Since the visual of Aces is important to me, I am trying not to include Author's Notes. However, I would like to cover a few of the questions you may have about this world and provide some context for the book. You certainly don't need this information to enjoy the work, but I hope it is interesting to you and enriches your reading. 

First off, the work will be divided into 7 "books," or parts, each dedicated to one member. However, due to the structure, most parts will not focus solely on one member, but rather slice back and forth. With the exception of the first part, the sole focus will mainly be on the storyline between Jungkook and Da-hye. However, events and characters in this first part, will appear and be important in subsequent parts.

I did originally plan for this book to be a series, however, I think it works better in this format due to how intertwined the stories are and I didn't think I had/have material for 7 separate works. 

Another, arguably more important point, Aces does not take place in Korea, or anywhere in our world for that matter. However, it is heavily inspired by world history. Much of the inspiration comes from the history of Korea, like the Joseon period and the Three Kingdoms. However, I also draw from other East cultures such as China and Japan (Clubs will use something similar to Oracle Bones from the Shang Dynasty in China). 

Yet, I also draw from Western cultures, there are oracles like those from Ancient Greece and Rome. Much of the royal dynamic comes from European royal families, and finally, I use Western playing cards (namely from France and German cultures) to provide the aesthetic and much of the inspiration for the book's construction. 

Because I am borrowing from and using aspects of other cultures, I want to be as respectful as possible and list where I was inspired by or used certain traditions. Obviously, I will often twist these traditions to fit my work or make them different, but I still want to highlight that. I will probably miss things and I will continue to add to this list as I write/ come up with things. This may lead to some minor spoilers, but I am going to list things as they appear in chapters, so it shouldn't be too prevalent. There may be times where I list general inspirations that don't fit into a specific place. This will be listed under a general category. I will also explain how I used the concept/ tradition within the work. Without further ado, let's start. (Note: All categories are subject to be added to at any time).

General:

-Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll served as inspiration as it uses the same aesthetic of cards. 

-Heartless by Marissa Meyer takes place in Carroll's Wonderland, but adds onto it and takes it's own liberties, much like I do with Aces

-The playing cards from France and Germany serve as inspiration for many things within Aces, including, but not limited to: the term Euchre is the German term for the Joker; Spades, Diamonds, Hearts, and Clubs/ Clovers are the suits from a French playing card deck; pique is a term from the French card game Piquet.

-The drama Love in the Moonlight (or, Moonlight Drawn by Clouds) provided inspiration for many scenes, as well as a look into the Joseon period (albeit from a modern perspective)

-The Idol Teaser which is what inspired the idea for Aces in the first place

Book One: Pique: 

-The aforementioned reference to Piquet

-The poem is the form of a haiku, a Japanese tradition of poetry

1.1:

-The aforementioned reference to the Euchre's name

-Da-hye bows to the members of the royal family, and while common in many cultures among servants to towards the royalty, Da-hye's status is higher than that of a servant or commoner, and therefore, this is slightly different and inspired by bowing in East Asian tradition

1.2:

-Mention of taekwondo, a Korean martial art

-The idea that there are two different "ways" to live life (that of brains and that of brawn) is loosely inspired of "ways" in Zen Buddhism and other aspects of Japanese culture (such as the Way of Tea and the Way of No Theatre, among others)

-Da-hye's project and Spade's Ace, in general, is inspired by various early history recordings from China and Japan (and probably many other works from various other countries/ cultures). However, I am drawing much of my inspiration from the writings of The Classics in China (and Confucian tradition) and the Kojiki from Japan

-Jungkook's mention of contradictory statements and truths from what he is reading is a reference to the contradictions found in many Daoist texts, such as the Laozi

-Da-hye's response to his questions reflects how one is supposed to accept these contradictions, while the way she goes about it isn't necessarily in line with Daoist thinking

-Mention of an Oracle inspired by Ancient Greek/ Roman mythology and tradition

-The Oracle's name is Cassandra which is the famous Oracle who's predictions were always correct, but who was cursed by Apollo to never be believed