His name is Hwang Seong Won. Hwang being the family name, and Seong Won being his first name, though my friends have taken to calling him "Ken," the human man-doll (he's a very well-kept individual...)
I'm three years older than him. Most guys my age in Korea are doing their military service, and honestly I thought he was older than me when we first met. Anyway, he graduated high school a while ago, so it's fine...
I met Seong when I was out celebrating a friend's birthday, and he was partying with work colleagues. He was just the right amount of drunk to come and start a conversation with a foreign girl - a very daunting and difficult task I'd imagine, especially considering his lack of English at the time. We chatted for a few hours and exchanged numbers.
We would message every now and then, but he came off as very cool and reserved. Usually this isn't my style of guy (I like the funny, talkative types) so I replied less and less. And after a while we stopped talking.
A few months after I got a boyfriend. It didn't last very long however (remember my blog on dating in Korea? Yeah, all that), so we broke up after a month or so. A week after, Seong messaged to meet up - this time he was a little more responsive and fun, so I decided to go for it and we started dating. It was only much later did he tell me he was upset I had stopped messaging him and found someone else.
Korea puts a huge emphasis on appearance (which I will cover in another blog), and maintaining a look is very important. Seong - to everyone, even family - was very chic and unapproachable. It's a "cool guy" style in Korea. If you watch Korean dramas you'll know - there's always that one handsome douche. They will seem uninterested - talk little, constantly check their phones, refuse to smile, "play it cool" etc. I don't know what kind of person you are, but I'm a person who doesn't have time for that.
So, I explained that I had stopped contacting him because I misinterpreted his cool-guy image as uninterested, as oppose to trying to impress. I gently expressed that pretending to be a dickhead was a ridiculous way to attract a girl that isn't a wanker, and that he should just relax and be himself. And with time, he did just that.
He became more easy-going and funny. Actually, he's hilarious. I'm convinced he does the best dance cover of Single Ladies.
He quit smoking and started a new course in beauty. His English level has sky-rocketed, so much so it's hard to get him to shut up. He moved in, and every day we cook together and eat together, go out together and game together. And we travel. All around Korea; though next year we are booking a trip to Thailand.
We are still young and enjoying life, and who knows what will happen, but he has become a big part of my life here, and there is no doubt he will be in many comics to follow. So, I felt I must introduce Seong to you. The wonderfulness that is Seong.
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