#and i think that's just it: what she has with doyeong is a game. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

astarlightmonbebe · 1 year

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“when you play go, you pursue your desires in silence. you seduce, and you fall. you strip each other bare. and if your partner doesn't reciprocate, then it's just a game of go.”

go as an overarching symbol throughout the glory, both figuratively as a representation of dongeun’s revenge, and also as a metaphor for class and relations (between her and the men in her life, i.e. yeojeong and doyeong).

on a relational level, go is a game of seduction. it’s a mental sword dance, so to speak. dongeun learns it with revenge in mind - she plans to catch the interest of doyeong, the husband of the girl who destroyed her life. she uses go to approach him - she seduces him the very first time he sees her play, so much that he can’t get her out of his head. she uses go to entice him; she wins before he even knows that he’s playing.

dongeun learns go for the purposes of ensnaring doyeong, but it’s yeojeong who first teaches her go at all. and it’s go that becomes a cornerstone of their burgeoning relationship as well. throughout the seasons, go helps both of them, as something that centers them, tethers them to current life. for yeojeong, his sessions mentoring dongeun in go were the only thing that created a schedule for him in his most turbulent time (after his father died, etc.). it becomes their mode of communication - he asks her to make a play so that he can know she came by. a silent way of saying i’m alive.

and then there’s dongeun approaching doyeong to play go, then them meeting again at the park he designed. yeojeong also approaches doyeong to play go, also purposefully - the man who taught dongeun vs the man she learned to play for.

but for dongeun, go is never about the men so much as it is about herself. go becomes something she loves for what it is, a game that builds territories, a game where the enemy can be slowly and methodically destroyed as you take all their territories, like how she plans to take everything from yeonjin. it reminds her of the dreams of being an architect she had before she had to drop out of school from the bullying/assault.

doyeong says that one of his go teachers tells him that he was born holding the black stones. when dongeun plays with yeojeong for the first time, she says she has to start with the white stones, since she’s the beginner. that’s how they play, for months. when doyeong meets dongeun after finding out the beginnings of the truth, he says that this game is more difficult than the ones he’s played in the past (and she beats him, the first time they play prior to that meeting).

the black stones represent the upper hand, the wealthy. it’s a class metaphor, especially when related to doyeong. yeojeong also starts out with the black stones, maybe because of wealth, maybe because he’s learned it for far longer. maybe because life was kinder to him. dongeun starts at the bottom, with the white stones, because she has nothing and knows nothing.

but when she places her first stones on the go board, she plays with the black.

#star stumbles #the glory #the glory 2022 #netflix the glory #kdrama #joo yeojeong #moon dongeun #ha doyeong #do you get it yet....#very olivia rodrigo of them to have the whole 'i taught her go first' thing going on there #on one hand i think of this as proof of her relationship with yeojeong being endgame as compared to the game she plays with doyeong #and i think that's just it: what she has with doyeong is a game.#a very intricate game with lots of turns and such #but dongeun makes it plain and clear when she meets him that she's going to become his nightmare #and she's going to use cruelty - she will do to his family what was done to her (not literally but close enough)#she's going to destroy his life because he married yeonjin whether or not he's a wanted casualty or not #vs yeojeong took himself out of the game...and willingly joined it #go was just a game between them until he put himself on the board beside her #he chose to become her executioner #i want to write a fic using go in the background So Bad but also idk much about go #other than what dramas have told me

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imagineproduce101 · 6 years

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The Bookstore on Hazel and 4th

You’ve known Hwang Minhyun since elementary school-- and have been crushing on him ever since. Now in college, you’ve decided to branch out, but is that really what fate has in store for you?

college au

kind of childhood friends au?

for anon

ong seongwoo and kang daniel follow the bro code pass it on

You tapped your pen against your notebook impatiently, doing anything to distract yourself from your boredom.

“When’s the prof gonna show up?” Your best friend, Yoojung, groaned as she leaned back in her chair.

“This is kind of our fault,” Doyeon commented from the other side of you, “we got here really early.”

You just huffed, looking around the lecture hall to see who was already there. As you did this, your best friends started discussing a party that was planned for later that night.

“Oh hey look, it’s Minhyun!” Yoojung pointed before waving her hands.

“Wait, Yoojung, no--” you hissed, leaning over to get her to stop, to no avail-- Kim Jaehwan had already spotted the three of you and pointed out the spare seats next to you to his friends.

“(y/n), I’ll never understand you,” Yoojung looked over at you with sheepish smile. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Minhyun making his way over to where you sat. “You’ve known Minhyun since elementary school-- how are you still shy around him?”

You blushed at this, shoving Yoojung lightly. “You know why!”

Doyeon observed the two of you with a fond smile. “(y/n), if it would make you more comfortable, I can trade seats with you.”

You sighed, shaking your head, “it’s okay, thank you though.”

The three of you fell silent, and then Kim Jaehwan’s obnoxious laughter broke the silence.

“Minhyun, take a seat,” Jaehwan crowed loudly, making just about the entire lecture hall turn and look at him. Minhyun, who slid into the seat next to you, turned a light pink, probably because of how embarrassing Jaehwan was.

“Hey,” Minhyun said, a little breathlessly.

“Hey,” you smiled back, feeling your cheeks turn a bit pink.

“I hope you don’t mind us sitting here,” Minhyun commented as he pulled his laptop from out of his backpack, “I know we can be a bit rowdy.”

“Oh, no!” You stammered out, mortified that Minhyun thought you were being quiet because of him. Well, technically it was because of him, but not in the way that he thought, but you weren’t exactly going to tell him that, and now he was probably weirded out by you spacing out and oh my god why were you such a flop--

“(y/n)?” Doyeon elbowed you in the side, “prof is here.”

“Oh!” You squeezed your eyes shut in embarrassment, trying to listen as the professor started her lecture.

Minhyun stared in the mirror awkwardly, doing his best to make his hair look nice.

“Oh, would you just leave it?” Jonghyun groaned, slapping Minhyun on the back, “you look fine. I’m sure (y/n) will think you look cute, anyways.”

Minhyun turned a bright pink at that, going to hit Jonghyun with his comb. Jonghyun just chuckled and turned to the mirror to start doing his own hair.

Minhyun left the bathroom and finished up getting ready, feeling a bit apprehensive at being dragged along to some party.

“I’m telling you, Minhyunnie, this is your chance to ask (y/n) out,” Jaehwan commented from here he was sprawled on his bed, probably scrolling through his instagram feed, “the two of you seriously need to go out already.”

Minhyun turned a bit pink at that, rolling his eyes as he tugged a sweatshirt on over his head. “I’ve said this a million times before, but I really don’t think (y/n) likes me.”

Jaehwan looked up from his phone to pin Minhyun with a stare, “Dude. No. You and (y/n) were, like, meant to be. I mean, you’re the one that’s liked them since, what, middle school?”

“Elementary school!” Jonghyun shouted playfully from the bathroom.

“Shut up!” Minhyun groaned, turning even pinker.

“Anyways, my point is,” Jaehwan turned serious, “I really do think (y/n) likes you, and I think the two of you would make a good couple-- you’re both just afraid of the other. You two just need a little push.”

“And this party is the perfect situation,” Jonghyun continued, slinging an arm around Minhyun’s neck. “Ready?”

Minhyun sighed, leaning over to look at his reflection in the mirror. “Ready.”

“It’s so loud,” was the first thing you commented as you trailed into the huge house, a step behind Doyeon and Yoojung. You could feel the bass of the music in your chest, turned up to the loudest setting, probably. Your friends made their way through the living room where dancing was, beelining for the kitchen, and you hurried to follow.

“Drinks?” Kim Chungha, a kind upperclassman, asked from her seat at the bar, smiling at the three of you.

Doyeon and Yoojung nodded, but you opted just for a soda, not wanting to get drunk. Chungha just nodded when you explained this to her.

“No harm in that,” she said cheerfully, handing you a cold can, which you accepted gratefully. The house was incredibly hot and a little overwhelming, with people everywhere and a myriad of different noises.

Drink in hand, you followed Doyeong and Yoojung to the main room where everyone was, taking a seat on a large couch. Your two best friends sat on either side of you and the three of you chatted for a bit, just observing who was at the party and what was going on.

“Hey, (y/n), don’t look now, but lover boy is here,” Yoojung commented slyly. Of course, your eyes darted over to the door where Minhyun and his friends were entering. Your breath caught in your throat as you took in how cute Minhyun looked, and your cheeks turned a bright pink as he offered a small smile and wave to you.

“Wave back, dumbass!” Doyeon hissed, and you jolted, quickly waving back. Minhyun’s attention was already somewhere else.

You sighed, looking glumly at your soda. “I don’t know why I’m bothering,” you said quietly, “He’s never going to look at me like that.”

Doyeon and Yoojung traded concerned looks before slining their arms around your shoulder, cuddling close to you.

“Don’t say that, (y/n)!” Doyeon reassured you, “you’re a total catch! You’re cute, funny and a super amazing person.”

“Plus, Minhyun can never take his eyes off of you,” Yoojung added, “you’re just never looking at the right moments.”

You sighed again, raising your eyes a bit, your friends’ words making you feel a little better.

“Thanks, guys,” you smiled at them, “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Doyeon exclaimed, grinning toothily over at you, patting you on the head.

“Hey, I think Chungha wants us to go over to her,” Yoojung pointed over to where the upperclassman was waving her arms. The three of you got to your feet and hurried over to her.

“Hey, what’s up?” Doyeon asked, leaning against you just slightly.

“Some of us are going upstairs to chill, maybe play some games,” she explained, smiling at the three of you, “I was just wondering if you wanted to come.”

The three of you looked at each other, and you nodded slightly.

“Yeah, sure,” Yoojung replied, and Chungha smiled. The three of you followed her up the stairs, trying to match her quick pace.

“To be honest, I’m not sure what they’ve planned in terms of games,” Chungha informed the three of you as she paused at the top of the stairs,“but if you feel uncomfortable or anything, just let me know and we can leave.”

“Thanks,” you murmured to her, glad that it was Chungha leading you there and not someone a little more… enthusiastic, like Choi Minki or Kim Jaehwan.

She pushed open the door to the room where everyone is, and you instantly felt your nerves act up again. Everyone was sitting in a circle, and there was an empty beer bottle in the middle. Just as you entered the room, Kang Daniel and Ong Seongwoo stumbled out of the closet, both looking a little flustered. Apparently, even college students still played 7 Minutes in Heaven

A few people greeted the three of you as you took seats in the circle, and both of your friends glanced over at you to make sure that the situation was alright with you. You had to admit, you were a bit nervous, but you pushed the feeling down and shook your head at your friends.

“Hey, it’s (y/n)!” The familiar (and very loud) voice of Kim Jaehwan echoed in your ears, and you glanced over to one of the corners of the room where Jaehwan, Jonghyun and Minhyun sat. You felt your cheeks heat up a bit as the two of you made eye contact and traded small, shy smiles.

Soon, the game started up again. First, Kang Daniel spun the bottle, and it landed on Jung Chaeyeon. The two of them got up, but nothing really happened. Next, Chaeyeon spun and it landed on Sohye, who then spun and got Park Woojin, who then spun and got Ong Seongwoo, who apparently had been chosen three times already that night.

When Woojin and Seongwoo returned to the circle, Seongwoo quickly spun the bottle.

At that point, you were kind of tuned out from the game, a little bored by the repetition of it, so it jarred you when Doyeon shook your shoulder. You were jolted out of your thoughts and felt your cheeks quickly coloring when you realized everyone’s eyes were on you. Chungha was giving you a questioning look, and you quickly realized that the bottle was pointing at you. Taking a deep breath, you got to your feet, following Ong Seongwoo into the spacious closet.

“Okay, your seven minutes starts now!”

You leaned against the wall of the closet awkwardly, playing with the hem of your shirt in order to calm yourself down.

“(y/n), right?”

You looked up at the popular boy, surprised that he knew your name, “ah, yeah, that’s me.”

“Yeah,” Seongwoo smiled a crooked smile, visible because of the small amount of light let in through the cracks in the closet door, “Minhyun talks about you a lot.”

“H-hwang Minhyun?” Your eyes widened, confused as to why Hwang Minhyun would be talking about you.

Seongwoo just laughed in response, running a hand through his hair, “yeah. I’m not gonna do anything, don’t worry. Minhyun’s a bro.”

“A… bro?” You questioned, looking up at Seongwoo in further confusion.

“Yeah, you know, bro code and everything?” Seongwoo just chuckled at your confused face, “never mind. How are you liking the party?”

“It’s okay,” you shrugged, “kind of loud.”

“Yeah, I was wondering why you decided to come.”

“Huh?” you frowned up at Seongwoo, feeling a little hurt at his blunt statement.

“Oh, no, I mean,” Seongwoo ran a hand through his hair again, “sorry, that was kind of out of hand. I just mean, I’ve seen you in class and stuff, and you don’t really seem the type of come to loud house parties like this.”

You relaxed slightly, “yeah, I’m not, really, I just figured I should start putting myself out there more.”

“Okay, seven minutes are up!”

“Well, (y/n), nice talk,” Seongwoo shot you his charming smile, “I’ll see you around.”

“(y/n), it’s your turn to spin!”

You carefully made your way over to the bottle, carefully spinning the neck of the bottle. You felt your heart pounding in your chest, and you could have sworn that everyone in the room could hear it.

Please be me please be me please be me--

“Minhyun!”

Minhyun’s eyes snapped up to meet yours, your cheeks turning pink. Minhyun sent you a smile and got to his feet to follow you into the closet. He could vaguely hear everyone whispering frantically.

“Man, I really hope they end up together,” he heard someone whisper.

“I know, right? They’d make such a cute couple.”

Minhyun felt his cheeks heat up, hoping to dear God that you didn’t hear.

The door of the closet closed behind him, forcing him to shuffle a bit closer to you. He felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest.

“Have you been, um, liking the party?”

Minhyun looked down at your adorable face, forcing himself to concentrate on the words coming out of their mouth.

“Oh! Yeah, I guess,” Minhyun hummed, “not really my scene. I was going to go check out this new bookstore that opened, but Jaehwan and Jonghyun dragged me here.” “No way, really?” you perked up immediately, “the one on Hazel and 4th?”

“Yeah,” Minhyun nodded, “the used bookstore, with the cafe?”

“I’ve been dying to go,” you sighed, “It’s so nice to see bookstores opening up, because usually--”

“They’re going out of business,” the two of you chorused, meeting each other’s gaze with huge grins.

“Hey, do you remember the bookstore next to the high school?” Minhyun mentioned excitedly, “the one with the huge mystery section?”

“How could I not!” you replied, waving their arms in the air excitedly, “I mean, I only spent every day after school there.”

I know, Minhyun swallowed down the thought, I saw you there every day after school.

“Do you know if it closed?” Minhyun opted to ask instead, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“No, it’s still open,” you grinned, “and the mystery section has only grown.”

Minhyun laughed, a little giddy at having held a full conversation with you about something that truly excited him. “That’s awesome.”

“Hey, have you been to the one downtown?” you asked curiously, peering up at Minhyun from under your eyelashes.

“Yeah,” Minhyun nodded, “it’s probably my favorite bookstore here.”

“Same!” you grinned, making Minhyun’s heart speed up even more, “or, at least until I saw the new bookstore on Hazel. It seriously looks amazing.”

“Okay, seven minutes are up!”

Minhyun smiled down at you, the air still around the two of you as you looked at each other.

“Hey, (y/n),” Minhyun heard himself say. Suck it up, do it, you can do it!I “Would you want to maybe ditch the party and head to the bookstore with me?”

The bright lights of the room flooded the closet as Daniel opened the door, all eyes in the room on the pair, still caught up in their own moment.

Minhyun swore time was passing in slow motion as a smile (and adorable blush) spread across (y/n)’s face.

“I would love to.”

Minhyun could have sworn he heard someone squeal as (y/n)’s small hand slid into his own, the two of them heading out of the room. “Text me all the details!” Minhyun heard Yoojung yell at (y/n), who just giggled, looking up at Minhyun shyly.

“Just to be clear, um,” Minhyun started as they paused at the top of the stairs, “is this a date? Because I would want this to be a date, if you would be okay with that, but if not, it--”

You took a deep breath, mustering all the courage you could before leaning up on your tip toes to peck his cheek.

“I’d want this to be a date too.”

A huge smile spread across Minhyun’s face as he squeezed your hand tightly before the two of you made your way down the stairs to the rest of the party.

You tapped your pen against your notebook impatiently, doing anything to distract yourself from your boredom.

“When’s the prof gonna show up?” Your best friend, Yoojung, groaned as she leaned back in her chair.

“This is kind of our fault,” Doyeon commented from the other side of you, “we got here really early-- again.”

You just huffed, looking around the lecture hall to see who was already there. As you did this, your best friends started discussing a party that was planned for later that night.

“Oh hey look, it’s Minhyun!” Yoojung pointed before waving her hands.

You looked up to see your boyfriend making his way towards you, his best friends trailing behind him.

“Hey,” you said softly, smiling up at him as he took the seat next to you.

“Hey,” Minhyun replied before giving you a soft kiss. Behind him, Jaehwan pretended to gag, making you laugh a little, leaning into Minhyun’s shoulder as he pulled his things out of his bag, including a new pen from the bookstore on Hazel and 4th.

“Oh, prof is here,” Yoojung commented, turning her attention to the front of the lecture hall.

You tuned in to whatever the professor was saying as well, your hand tangled with Minhyun’s under the desk.

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