line.

“The catch,” Cadmus cut in, “is that the Jannaths have the jewelry box alarmed. The moment Rahim opens it, they’ll notify the guards. Hence the false necklace. Once Rahim has the real one in hand, he’ll lay low while you draw the guards away with the fake.”

“And what happens when I get caught with the fake?”

“The gems are made of glass,” Cadmus said. “They should break quite easily, and there’s no law preventing you from carrying a false reproduction.”

Kai chewed their lip. They were a good liar, but it would be a hard sell. Still, Cadmus was right—even the fake necklace looked like it would be worth a fortune. If they pulled this off, Kai might never have to sleep on a street again. Hells, they might be able to afford to sleep in a room with a door that locked. They could finally spend the night with Rahim without having to worry about someone walking in on them, or watching through a crack in the wall.

Kai turned to Rahim, who had remained uncharacteristically silent. “Well, what do you think?”

His eyes flickered to theirs before falling to the limestone brick beneath their feet—those damned pretty eyes. “I don’t know, Cadmus,” he said slowly. “Hearing you say it just now, there are a lot of cracks…”

The dragonborn gave him a sharp look. “Fastidious words for a man of so many debts.”

Kai pursed their lips. Rahim had never mentioned debts. They liked to gamble over cards every now and then, but he never had much to put down.

Still, if he owed someone a large sum, it would only spell trouble further down the road. Better to nip it in the bud now, for both their sakes. After all, he’d gotten Kai out of plenty of rough patches. It was their turn to return the favor.

“So,” Cadmus said, “Are you ready to begin?

Kadmus heaved a sigh, then met his acid-green eyes unflinching. “Yep. Let’s make it happen.”

***

The servant’s uniform turned out to be more comfortable than Kai expected. The undershirt was made of linen dyed a dark shade of indigo, the vest and pants fitted but breathable. Cadmus had guessed their measurements rather well. Rahim’s, on the other hand, seemed to fit too tightly. He wouldn’t stop pulling at his sleeves and collar, even well after Cadmus left them to make their way to the manor. When they were about a block out, Kai finally gave in to the urge to slap his hand away.

“Stop that, will you? People will think you have lice or something.”

His expression went taut, eyes fixed straight ahead to the busy street before them, chock full of well-dressed nobles and carefully maintained walkways. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Just not used to wearing this sort of thing.”

“Well, get used to it. You’re good at blending in. Just…try to look like you’re really good at pretending you love to wipe someone else’s ass for a living.”

Normally, that would have at least cracked a smile, but Rahim merely clenched his jaw a little tighter.

“What’s up with you?”

Finally, he turned to look at them, and something in his expression caught Kai off guard. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Why didn’t you tell me you had gambling debts?”

His expression turned to stone. “What, were you going to offer to pay them off for me? With what coin?”

Kai bristled at that. “Fine then, don’t tell me.”

Rahim regarded them for a moment, then sighed. “Look, just got a bit reckless with my money is all. Nothing for you to worry about.”

“So long as we get paid, right?”

His throat bobbed. “You don’t have to do this on my behalf, you know. Could still bow out if you wanted.”

Kai thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Could. Don’t see why I would. If things go south, just drop the damned jewelry and run. We’ll ditch Camdus and find someone to fence the fake. Or we’ll find work elsewhere. Either way, I’ll make sure your debt is paid.”

Rahim turned his attention back to the path forward, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as they walked the final stretch to the Jannath’s manor. He didn’t say another word until they’d rounded their way to the back of the building where the servant’s entrance was located.

“You’ve got the decoy?” he asked in a hushed whisper.

In lieu of an answer, Kai pulled open their pants pocket so he could see the false rubies glint in the sunlight.

He heaved a sigh and nodded. “Alright then. Listen, I don’t care what Cadmus said: They don’t have to catch you for this to work, alright? Just lead them away. I’ll clear out fast as I can, promise.”

Kai’s mouth ticked up in a smile, and they leaned in to press a quick kiss on his lips. “You worry too much.”

Rahim regarded them with a burning stare, then tilted his head down to capture their mouth in another kiss, this one longer and more sensual, his tongue pressed warm against the seam of their lips. When he pulled back, Kai followed, almost tempted by the notion of abandoning this entire scheme and finding a shed to rut in instead. Almost.

“Bye then, love,” he hummed against their ear. “See you on the other side.”

He turned to slip inside the manor, never once looking back.

***

Kai’s boots collided hard with the pavement, like sparks rattling the grill of a stove. Sweat poured down their brow, and they could feel themselves sweating through the thin fabric of their shirt. The uniform’s vest had long been abandoned, dropped in the middle of the street as a bread crumb for the Fists to follow as they pursued them through the city. They’d taken the bait, and managed to track Kai all the way to the harbor before finally meeting them at a dead end.

Really, Kai had let them catch up. Despite Rahim’s assurance that they didn’t need to get caught for the plan to work, they just couldn’t resist a chance to rub it in the Fists’ face that the goons had no grounds for an arrest. While Kai sprinted through the streets of the Gate, they’d pictured themselves smashing those glass rubies, proving that for once, they were the picture of innocence.

But of course, something had to go wrong.

See, Kai had the whole thing planned out. They would run to the end of the dead end street, look up with pretend horror at the unsurpassable wall blocking their way, then slowly turn to the guards in pursuit, hands thrust in the air as if they’d just played their last card, only to pull one more from their sleeve when they least expected it.

“I didn’t steal anything, I swear!” Kai said, voice trembling with mock fear.

“Tyr’s bleeding arse you did,” one burly guard spat back. “Empty your pockets and we’ll see.”

It was only then that Kai let a sly smile spread across their face as they pulled the necklace from their pocket and dangled it in the air between them, giving it a quick jingle for good measure. “Is this what you were looking for? Well, too bad. It’s just a fake. See?” The necklace fell with a clatter to the stones. Kai lifted their leg, and delivered a decisive strike to one of the overly large rubies with the hard heel of their boot, the force of it enough to shatter glass.

Except it didn’t shatter.

When they lifted their heel, the necklace remained intact.

Confused, Kai lifted their leg again, ready to strike another blow at the trinket, but then they felt the Weave slither like a serpent around them, and their body came to a standstill.

“That’s enough of that,” came a familiar, lizard-like voice.

Kai couldn’t move a single limb. They didn’t even have the wherewithal to grimace past the spell’s hold as Cadmus appeared from amidst the throng of guards. They could only watch as the dragonborn fixed them with a smile that bore disgusting resemblance to the cat who got the canary, toothy and predatory. With a delicate hand, he reached down to retrieve the necklace from beneath their foot, taking a moment to study it in the sunlight before turning back to the guards.

“Well, I must commend the Flaming Fists for a job well done,” he crooned, the words dripping like poison from his scaly lips. “It seems you’ve caught the thief after all. I’m sure Lady Jannath will be pleased to see such a fine heirloom returned to her after being parted for so long.”

Kai felt their heart seize in their chest. What did that mean, “for so long?” They’d only just stolen it today.

Cadmus passed the necklace to one of the guards, who regarded it with a skeptical look.

“Everything should be in order,” Cadmus insisted. “Note the initials near the clasp? They belong to that of Lady Jannath’s great grandmother, the original owner.”

A few of the guards exchanged glances. “It certainly does appear to match her description.”

“I imagine the family will have no trouble confirming the provenance,” he continued. “After all, it is a rather unique item. The thief must have been quite the fool, to think they’d be able to sell such a recognizable piece. Even the most reckless fence wouldn’t dare take it on.”

Kai felt anger boil over in their chest. The pieces were falling into place. Of course something like that wouldn’t be easy to unload. And if the necklace was stolen “so long” ago…This wasn’t a heist—it was a setup.

It all made sense now—why Cadmus had approached a couple of lowlife thieves for an Upper City job, the need for a decoy, why Rahim had been ready to jump out of his own skin all day while claiming it was an “easy” job.

Rahim.

Kai could see him then—that edged look in his eye when he looked at them, the way he’d frozen up at the mention of a debt, how he’d offered them a way out at the last minute, the way he’d kissed them goodbye. He knew. All this time, he’d been planning to sell them out, and Kai was so busy staring at those pretty eyes, they hadn’t even seen it…

All those nights, they’d spent together, all that sweet talk about lavender eyes, all the times he’d called them “love,” as if that word ever meant a fucking thing to him. It was all a baldfaced lie.

Kai wanted to scream, to tear their way through the circle of guards with their bare hands and come out bloody on the other side, to stalk Rahim to whatever dark hole he’d crawled into and demand an explanation, then rip his tongue out through his ass when it inevitably fell flat.

And to think, Kai had almost convinced themselves that bastard actually cared about them, fuck, loved them even. Shows what they knew.

Kai felt something hot fall over their cheek. At first, they thought it was the start of another spell. Then their vision started to blur, and they realized they were in fact crying. Having no control over their muscles, the tears simply came until they were streaming down their face. Gods, they must have looked pathetic.

Then, as if the day couldn’t have gotten any worse, a scream resounded from the next street over. Kai only just managed to slide their eyes up to witness the strange, hulking almagamation of flesh and sinew screaming through the sky before it brushed one of its slimy tentacles across their tear-streamed face.

They couldn’t even suck in a frightened breath before the ground fell away, and the world went black.

#bg3ficfeb #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfic prompt #bg3 #OC tav #this was way too long #it was going to be longer but its almost midnight here #tomorrow's will be shorter

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sonderkore · 2 years

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✉ extraordinary attorney woo | ep 15 thoughts brother, boston, and being the bad guy

please don't read if you're as sad as i am, i'm just gonna make it worse

brother

i'm gonna give my thoughts on the people involved in the case.

first off, atty jang

who

does this guy think he is????

his opening statement was funny but that's the only positive i can say about him. and the fact that although the entire ep he was constantly mad at youngwoo, we also saw him get embarrassed and humbled down by the judge and his own co-workers. even ceo han.

dasurv.

he's a jerk. that's it.

you know someone who also has very limited redeeming qualities? kwon minwoo.

tactician kwon minwoo will always be tactician kwon minwoo. he's still that same annoying attorney who just won't stop poking his nose in youngwoo's life and using dirty old tricks to get ahead. despite him having his own reasons that made us understand his intentions better, he's still that guy who called youngwoo a wild card and thinks she has it easy (which isn't true).

he also conspired with her mom, the enemy, to get her fired. have we forgotten that?? i hope they bring it up soon T-T

the redemption arc they're trying to give him really shined this episode, especially when suyeon confessed to him. the "changing for love" trope just doesn't work after all he's done and it won't work if they pushed it at the very last minute of the second to the last episode. he hasn't changed at all. he's a straight line that had a small tiny bump and then went back to being the same guy he was, except now he magically got the girl. no arc.

he's still tactician kwon minwoo through and through. that one scene with the reporters wasn't enough to completely redeem him. even when they stood up against atty jang, which good for him and as he should, but -

BUT.

he did that for suyeon and not youngwoo

he can't be redeemed if he's still a jerk.

"i like guys who are like that" GIRL STAND UP

he did it for suyeon okay sure, but what about youngwoo? what about everything he's done to her, what will he do to make up for that? and is he even willing to do so?

(but i'm glad they slammed atty jang and won the case without his help. do it again!!)

i need a formal apology from minwoo to youngwoo to make me dislike him less, thanks. a 100-page apology essay back to back, size 12 single spacing.

suyeon is still spring sunshine choi suyeon. bad taste in men can't change that.

she's headstrong and confident since day 1, and she can shut down anyone, any MEN, who refuse to listen to her and youngwoo. she's also very thoughtful (when she saw junho eat alone and wanted to invite him over, and when she asked youngwoo if she wanted some choi suyeon gimbap) and at the end of the day, she's still youngwoo's friend.

she also knows what she wants in a man, and she's not changing herself for anyone. HE needs to change to deserve her.

even though they hinted at this rivals to lovers trope, and i said it's not that surprising this happened, i was silently praying they won't push through with it. but every drama needs a 2nd couple, i suppose.

that's the only reason i'm seeing here.

youngwoo didn't deserve any of the crap atty jang said to her, and all the crap minwoo said about her behind her back.

but you know who she does deserve?

atty jung.

atty jung and youngwoo's father-daughter/mentor-mentee relationship is the saving grace of this episode. their bond made these last few eps bearable from the pain. they've grown so well together!! but, and i know papa gwangho does the best that he can, atty jung has given so much more helpful advice to youngwoo that he seems more of the father figure to her than papa gwangho sometimes. (or is it just because we're not getting much scenes with papa gwangho and youngwoo anymore?)

when he advised junho to get the girl back, that's what a dad would usually do.

when he advised youngwoo to talk to her colleagues when she's having a hard time, very Dad-like advise. that was driven by genuine concern and want to encourage. he only wants the best for her. he's now pushing her forward like a father watching his child take their first steps.

only this time, it's atty jung in the hospital, patiently waiting for whatever decision youngwoo will make in her grand finale.

(they're the best, i swear. i bumped atty jung to top 2 in my list, just above junho. more on that later.)

youngwoo cheering him on before his surgery was so wholesome!!

"please come back alive!"

and he did!

i love the slice of life scenes with the hanbadaz + geurami and minsik! again, i just love seeing them all together.

(but i can't believe minwoo got to step into hairy's pub first before junho, like???)

now on to the brother.

they sprinkled little bits and pieces about him throughout the series - points for that one. so, it's not terribly out of place, and they definitely waited until the very last minute to reveal it for the shock factor. it makes sense to me that the final case for this season involves tae sumi, the big bad. the mother plot is finally coming together. but why wait until the final ep?

i really hope it ties every loose end and not leave us confused and with 197437 different plotholes.

i don't know how it's all going to play out, but i'm glad the brother is here now and they're going to try and clear things up. my only hope is that they do it right.

we're also going to get, i think, youngwoo being an older sister and i'm so looking forward to that!! she'll protect him with every fiber of her being, i'm sure, no matter if he'll turn out good or bad.

boston

they're dangling this right in front of our noses.

"she should leave for a bit, consider it a paid vacation"

"she'll have better care in boston"

LIKE WHY DO THESE WOMEN THINK THEY KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUNGWOO

even if it isn't to boston, is she actually going to leave? where would she go? will she go alone? would it really be the best for her to leave?

i honest to god have no clue. the eaw whale nation discord have ideas that might be better than what we're about to get, but me personally? i'm stumped. or i'm just sad and can't think clearly i don't know. either way, they're really pushing this possibility. and they haven't addressed this at all, only sprinkles of hints that she might be leaving for her own good, which makes me think that they're pushing through with this kind of ending.

say sike rn please

i just want her to be happy by the end of all of this. that's the whole point!!

being the bad guy

i saw one person on twt said junho was the bad guy in this ep and *breathes in* let me just make it my problem even though it doesn't have to be and it was literally just one tweet (that got a lot of likes, so) and i'm just being overly defensive

so - *presents slides*

first of all, no.

second of all, no.

and lastly, why would you even think that?

he made mistakes, but those mistakes don't make him the bad guy. (just as much as minwoo's few good deeds don't make him the good guy or a "green flag" either) we all know who the actual bad guy is. we're just blinded by the rivals to lovers trope shoved at our throats, begging us to accept him as the good guy now.

but no.

in junho's defense

the not-personal hug chair scene? junho acted the way he did as if they weren't dating (like in ep 5!!!), which they aren't. feelings or no feelings. he didn't want to crowd her, be in her space. she needed someone, yes, but he wasn't that someone anymore - at least, that's what he thinks. he respects youngwoo so much, from the very first ep and until now. and her consent is very important to him.

it was a heartbreaking scene, and i understand the take that he should've checked on her at the very least, but please also understand why he didn't do it in that moment.

when atty jang asked junho to drive off without the others

now this

this is that thing that's been bothering me, i mentioned it in a post earlier.

junho was someone who

stood in front of youngwoo to shield her from the jacket that the old man wanted to throw at her

beat up his acquaintance for talking bs

shoved his friend and roommate so hard he fell because he wasn't being fair

drove through traffic to catch up with a taxi for his girl

and has given this look of death to clients for being douchebags

and you're telling me

that this is the same dude who can't get out of the car for 2 seconds to protect his girl???

i can defend him, but i need to rant first.

atty jang is a jerk, we know that, the audience knows that. junho knows that. he literally saw jang leave the others, THE ROOKIES, there to deal with the reporters and forced him to drive away, completely abandoning them without a quick and safe way home.

couldn't junho have waited?? couldn't junho have told jang, very respectfully, that no i'm staying here until they're safe?? or screw you i'm gonna do what you were supposed to do which is protect them and guide them away from this mess

even if jang eventually drove off on his own, it wouldn't matter because junho would've chosen a side, his girl and his co-workers/friends. it's not like they're complete strangers.

this happening after the not-hug chair scene is especially painful.

i'll give him the benefit of the doubt because he looked liked he really didn't want to leave at all

but if a senior attorney yelled at me, an average joe litigation assistant, i would follow orders.

that's my only defense about this. he was just following orders because he's lee junho from the litigation team, the ever obedient, kind, and helpful man who is at your beckon call. he can't risk losing this job or getting reprimanded. that's not something that he'd do, given his years at hanbada and the fact that atty jung trusts him a lot.

but he's also lee junho-ssi, who promised to be youngwoo's personal hug chair, who has done research to help youngwoo in any way he can, who apparently loves her so gosh darn much that it pained him that she broke up with him. and he just... left her there? when he knows just how bad loud crowds are for her?

again, i get it. but am i still disappointed? yes.

i still like his character very much. i still think that he can be the right partner for youngwoo.

but not like this.

everybody has said it better than i can, but they have a lot of things to talk about. they gave the scene wherein youngwoo told him the reason they're not together anymore. right now? ball is in his court.

SHOOT YOUR SHOT AGAIN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD

he told her she's someone who can make him happy, and that's the truth.

when she brought up the argument that she will also make him feel lonely and she isn't sure if she can do something about that, he hesitated because there's truth to it.

he has never lied to her once, which is a character trait i admire about him. but he needs to step up now.

he needs to say something (please let this be his epiphany moment where he realizes he NEEDS TO SAY SOMETHING)

they both need to sit down and talk, otherwise a happy ending won't make sense.

i asked for patience and honesty. we got that.

but it hurts.

i keep replaying this preview over and over again, and i don't know if this means a happy ending or not but i'm betting that they'll be okay in the end.