Songwriter/Producer, Bartender.
Bisexual.
Engaged to Jiuk.
10/09/1993.
30.
Background
Authored by Etienne.
Offline.
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Post by Hwangjung Lee on Oct 21, 2020 14:39:34 GMT -8
Hwangjung was immensely excited for this trip. He was not immensely excited about the actual flight part of the trip though, but at least they were flying the Seatac to Incheon nonstop instead of having to do a transfer. He'd finished packing his bags the night before other than a few things he'd needed in the morning, and as soon as he'd used those, he'd tucked them away in his bags. He was used to this trip though, having taken it regularly throughout his childhood and slightly more sporadically since he had started producing. This was going to be all new for Jiuk, and he was both excited and nervous to see what Jiuk ended up thinking of it. He was glad that they'd worked together on the songs and that Jiuk would be getting to actually be involved in the business side of the trip as well.
He was excited for an extra reason this time though. Producing a track for Yuseong meant that he'd also get a chance to see Tai without having to jump through any particular hoops. All three of Tai's uncles talked with him regularly over video chats, but it was a strange change from having raised the kid for years.
Sungyong had agreed to drive them to the airport in Hwangjung's car so that they wouldn't have to mess with long term parking, public transit with bags, or paying for a ride. Hwangjung called out from the kitchen as he was grabbing some snack foods for the flight to add to their carry-ons, "Sungyong will be here in about ten minutes, you ready?"
Jiuk Robertson
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Secretary at LGBT Center/Lyricist.
Homosexual.
Dating Hwangjung Lee.
08/21/1993.
31.
Background
Authored by Redeim.
Offline.
You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risk.
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Post by Jiuk Robertson on Oct 25, 2020 19:51:40 GMT -8
Jiuk was nervous; for as long as he wanted to visit Korea, and learn about half of his heritage, he'd never actually been on a flight as long as the one they were about to go on. He'd done a lot of research on the culture, trying to find the minute things people maybe didn't think to mention often. He felt like he'd asked Hwangjung a ton of questions. But Hwangjung had been visiting Korea all his life, so Jiuk felt like there were things he'd forget to mention. He finished packing his suitcase, slightly bigger than he truly needed because his friends had asked him to bring him various souvenirs. He double checked his list of things to bring, making sure he checked off everything, checked his pockets to make sure he had his passport, and then looked to Hwangjung and nodded. "Yeah..." He said, his voice giving away how nervous he was.
He was going to text Sam to make sure the plans had all settled in terms of dog sitting, but realized he'd already asked Sam... five times in the last 24 hours. A new message came in from him right as he was about to close the app.
Have fun!! Don't panic too much. You'll be fine. You'll do well, and have a lot of fun. The dog will be fine, and you have no reason to worry. Everyone loves you.
Jiuk read the message and smiled softly. The last part was in Korean, and it was punctuated with no less than ten hearts (in a rainbow pattern, of course). A couple seconds later, another message came through from Sam.
Don't forget! I want the most obscure thing you find!! I will be very disappointed otherwise.
Okay, okay. Thanks for taking care of the puppers. I'll try to bring you the weirdest possible thing I can find. He promised. With that, he put his phone into his pocket and zipped up his suitcase and pulled it off the bed. "I cannot remember the last time I was this nervous." He told Hwangjung with a short laugh. He could, if he thought about it for a bit, but the nerves from presenting his poems was long gone, and now was replaced with exhilaration. Though he'd been focusing on lyrics lately, so maybe if he tried to do slam poetry now he'd be nervous again.
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Songwriter/Producer, Bartender.
Bisexual.
Engaged to Jiuk.
10/09/1993.
30.
Background
Authored by Etienne.
Offline.
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Post by Hwangjung Lee on Oct 26, 2020 8:14:54 GMT -8
Hwangjung could hear the nerves in Jiuk's voice. He went over to give him a quick hug and said reassuringly, "Don't worry too much, OK? I've got lots of practice with this, so you can always ask me if things are confusing. Samnang and Sungyong are both going to be looking out for things here with the dog and the house, and we should focus on enjoying the trip and the work."
He added, hoping that the reminder would be reassuring, "Plus, we're mostly going to be working with Yuseong while we're there, and they all speak English if things get confusing, and you've met Kangwan, and Josh-hyung is from California. They're mostly very chill, and the rest of them at least are focused on the job."
He added, "Plus we're going to see Tai!"
He had a whole bag of things that were for Tai in his luggage that could be used for souvenirs and the like on his way back. Usually, Hwangjung didn't get much while in Korea, just some foods and such that they couldn't really get in the US, but since it was Jiuk's first time going, Hwangjung was pretty sure that they would be bringing a lot more back than usual. Plus, they had a house to decorate now.
He asked, "Is there anything specific that you're nervous about that I can help with, or is it just something that we need to start doing so that you can get used to it?"
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Secretary at LGBT Center/Lyricist.
Homosexual.
Dating Hwangjung Lee.
08/21/1993.
31.
Background
Authored by Redeim.
Offline.
You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risk.
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Post by Jiuk Robertson on Nov 30, 2020 20:39:08 GMT -8
Jiuk tried to figure out the answer to Hwangjung's question, but wasn't really sure of the answer. He knew it was going to be fairly structured in terms of his getting to interact (and potentially make a fool of himself somehow) with native Koreans, and most of the ones he was going to interact with also spoke English if he was having trouble getting his point across. "I think... I think it's just something that needs to get started. I've also never been on a plane ride this long, let alone I haven't been on a plane in general in... many years. Probably since middle school." He admitted, rambling a bit in hopes it would calm him, heading towards the door with his stuff. "And like, reasonably, I know plane crashes are rare, but the only interesting thing on TV last night was some marathon about mysterious or well-known plane crashes and so now I'm on edge. Reasonably, I could have turned off the TV, or switched to Netflix but I was too... lazy." He said, finishing his sentence with a sigh.
He turned to Hwangjung. "I'm sure I'll be fine once we're on the plane, I don't mind flying at all, I think it's just... All this unknown has my mind reeling."
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Songwriter/Producer, Bartender.
Bisexual.
Engaged to Jiuk.
10/09/1993.
30.
Background
Authored by Etienne.
Offline.
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Post by Hwangjung Lee on Dec 1, 2020 12:15:55 GMT -8
Hwangjung got the message that Sungyong was outside, and he squeezed Jiuk one more time before grabbing his bags. He said, "Alright, it's go time, let's chase away those nerves by actually going places."
He crated the dog on the way out the door, glad to know that someone would be over soon to take care of him. Hwangjung opened the door and grinned at Sungyong who had already gotten the car started and opened. He gently towed Jiuk by the hand, leading the way to the car, and called out to his friend, "Thanks for giving us a ride and for looking after the dog."
Sungyong smiled back at him and said, "I don't mind, and it means I get to say goodbye properly. Just bring me the good noodle packages and we'll call it even."
They'd already had this discussion, but it was a relatively common routine between the two of them. Jiuk coming with him was a new element to all this, but that made Hwangjung slightly more nervous in a giddy sort of way. There was an element to this that he'd never dealt with before, and he wondered how different Seoul would seem with Jiuk there with him.
Trying to think of a topic of conversation that would take the edge of Jiuk's nerves hopefully, he asked, "What are you most excited about seeing once we're there?"
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Secretary at LGBT Center/Lyricist.
Homosexual.
Dating Hwangjung Lee.
08/21/1993.
31.
Background
Authored by Redeim.
Offline.
You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risk.
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Post by Jiuk Robertson on Apr 11, 2021 8:54:39 GMT -8
Jiuk was quiet as they headed to the car, except to coo a goodbye to the dog. He got situated in his seat and looked out the window, Sungyong and Hwangjung's chat fading to background noise. Jiuk realized he was asked a question only after realizing it had gone quiet. "Um... I guess I'm really looking forward to hmm... Coffee shops? And shopping." He said with a chuckle. He didn't quite yet know what he wanted to get while shopping, but he had plenty of spending money for the trip, so it could be whatever his heart desired.
"I think I'd also like to try to find and watch some performances, not necessarily of popular groups, but of nugu groups or regular people trying to make a living with their passion." He added softly, a small smile on his face.
((*nugu literally translated means "who," unknown or new groups in Korea are considered "nugu groups," or "who? groups."))
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Songwriter/Producer, Bartender.
Bisexual.
Engaged to Jiuk.
10/09/1993.
30.
Background
Authored by Etienne.
Offline.
|
Post by Hwangjung Lee on May 30, 2021 18:04:08 GMT -8
Hwangjung chuckled and said, "Coffee shops and shopping we will definitely be doing. I made sure we had time for that in our schedule. We probably can't manage much out of Seoul this trip, but I suspect we can figure something out for next time."
He reached over and squeezed Jiuk's hand quickly. He added, "And as far as performances go, we're already invited to go to some of the shows that J.B.N., the new girl group from Dreams Ent that Anya's in, are going to be performing on, so we'll get to see them and whoever else is performing, I can't remember which ones off the top of my head, but I can look it up. And Tai was telling me that the boys have been doing some busking, and busking in general is pretty common out in the parks and stuff. I think we can manage to see lots of performing."
He knew that their schedule would be to an extent influenced by their schedule with Yuseong, but talking with the Yuseong members and company staff during the production process, they were all pretty enthusiastic about having Hwangjung and Jiuk see what J.B.N. and the boy trainees were up to as well. Hwangjung knew that that Dreams Ent CEO was of the opinion that the producers who produced the best work knew the people they were producing for, so he wasn't surprised that he was getting encouraged to work with all the groups a little while he was there. He added, "I think that the CEO's hoping that we can write some songs with the other groups in mind as well as Yuseong."
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Secretary at LGBT Center/Lyricist.
Homosexual.
Dating Hwangjung Lee.
08/21/1993.
31.
Background
Authored by Redeim.
Offline.
You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risk.
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Post by Jiuk Robertson on Jun 6, 2021 12:57:06 GMT -8
"Oh, awesome!" Jiuk replied excitedly in regards to the getting to watch live shows, perking up a bit. He relaxed a bit as he thought about other things they could possibly do while there. "Based off what you said, we won't be able to do it this time, but I'd like to go to that huge mall in Busan. Shinsekye Mall? I think it's called." He added.
He thought a moment before continuing, "I'm nervous and excited to get an inside look at what KPop is like. I got into KPop as a kid, and if you had told me all the way back in 2002 that I would get to be up close and personal with a KPop band, I would have never believed you in a million years." He laughed, "I'm still wrapping my head around Kangwan having babysat Tai, and that was a couple years ago now."
He nodded, "That could be fun, and it'd be nice to meet the other kids that Tai and Anya are working with."
(((Note: shinsekye translates to "new world." When it was built in 2009, it was the World's Largest Shopping Mall (though that is no longer applicable).))
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Songwriter/Producer, Bartender.
Bisexual.
Engaged to Jiuk.
10/09/1993.
30.
Background
Authored by Etienne.
Offline.
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Post by Hwangjung Lee on Jun 28, 2021 15:25:20 GMT -8
Hwangjung nodded and said, "Yeah, shinsekye is a little out of our way this trip, since we're on a bit of a timeline, but we can try to plan that in to next time."
He was pretty sure there would be a next time. He didn't think that Jiuk would end up hating it.
The trip to the airport was both long enough to be slightly nerve-wracking and short enough that it wasn't long before they were there. Sungyong helped unload their things from the car and gave Hwangjung a lingering hug, saying, "Tell Tai I miss him alright? I mean I tell him over video call all the time, but give him a hug for me or something."
Hwangjung agreed, knowing that in many ways, Sungyong probably was still having the weirdest time with Tai having moved away. It wasn't long before Sungyong was driving off, promise to take good care of their dog reaffirmed, and Hwangjung smiled at Jiuk, offering his hand before heading into the airport.
He said, "Let's go get checked in so that we aren't having to carry most of this stuff. Hopefully the lines aren't too long, but we've given ourselves plenty of time."
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Secretary at LGBT Center/Lyricist.
Homosexual.
Dating Hwangjung Lee.
08/21/1993.
31.
Background
Authored by Redeim.
Offline.
You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risk.
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Post by Jiuk Robertson on Jul 2, 2021 18:11:41 GMT -8
"Sounds like a deal." Jiuk said with a nod, ignoring the stomach flip of mixed nervousness and excitement at the thought of there being a 'next time.'
He let Hwangjung say goodbye to his, adding a simple, "thanks again for taking care of our dog," before waving Sungyong goodbye and turning to face SeaTac. He took a deep breath and nodded at Hwangjung's suggestion. "Sounds good." He said, taking his boyfriend's hand.
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Songwriter/Producer, Bartender.
Bisexual.
Engaged to Jiuk.
10/09/1993.
30.
Background
Authored by Etienne.
Offline.
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Post by Hwangjung Lee on Jul 14, 2021 7:07:40 GMT -8
Hwangjung was pleased that the security lines were short. They'd gotten there early enough it seemed, and when he'd looked at the information on their flight, it had looked like it was in a lull between other international flights that day, so there weren't people trying to get through security for a bunch of other flights. He kept an eye out for things that would make Jiuk anxious or that he might not be prepared for with an international flight, and tried his best to smooth things over before they potentially became a concern.
One they were through security, Hwangjung steered Jiuk towards the coffee shop near their gate and said, "Let's get a small treat for while we wait for time to board since we got through security pretty fast."
He thought over the trip and added, "Probably let's not get anything too strongly caffeinated though because we'll want to sleep for some of the flight to help get us on Korean time. We've got pretty comfortable seats though, and hopefully it shouldn't be too bad a flight."
He dropped a comforting arm around Jiuk's shoulders as they waited in the airport coffee shop line, and he hoped that Jiuk wasn't getting overwhelmed by the logistics part of the trip. They wouldn't have to wait too long before boarding, he knew, but it was a while yet since they'd cleared security quickly.
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Secretary at LGBT Center/Lyricist.
Homosexual.
Dating Hwangjung Lee.
08/21/1993.
31.
Background
Authored by Redeim.
Offline.
You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risk.
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Post by Jiuk Robertson on Aug 16, 2021 16:52:21 GMT -8
Jiuk looked around the airport as they shuffled along in the thankfully-not-too-long security line. He was happy to have his heavier suitcase off his hands, now only having a backpack that held his laptop, chargers, and head phones, as well as some toiletries to freshen up if he wanted to.
As they got through security, Jiuk nodded at Hwangjung's suggestion. "I could go for something blended." He mused, leaning into his boyfriend as an arm went around his shoulders. "Maybe a croissant too." He muttered, staring at the big fluffy croissants in the pastry case. He wrapped his hands around the arm Hwangjung had put over his shoulders, holding it comfortingly. He was less nervous than he was when they'd just arrived, but this was still his first flight and it was nerve-wracking. There was also the trip to worry about. What if he messed up his Korean with just the wrong person and got in trouble, or gave Hwangjung a bad impression somehow? There were still things to worry about, though he was trying to calm down his heart and stomach. Hopefully something plain and breaded, like a croissant, would help at least one of those.
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Songwriter/Producer, Bartender.
Bisexual.
Engaged to Jiuk.
10/09/1993.
30.
Background
Authored by Etienne.
Offline.
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Post by Hwangjung Lee on Aug 20, 2021 11:27:09 GMT -8
Hwangjung got them through the coffee shop line relatively quickly, making sure that Jiuk got something that suited his tastes, including the croissant, and getting some tea and something light for himself. Sometimes, Hwangjung's stomach didn't love airplane take offs, so it was a good idea to not eat too heavily. He would have the chance to have a meal on the flight itself. He wasn't going to mention the parts of flying that he didn't like to Jiuk though, considering his boyfriend was clearly already full of nerves.
He was glad that there were still lots of seats by their terminal as he guided them over there. There was plenty of time for them to have their drinks and snacks before the plane started boarding, but he was glad that it wasn't too long a wait. As the pre-boarding started, Hwangjung asked Jiuk, "Do you want to have the window seat or the aisle seat? Dreams Ent shelled out for us to have nicer seats so it's just the two in the row, not all the way into first class though, but we'll be able to like lean back without annoying people at least."
It looked like Jiuk had the window seat as his ticket, but it was no trouble to swap between the two of them. He knew that the flight itself would be long, but hopefully both of them would be able to sleep for a good chunk of it and come out as close to Korean time as possible. Granted, that did mean sleeping for the right chunk of it.
When their boarding section was called, he stood quickly, gathering most of their bags, but leaving Jiuk his laptop bag, and offered his boyfriend a hand up and an anticipatory smile, "Ready to go?"
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Secretary at LGBT Center/Lyricist.
Homosexual.
Dating Hwangjung Lee.
08/21/1993.
31.
Background
Authored by Redeim.
Offline.
You can’t just hope for happy endings. You have to believe in them. Then do the work, take the risk.
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Post by Jiuk Robertson on Nov 6, 2021 12:42:48 GMT -8
Jiuk looked at his ticket again as pre-boarding began, "Uhh... I guess I'll take the window seat, if you don't mind?" He decided. He took Hwangjung's hand with the hand not holding the ticket, picked up his laptop bag so it was over his shoulder, and followed him to the line. "I think so. I'm... strangely numb. But like, not in the bad way. Cathartic, moreso, I guess." He laughed a bit, "I guess my brain got tired of being nervous about the flight." He contemplated why he may have been less nervous now that they were getting on the plane. Perhaps it was because they had eaten some food, or perhaps because they were at the part where things going wrong was out of their hands, which didn't normally calm him down any, but Jiuk would welcome it regardless. His thoughts got him onto the ramp and into the plane, and he realized he needed to pay attention to find his seat, looking back to make sure Hwangjung hadn't gotten too far from him before checking his ticket for the seat number, coming to a stop as he approached it. He looked to Hwangjung again, "This one, right?"
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