virtuepoint

[virtuepoint]

who's your haute pink bias?

seowon: [QUESTION IGNORED]

[virtuepoint]

how should i ask out the person i like?

seowon: who do u like that’s not me :(

seowon: i won’t tell u because i don’t want u liking anybody else

seowon: only look at me 🤍

[virtuepoint]

have you ever considered that the moon is kind of like a lightstick for the earth?

seowon: alr… the moon is a lightstick for the earth and i’ll be a lightstick for u

seowon: i’ll make it so that u shine brighter than anything and anybody else

[virtuepoint]

would you rather have 5 dodam's, or a 5-year-old ahseop?

seowon: i think 5 dodam’s would either give me endless energy or leave me with none. all of my affection reserved for sweetea will go to him 😅 u can decide urself if that’s a good thing or not hahah

seowon: 5 yr old ahseop would be cute tho 😊 i’ll be the one taking care of him instead of the other way around. ykw, i’ll go with 5 yr old ahseop lol hahahah i’ll pinch his cheeks

[virtuepoint]

hi, idols! as an apology for the pause in operations on the main and the lack of monthly schedules, we come bearing gifts... an ask meme! this isn't the honesty hour that was mentioned a while back (as that will be used as part of our next event), but we think it'll still be lots of fun. check under the cut for all the details!

✩　[조태준] message is here!

our second ask meme will be in the form of interactions on hi-u, midas labels' very own artist-to-fan communication app, and girl talk, the exclusive communication app for girl code. the following questions, inspired by questions that idols are commonly asked by fans online and during fansigns, must be answered with your muse's public image in mind. your muse's answers do not have to be honest, but they must remain appropriate. if you do choose to have your muse respond inappropriately, there will be in-character consequences. if you're willing to take that risk, you may, but we recommend running any potential inappropriate answers by us to know what the companies' reactions would be. the goal of this meme is to explore your muses' public images a bit further, and let other muns see how they interact with their fans. you can send any of the below questions to any mun/muse that reblogs this post. you are more than welcome to send in your own custom questions, from the pov of that muse's fan (or an antifan). we do encourage avoiding sending any questions that could be deemed too inappropriate, but many idols do experience hate and inappropriate or intrusive questions on these platforms, so you're welcome to also send in questions in that vein (as long as the mun you are sending it to is okay with it).

would you rather have five [group member] or a five-year-old [group member]?

would you rather date [group member] or [group member]?

which member do you spend the most time with lately?

how would you rank your group members based on visuals?

how would you rank your group members based on personality?

what's your favorite thing about your group?

what do you like about the company?

what's your favorite thing about yourself?

who do you look up to the most?

do you have any friends in the industry?

what variety show would you like to go on the most?

what does your dream comeback look like?

how should i ask out the person i like?

can you recommend me a song?

can you recommend me a movie?

what app do you use the most lately?

do you have any new hobbies?

how do you destress?

where do you want to travel to next?

what's the first thing you think of when you think of your fans?

can you share your personal scent?

what do you want for your birthday?

if you could spend one day with your fans, what would you want to do?

what's the key to your heart?

what's your most prized possession?

what's your ideal type?

what's your favorite season and why?

today's TMI?

tell us something about your trainee days!

tell us a story from your childhood!

who's your [group name] bias?

what girl group do you like lately?

what boy group do you like lately?

✩　are you their manager?

nowadays, it's getting easier and easier to find an idol's manager or stylist on social media... and we know fans can be a bit intrusive! staff members may also reblog this post, and muns may send them any of the above questions (that are applicable, of course), a custom question of their own (whether a genuine question or an intrusive comment by a fan), and/or any of the below questions. we recommend that staff muses reply to these questions as if they're really replying to a fan on social media, but if your staff member would not have a public sns account, you may answer these honestly as if they were speaking to a friend.

what's the hardest thing about your job?

what's your favorite comeback from [artist/group]?

what's your favorite thing about [artist/group]?

do you get along with your artist(s)?

what do you wish more people knew about [artist/group]?

what's one thing you'd change about your artist's career?

what's one thing you'd change about the company's policies?

do you have any regrets about your career?

do you think you get paid enough for everything you do?

if you could work with any other artist, who would you work with?

if you didn't work in the industry, what other job would you like to have?

what advice would you give to someone who wants to work in this industry?

while we are not currently accepting submissions for voucher redemptions, we will be issuing out one standard item voucher for every 3 questions answered for a total of three standard item vouchers per muse, but you may answer as many questions as you'd like. make sure you send out questions to everyone who reblogged this post. if you have not sent out questions to at least 3 different muns, you will not be able to collect your item vouchers. make sure to take your answers with #midas:meme002, and we'll announce when our submit is back open. you may reblog this post and send questions as soon as this post hits the dash. this meme will run until may 1st. happy answering!

[virtuepoint]

SAVE A SEAT with @goldyashes

As Seowon walks to the more secluded area near the restrooms at the Allure brunch to find Ahseop, he starts to wonder where it all went wrong.

Ahseop is kind. He’s attentive. He tries to get to a relationship akin to a brother’s with Seowon, even when he knows that Seowon tries to dilute all of it into something surface level. Sure, it might be because Ahseop didn’t really have a choice with the two of them being group members with MCing schedules, but Seowon knows he can rely on him now. He doesn’t know why he found Ahseop with a cigarette between his lips a week ago when he walked between walls to find a spot to take pictures.

After doing a double take, Seowon’d just ran away from him. Things have been stiff between the two of them following that, mostly Seowon’s own fault, but it just… isn’t something that he understands. Call him puritan, but Seowon doesn’t want to gamble the relationship he has with Sweeteas. He doesn’t want to push limits. Still, he knows that Ahseop isn’t necessarily reckless. Maybe there’s a reason behind his smoking, and maybe there isn’t.

“Hi,” Seowon greets when he finds Ahseop, “Let’s, uh, talk.” It’s awkward. He doesn’t want to say what about explicitly, but he’s sure that Ahseop knows.

[virtuepoint]

한서원 (SEOWON) just made a post!

wonmyheart a gift for sweetea who i’ll be seeing often this time (i’m counting down the days!) 🤍 i’m working hard to be someone you’ll love even more 😉 i thought of sweetea through all the recording sessions and rehearsals, i’m so excited for you to see it~!

View comments…

sodapopping: seowon it boy sodapop kings of 4th gen!!!! clubseowon: yall won’t ever catch a phaze boy working hard like this for their fans ↪️ hysol96: had no reason to drag them unprovoked so i pray that the men yall think are ur bfs r seeing 2993 women rn richmenonly have u guys ever see a man so bf it makes u wanna DYE. valseowon: ts helped me survive til march 28 🥹 challengerswithyng: Should I stan Sodapop? ↪️ seolostan: just stan seowon instead 🤷‍♀️ jackietaylor: the way he looked to the side in the 2nd pic is lwk so tuff 👀🥀 urlovergirl: seowon post more ot6 pics ty

[virtuepoint]

If you told Seowon from a literal day ago that he’d be trading ghost stories with Go Eunsung’s daughter, he would’ve thought that you were on something. Clearly, that isn’t the case. Jieun and Seowon are both career-oriented, looking forward with a one-track mind, but something about their conversation is juvenile. Seowon thinks back to the tales his friends told him of gwisin and dokkaebi in schoolyards and summer camps. He barely knows Jieun, yet something about this makes him nostalgic.

“Yeah, yeah, the lights went out. I think I suddenly got chills back then, too. It was like something just came behind me.” His eyes are wide, hanging tight to every word Jieun says. He’s not sure if he’s acting like he believes her just to get rid of the awkwardness entirely, playing up a part of himself for Jieun so she can have the smallest bit of fun, but he’s having fun with being silly, too. “Should we go to that stairwell? It’ll be our first mission. I’ll bring flashlights. What other tools do they use? Like… that thing that translates what the ghosts say. Should we invest in that? It’ll be worth it, I think.” Seowon shrugs, smiling. If he thinks about it more, maybe it’d scare him for real– call him a baby, whatever, but come on. “Yeah, it’s only when I take pictures. Maybe if I use that one filter, it’d show the ghost posing with me or something, Jieun. Should I take pictures there again?”

Don’t think the sunbaes really need saving if they lasted long, Jieun says, and Seowon kind of agrees. Still, he responds. “No, but… maybe some of the ghosts are vengeful and waiting for the right moment to strike.” he says ominously, raising his eyebrows as if he’s proven a point. Then, Jieun says that she’s giving him up first, which he kind of laughs at. “Sure. I respect it. But maybe the ghosts will ignore me because they like me and just go right after you.”

jieun starts thinking maybe she was wrong about seowon. make that not entirely wrong because he’s still careful in a way that makes her wary, but he’s not as boring as she first assumed. and against her better judgment, she finds herself indulging in this conversation even more. “the lights went out? that definitely must be a sign,” she muses, eyes glinting. then, after a beat, “seems to match the things i've heard and seen.” her lips curve up more, something between amusement and mischief creeping in. ghost talk is stupid, but it’s a fun kind of stupid.

“there’s a stairwell in the building,” she starts, her voice slipping out of the cold tone she usually has and into something more casual. “sometimes people hear footsteps behind them, but when they turn around, there’s nothing.” she tilts her head slightly, watching him carefully. “they say if you hear them more than once, you shouldn’t look back a second time. oh, maybe this one is the ghost you've been visited by... there was something about one of the practice rooms... the lights flickered every time someone’s in there alone. at first, thought it was the wiring, but i heard it only happens when someone’s dancing. never when they’re just sitting there. is it only when you take photos?” she's feeding into this conversation like she might actually believe in the paranormal activity in the company building. whether or not jieun made that up on the spot or had actually heard it from others was something she'd probably never admit.

at the mention of becoming ghost hunters with seowon, jieun decides to no longer hide her amusement. “you want to be ghost hunters with me? sure, why not. don't think the sunbaes really need saving if they lasted this long, but it could be fun." her voice is lighter now, not quite teasing but not serious either. “but don’t trust me. if we run into anything, i’m giving you up first.”

[virtuepoint]

OUTGOING MSG / to Haute Pink Shin Doah

12:03 PM: oh 😭 sorry for leaving u hanging, sbn

12:03 PM: lol u do have my word. been busy w cb stuff (not an excuse) but making up to u is on my mind! 😊

12:04 PM: i’d never forget about it/u

OUTGOING MSG / from shin doah to han seowon 🤨 (@virtuepoint)

11:49 AM: did u forget ur promise to make it up to me?

11:50 AM: didn't u say i "had ur word"?

11:50 AM: not so sure i can accept ur apology anymore 😒

[virtuepoint]

Seowon’s very, very aware of the reputation that gamers have: slouched backs, a dent on their head from headphones, frozen in the same position for hours. That’s why being one is his dirty little secret, no matter how unserious it seems. Still, the fact that he’s this much of a terrible player is somehow more embarrassing than everything else listed above. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t tell anybody that he’s a gamer– because he’s not even sure that he can even call himself one in the first place.

If he watched reruns of his own gameplay, he wouldn’t know how somebody could be so slow and stupid, too. Taking heat from the people in the lobbies he’s randomized in is something he’s grown accustomed to, unsurprisingly, but it’s a little funny. He gets cursed at more on quickplay lobbies than when he’s out and about, facing the world as an idol.

Seowon’s been trying to be good at playing Moon Knight, just so that user 50pizzas can team up with user darkntwisty. He doesn’t really know the full abilities yet, and he doesn’t know why he got sent a friend request either, but Seowon’s not going to question it and be stuck in gold forever. “That’s so stupid,” he replies. Yes, Seowon gives free elo to everybody he plays against. Yes, he still talks shit about everybody better than him. “They should’ve played it sooner.”

Seowon watches the ‘confirm your hero’ screen count down from thirty to zero, making small talk with darkntwisty. The reason that they’ve slipped so easily into teaming is because they don’t talk about anything personal. It’s about the other players, the kits, the heroes. Seowon’s comfortable talking to the girl, and when they wait for the mission area to unlock, Moon Knight is jumping up and down and pressing on his one shot. “Wait, I kinda don’t know how the Cloak & Dagger and Moon Knight team-up works. Help me.” He says dryly, moving his hand to scratch his head.

here's how you shoot ! / open to : @virtuepoint

they  aren't  anywhere  near  ready  for  ranked.

which  is  fine;  lena  may  even  go  as  far  as  to  say  that  she  prefers  free  play  to  competitive.  she  never  speaks  in  the  voice  chat  for  a  reason,  barring  a  private  one  on  discord,  and  she  barely  even  glances  at  the  team  chat  even  though  it  takes  up  a  good  fifth  of  the  screen.  like  the  men  who've  defined  her  career  (  though  she  thought  she  could  have  an  escape  from  them  in  at  least  this  one  thing  ),  lena  picks  her  favorites  —  usually  the  one  person  who  realizes  being  halfway  across  the  map  alone  means  they're  not  getting  any  heals  and  so  sticks  close  —  and  just  stays  wtih  them  the  whole  game.  randomizing  teams  means  she  loses  her  favorites  after  a  match  or  two,  so  it's  pretty  rare  for  her  to  actively  team  up  with  someone  she  doesn't  know  personally.  to  hitch  her  healing  wagon  to  a  certified  noob  is  unheard  of.

but  something  about  this  guy  is  endearing.  even  if  he's  really  bad  at  this,  he  doesn't  resort  to  blaming  her  or  their  teammates.  he's  clearly  trying  to  learn,  which  is  what  quickplay  is  for  in  the  first  place,  and  she  feels  an  odd,  almost  maternal  sense  of  joy  when  he  figures  out  a  skill  or  times  his  ult  just  right.  lena  wonders  if  he  feels  any  sort  of  similar  joy  too  when  he  sees  that  player darkntwisty  is  on  for  the  night.  then  again,  that  might  be  a  bit  too  self-effacing.

❝  would  you  look  at  that,  ❞  lena  hums,  watching  the  other  players  on  their  team  lock  in  as  duelists  as  soon  as  she  selects  cloak  and  dagger.  ❝  what  are  the  odds  someone's  going  to  swap  to  vanguard  only  after  we've  lost  the  point?  ❞  there  was  a  point  where  she  considered  a  voice  changer  —  before  she  thought  it  too  presumptuous.  now,  being  discovered  is  barely  a  blip  on  her  radar.  teamwork  with  her  new  faceless  buddy  is  more  important,  and  there's  no  faster  way  to  build  that  than  by  talking  smack  about  people  neither  of  them  know.

[virtuepoint]

Seowon actually feels himself physically recoil when he thinks about talking cockroaches. “Ew,” he comments dryly, hitting Jun on the back and pushing him away from his shoulder. He makes sure that the other knows that he’s just joking by giving him a smile after a prolonged pause, shaking his head.

“No, but… what are you even gonna talk about to those roaches? Would they even fall for the Sodapop charm? You’re winking at them and singing Thrill Ride and they don’t even know what you’re doing.” It’s one of the rare times that Seowon allows himself to be opinionated rather than just going along with another opinion, and it’s silly to think that it’s about cockroaches of all things, but it’s true. “I’m not going to a house with a hundred roaches either, though. I’ll just. Get lost on the way. That’s an option, right?”

He pretends to think about a question, but Seowon usually saves these things in a corner of his mind for when he wants to fill up the silence. “Uh, would you rather… eat only Midas Labels cafeteria food for the rest of your love or never be able to find love?”

Shit. That’s actually kinda deep. Seowon doesn’t know his answer, either. If he asked that in a fansign with Sweeteas, he’d play it off as already finding his love in them, but this is Jun, so…

Seowon ends up expanding before Jun can answer. “Like… you can feel love and empathy and find love for your friends but you’re never gonna find… a life partner. What are you picking?”

it's like a short little break, something the jun feels as though he needs after trying to figure out how to pull this concept off. his body feels a little sore, but his mind is pumping at the prospect of performing this in front of the crowd at the family concert.

he does allow himself to rest a little next to seowon though, melting into his member's side as he asks what he feels is a ridiculous question, just to momentarily disengage from rehearsal in this moment.

jun does laugh at seowon's reply though — he asks good questions, and jun has to think for a moment. "hm, talking human sized cockroaches..." he mumbles, "yeah. cockroaches that can talk, let's make it extra creepy," jun smiles, before laughing.

he does have to think about his own reply, taking the bottle from seowon and sipping the drink. as he swallows the drink, he starts to imagine the situation. a hundred cockroaches? jun can feel himself shiver at the thought of it. what if they crawled up his pants? gross. but human sized cockroaches...? he furrows his brows. cockroaches that can talk... maybe... if jun was diplomatic...

he hums under his breath, before he comes to a conclusion. "i'd take the human sized cockroaches. we could become friends! maybe i could charm them with the sodapop charm...?" he teases. "or i'd probably need really, really strong bug spray," he replies with a nod. he turns to look at seowon, "your turn! okay, hit me with a question."

[virtuepoint]

Seowon doesn’t have any complaints on his unit in the family concert, but that’s not really anything revolutionary– he doesn’t give himself the opportunity to dislike anything assigned to him, anyways. It’s second nature to accept everything he’s put in with a grateful smile and the reassurance that he’ll do his best.

My House doesn’t lead him to that usual state of apathy, though. Seowon’s excited. He’s on top of fan activity and interactions; he knows that they’ve been waiting to see what a more sensual concept would look like on him. Seowon has minor singing parts, mostly, which leads to him just focusing more on this bolder stage presence and the charm needed.

It’s hard to get that right, he realizes, when Sodapop’s concepts are bright and juvenile. He’s been observing his seniors who are in the unit, too, and they don’t seem to struggle when it comes to that aspect. Seowon’s dilemma: how many lip bites and winks can he do without being called cringe on the internet?

He’s too scared to approach the seniors or ask them for advice, so he thanks God for placing Jun by his side. They have similar images: pristine boys next door, boyfriends. Their friendship within the group has turned into something real but not quite, because Seowon finds himself prioritizing the idol-work aspect of it most of the time. Jun’s head is leaned against Seowon’s shoulder right now, though, so he allows himself to take a breather and laugh at the words that come out of Jun’s mouth.

“You’re really creative,” Seowon says, and it’s teasing. “I can handle killing bugs but I don’t know if I can… handle killing a hundred cockroaches? What?” He finds himself actually thinking about it. “Can the human-sized cockroaches speak? I guess I’ll just… see what they’re up to? What about you?” Seowon hands his waterbottle to Jun, just in case he’s thirsty. “Give me a second to think. Let me give you a would you rather question too.”

pick your house! – starter for @virtuepoint

my house is a concept that jun thinks he's never actually done before. not because he has any sort of disdain when it came to sexier concept, but simply because it never quite fit sodapop's image.

so when he'd been told that he'd be in the 'my house' unit, jun's eyes had gone wide. he isn't too nervous though, about the prospect of possibly having to pull off a concept he's so unused to. if anything, he thinks that their fans might even be looking forward to it ( he can already image the tweets that might pop up – how insane the search engine would go ).

it's the fact that amongst the lineup in the unit, sodapop are more or less the 'youngest'. and jun, despite thinking of himself as someone who's easy to approach, can be quite a bit of an introvert. which is exactly why he's so glad that he's got seowon on this unit as well.

he gravitates towards his member both during the practices and in between; he's most comfortable with seowon after all ( boyfriend duo! as they're famously dubbed ). which is exactly what he does during this designated break. he sits next to seowon and sighs, leaning his head against seowon's shoulder. "would you rather go to a house infested with one hundred cockroaches, or a house with ten human sized cockroach?" he asks, allowing himself to disengage from rehearsal for a moment.

[virtuepoint]

Yeah, Seowon’s actually facing Jieun now, but he still feels as if he’s being watched. Intensely. It’s a lot like being in the office with the CEOs, Seowon thinks, but he’s sure that comparing her to her relatives is a little bleak of him to do. Thanks, Jieun simply says, and Seowon gives her his million dollar smile. He’s not quite sure if she’d appreciate the pristine boyfriend-like image he gives his fans, and a little more sure that she views their love as artificial given the comments that she’s faced, but he doesn’t know anything else. “I mean it.”

Two can play at that game, Jieun. Seowon observes her, too. Her lips curve upward just a tiny bit and there’s a gleam of amusement in her eyes. The conversation’s awkward, and it’s very clear that the two of them have similar walls up, but for very different reasons. Maybe Seowon’s best bet is to be ghost hunters with her, and he does. “You have?” His jaw drops, eyes wide. Of course she has. She’s trained for three years and her father’s one of the CEOs, but Seowon’s still shocked. It’s not just to play into whatever this is with Jieun, though– it’s the combination of how monotone she sounds and how playful she seems. Jieun doesn’t seem so cold anymore, and he feels like he’s in school and telling ghost stories to his friends. “I want to know, sure, I’ve been sensing a… weird energy around me whenever I’m alone. I took some selcas once up here, and the lights suddenly shut off. I think it’s just them screwing around with me. Does that count as it showing itself?” His head tilts to the side. “Tell me more. Maybe we should become ghost hunters to protect the sunbaes. Thoughts?”

jieun's notes the slight bow, the polite way he speaks. respectful. overly so. jieun notices. she always does. most people either tiptoe around her like she’s something fragile or approach with assumptions already made, but seowon? he'd manage to settle in space between the two. she’s suspicious of it, but it's not like she'll do anything about it. his compliment lands and she doesn’t react right away. doesn’t dismiss it, but doesn’t make a spectacle out of it either. “thanks.” that’s all she gives him. and when he laughs off her second questions, she lets him as she simply waves off the comment she made. jieun doesn't care that much to continue antagonizing seowon, nor is she the type to force a conversation.

but then he asks two questions, and this time, he manages to get an actual reaction out of jieun. her lips twitch, the smallest hint of amusement creeping in as she watches him with thinly veiled interest. ghost stories, of all things. she debates, just for a second, if she should indulge him and make her own contribution to the stories that circulate around the company. maybe she should widen her eyes dramatically, lower her voice, say something unsettling just to see his reaction. but she holds back. barely.

“yes, i have. kind of hard not to hear any.” a deliberate pause as she debated how to answer the second question. "are you asking me because you want to know? it might be better if you don't know if you haven't found out already." and because she can’t help herself from being a little shit—“but nothing’s happened to you yet?” her lips curve slightly, just shy of teasing. “surprising. it usually shows itself to the new ones first. maybe it’s just waiting.” her tone is indifferent as if she’s talking about the weather. “or maybe it likes you enough to spare you. that'd make you a lucky one, right?”

[virtuepoint]

Is the Midas Labels building haunted?

Upon the acquisition, Seowon’s heard ghost stories told by the artists who have been here for longer than YDH has, more often than not. He’s had some instances where he’s on his phone, taking selfies to send on Hi-U only for the lights to shut down a few seconds after. He’s met with this one, now. Lord, please be with him. Seowon’s alone, wandering around the building after a dance practice with his group, and he feels a heavy stare on him as if he’s being watched from behind.

Seowon’s gotten used to the feeling of being looked at, being a debuted idol with adoring fans and everything– but he highly doubts that he should be feeling like this in the company building. He also expects it to go away in a few seconds, but it doesn’t, so what other conclusion is he supposed to come to other than the supernatural, really? He sucks in a shaky breath, and he chooses to turn around and face whatever this is instead of running away.

Oh, he thinks when he finally turns around. It’s Minnie. Go Jieun. He hates to reduce her to just Go Eunsung’s daughter, but the truth is, he doesn’t know the girl well enough past that. Seowon’s kept a safe distance from her. They’ve tried to make small talk when bumping into each other in elevators, but all of it’s just surface level. He notices, thouth, and he doesn’t think that she’s cold. Just a little reserved, and Seowon wonders if the infamous hate train that she’s garnered plays a part in it.

He’s a little shocked when Jieun’s the one that breaks the silence between the two. He’s even more shocked that it’s somewhat… a compliment. “Ah,” he lets out, bowing his head towards her. “Thank you, Jieun. You’re good at what you do, too.” Seowon tries to smile at her, but he doesn’t miss the emptiness that comes with her words. He just hopes that his efforts to make the conversation more lively isn’t for nothing.

“Sorry?” Seowon laughs out, like he’s speechless. He knows that the girl doesn’t mean to sound accusatory, but it comes out as so. He just shakes his head, as if to say no, it’s not tiring, and decides to deflect. He prays that the same God who protects him from ghosts everyday decides to let the two move past this. “Jieun, have you heard the ghost stories about the Midas Labels building? Do you know what land it’s built on?”

with @virtuepoint

there’s something fascinating about people who command a room without raising their voice, or even really needing to speak. jieun knows her dad as one of these people. while she may not have experienced much of what her dad's like as a ceo, she knows him to be someone who can make you feel like the most important person in the world before their attention shifts and they move on, leaving behind nothing but their presence. she knows this is not what everyone else experiences, but this is version of the man she knows because it's the version she calls her father.

who she's looking at is not her father, but there are some similarities between the two. in fact, who she's looking at was the last person she thought she'd ever be making this comparison with. and yet, the resemblance is there. if she was being honest with herself, she saw a little bit of the other ceo in him as well. but she doesn’t voice these thoughts. she doesn't even speak, only watches him like he needs to be studied, like she’s waiting to see if the seams of him will start to fray.

seowon is a few steps away from her, and it just looks too easy for him to have this sort of presence. it's the kind that makes people lean in without realizing it, the kind that makes them want to stay. it’s a skill, she thinks. being liked. being loved. he wields it well. but she wonders, when no one is looking, if he ever puts it down. when he finally turns, she doesn’t avert her gaze and doesn’t pretend she wasn’t staring. instead, she keeps her eyes on him and lets the silence stretch with an unreadable expression on her face. then, as if she’s come to some sort of conclusion, she speaks.

“you’re very good at what you do.” her voice cuts through the space between them, stripped of any real praise. there’s no smile to soften it, no shift in her expression to make it seem like she means it in a flattering way. it’s an observation and nothing more.

jieun tilts her head slightly, like she’s trying to see him from a different angle, like she’s testing to see if the light hits him differently when he knows he’s being seen. “is it tiring?” this time, there’s a hint of curiosity in her tone, but she doesn’t elaborate, doesn’t clarify what exactly it is. once again, she only watches, waiting to see if he lets the moment pass or if he tries to unravel whatever it is she’s hinting at.

[virtuepoint]

on-camera, 18: are you a fan of any midas labels artist? do you own any merch?

“I own a lot of signed Sodapop albums. I guess you could say I’m a Sweetea,” Seowon smiles, pleased. He shrugs his shoulders, and then shakes his head after. “But, uh, I like the Remedy and Phaze sunbaes especially. I think all of the Midas artists have a lot of charm to them, though, and I have a Midas waterbottle. That counts as merch, right?”

[virtuepoint]

Seowon recognizes Doah’s tone. Sugary sweet, hard boiled, lodged in her throat. He’s heard it being practiced so much by his members that it turns real, and Seowon hears that exact same sound in front of him now. It’s a little crazy, he thinks, being on the receiving end of it– and then he thinks of his fans.

If this is what they’re met with every single time, then Seowon has got to be better for them. Sorry, Doah. His MBTI still has the letter ‘S’ in it.

She’s looking up to him, clearly unhappy, and he’s still thinking of Sweeteas– Seowon’s very aware that this is what made her this prickly in the first place. He’s been in this situation a few times before, where he’s had to apologize for his actions in the name of his fans, but it doesn’t matter. Watching his interactions with others is the very least he can do to repay their love to him– a food truck decorated with his face, birthday advertisements across the country, and so many other forms of their love that he’s received. Seowon can only pray that he returns it enough, that they won’t see how hollow he truly is, and that they won’t let go.

“You weren’t… hurt?” Seowon asks, as if he’s trying to make sense of it himself. “I think you were, sunbae. You seemed pretty… cold to me, for the rest of the shoot. I’m apologizing and I really do mean it.” So please accept it and let’s put it behind us, he thinks, but he doesn’t say it out loud. The distance between them is closed when Doah takes a few steps closer to him, and for some reason, Seowon doesn’t run away from it or shut whatever this is down immediately. She’s so bold with her words that it pulls something in him, makes him want to let go of some parts of himself and indulge.

Seowon guesses that that’s what Doah does to people. Sweet and sour, making you try another bite. Her playfulness comes easily to her. Doah’s a natural entertainer, and not in the way Seowon is where he’s the cookie-cutter image of perfect. There’s something real about her. She doesn’t try too hard. Seowon guesses that that’s what makes her so easy to recognize in the mass array of this industry.

He doesn’t indulge, though. Instead, Seowon plans to interject, eager to continue and make his point. And again, that doesn’t happen, either, because you’re too young for me, Doah whispers to him. And much to his surprise, Seowon lets out a laugh. He looks away and shakes his head, quickly making the calculations. Simple math, but… that’s just three years, right? What’s this girl talking about? “Okay, sunbae. I’m a little curious now,” A light smile is on Seowon’s lips, and he takes a step back as if somebody waved their hand to his face and said hello, Earth to Seowon. “What’s the… calibre of men you usually date, then? S’okay if I drop the honorifics and call you noona, sunbae?”

Doah’s made him comfortable enough to tease her back. If Seowon senses that there needs to be a line put between them, he’ll take that initiative. He has an inkling that this is what most of Doah’s relationships look like, though. This won’t do the both of them any harm.

if there's one thing that doah can't stand, it's rejection.

okay, doah actually can't stand a lot of things — but rejection is one of the things she really, really, really can't stand. she's never tried getting to the bottom of it, because doah doesn't need therapy (lie) and she also doesn't have time for it (partial lie). doah thinks therapy is for sad people, and doah doesn't think she's that sad.

but she knows she doesn't like rejection. which is sort of ironic, because it happens to her a lot on these shows — but it's different when the person rejecting you is younger than you, and actually pretty handsome, and paints himself as the ideal gentleman. being rejected by someone like that isn't something doah's ego is able to handle. she can't place her finger on the why. she just knows that it stings and it stings different, and she doesn't like that it stings. so, can anyone really blame her when she pouts and sulks throughout the rest of the filming? it is a bit humiliating to be rejected by the nation's boyfriend on national television, after all.

so, when filming ends and she's greeted with a food truck decorated with nothing but pictures of a smiling han seowon, she can't help but scowl at the sight of his stupidly handsome face. she's not entirely aware of the way her arms have folded angrily against her chest until a staff member bumps into her, and she sheepishly places her arms back at her side, tearing her gaze away from han seowon's handsome face. a quiet scoff pushes past her lips as she turns to find her manager, but a familiar voice draws her attention back to the truck — and she's greeted, once again, with that stupidly handsome face.

she just can't catch a break today.

she stifles a pout when she notices him rushing over. she doesn't really care if he knows that she's annoyed, but she knows better than to cause a scene in front of this many staff members. so, she substitutes her scowl with the faintest of forced smiles, greeting him as nonchalantly as she possibly can. a look of confusion paints her features when he hands her the paper cup, but she accepts it with another forced smile. the warmth from the beverage is comforting, but she still feels irritated by what happened earlier, even if she's trying extremely hard to hide it.

her head tilts as she listens to his apology, and amusement begins to color her features. a coy smile tugs at her lips, and she waves her hand as if to dismiss his worries. "why are you sorry?" she asks, an eyebrow cocked. "do you really think i was hurt by what you said?" her sugary tone is entirely artificial, but she's had enough practice to make it sound somewhat genuine. an airy giggle punctuates her question, and she closes the distance between them with a few short steps, leaning in close as her voice drops to a playful whisper.

"you're too young for me, anyway."

[virtuepoint]

b-cut, 20. have you ever fought with your group members? over what?

“We’re living with each other and around each other most of the time, so it’s natural for us to have disagreements. I think the fans know this, too,” Seowon starts off, first cautious. He tilts his head with a smile, and his sentence turns a little teasing. He’s kind of a maniac when it comes to his fans and their perspective of him. Obviously, Seowon’s seen the slowed-down clips and the body language analysis TikToks. “I’ve had a few arguments, yeah. But it’s just… a difference in perspective, I think.” Admitting what most arguments are over makes him embarrassed. His cheeks turn a little red, because he feels some shame about it. “I don’t know. I think it’s like… my approach. To wanting to feel loved and celebrated,” Seowon keeps his sentences vague, mostly because of that shame. “I don’t know, though.” From his debut year, Seowon’s heard his seniors tell him to be careful with fans and how dangerous his relationship with them can get– but nothing bad has happened yet. The precious love he’s getting is still drowning out all the sasaeng interactions. He’s played into the perfect role so much that he’s so close to it. If Seowon continues to be good like this, then the love will just keep coming. It’ll continue and everything will be just fine.