ofpearls

[ofpearls]

(❓) i got into a fight with a classmate over your best song and we need this to be settled once and for all! (please please please please i hope you see this > . <) what's your favourite song you've released so far?

[21:17] — 🔔 !! from: [AREUM]✓

❄️: 'my sea' ❄️: some aruas may be surprised by this answer?ㅎㅎ ❄️: 'through the night' remains the song i'm most proud of—it always has. but of everything i've released, ‘my sea’ took the longest to find its voice ❄️: it's the song that's challenged me the most, in a lot of different ways... and maybe because of that, it's the one i hold most dear 🤍

[ofpearls]

‹ 소원을 말해봐 › 🗓️ 22 april 2025 - w. @deuxblues

it shouldn't matter that joo jaeyoon is coming over.

really, he shouldn't be coming over at all, seeing that it's past the appropriate hour for visitations, and she'd already gone through the whole ordeal of chasing her friends out of her house and into their called taxis with leftover birthday cake stuffed in their hands, wearily accepting every wine-drunk hug and declaration of love as she buckled them into their seats.

when areum stepped back into her apartment, the plan had been to sweep the confetti from the floors, do some light cleaning, and fall asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow. instead, right as she was coming out of the shower, her phone lit up with a text from the one person she'd resolved not to think about all day, her pride refusing to let her face the fact that a part of her had been waiting to hear from him, checking her phone every few hours like some schoolgirl with a crush.

which—she reminds herself—she's not. so really, it shouldn't matter that this is the first time she's heard from him since the dazed party, since the night when he'd stepped forward first, liquor-soaked and grinning, to blur the boundaries between them before flying off to italy without another word. ignorance is easy when both sides are looking away, and even without sharing sharing notes, jaeyoon has always been someone she's strangely found herself on the same page with. and so, for weeks, that is where they have stood: framed on all sides by whitespace. quiet and blank and devoid of lines to read between.

so she tells herself that it means nothing. that they...

at the sound of small paws tapping across the floor, areum opens her eyes to find meru sitting near the entrance, ears perked attentively towards the door. rising from the couch, areum pulls a cardigan over her cotton slip and scoops her dog in her arms before opening the door with a click.

"you're late," areum says pointedly, arching a brow. she steps back to let jaeyoon in, holding meru close as he squirms to greet the guest, tail wagging with barely contained delight. "or have you not switched back to our timezone yet?"

[ofpearls]

#HappyAreumDay🎂 #영원한_나의봄_아름아_생일축하해

[ofpearls]

IRENE 🎀 2an shooting behind

[ofpearls]

‹ bedrock › 📍 jinhae, sk - w. @randomantix

it must be something about being back in a port city—so close to the sea, an hour away from home... as soon as areum's schedules are over, the sky darkening in the window of her hotel room, she's putting on a cap and mask and stepping out the door, responding almost instinctively to the pull to be outside.

only—it's her luck that the moment she rounds the corner of the hallway, she walks straight into the last person she thought she'd see.

"jo haneul..."

areum blinks, stunned, as the name falls from her lips. taking a step back, she freezes in place. how long has it been since they'd seen each other face to face like this? in the years following their breakup, areum has done her best to avoid crossing paths with him at all costs. even in an industry as small and insular as theirs... even after the merger under midas labels... she'd managed to avoid any possibility of interaction between the two of them over the past few years.

now that he's standing in front of her again, areum finds herself at a loss for words.

at first, she expects some form of panic to kickstart her reaction and make her flee the scene—to send her sharply into a u-turn down the hallway and back to her room, back to the realm of what's normal and appropriate. but once the shock of the encounter fades, instead of fear or nervousness, what settles in her chest is a strange sense of melancholy—inexplicable, pervasive, and impossible to push aside.

areum blames the salt in the air. she blames fact that they're so close to the sea, with the winds blowing in from the ocean stirring up old memories that had been long-buried, calcified under layers of sand and silt. she blames the fact that they're not in seoul for the way her shoulders relax into the sigh that marks the sound of her arriving at some sort of grim resolve.

"i'm headed out for a drink," she says, her tone quiet and even. "if you want to come with...?"

[ofpearls]

"unnie....i think i am falling in love with my best friend. what should i do? should i confess or hold it in till i die?"

[01:07] — 🔔 !! from: [AREUM]✓

❄️: it depends... what are you willing to risk? ❄️: because the truth is, there's no version of this that guarantees safety... you either risk the friendship, or risk missed opportunities and the weight of unspoken feelings. ❄️: but love always shifts something... there's no option where you can come out unchanged... ❄️: so whatever you decide to do, let it be on your terms. if something’s going to change anyway, let it be something you chose. ❄️: and no matter how things go, this unnie will always be here to support you 🤍

[ofpearls]

what boy group do u like lately???

— 🔔 !! from:[AREUM]✓

❄️: of course it would be my juniors, sodapop! ❄️: everything about their concept and sound is such a breath of fresh air, and i've been listening to 'doctor! doctor!' on repeat ever since its release... ❄️: the melody is so addicting... as expected from a yuchan production 👍

[ofpearls]

24 / what's the key to your heart?

— 🔔 !! from:[AREUM]✓

❄️: [y/n] 🗝️ ❄️: now that you have my heart, promise to treat it nicely, okay? ❄️: i'll be in your care~

[ofpearls]

what was the last thing you searched up?

— 🔔 !! from:[AREUM]✓

❄️: the local weather in cambodia.. ㅋㅋ ❄️: my mom is traveling there right now, that's why~~

[ofpearls]

areum does not consider herself easily swayed.

so it's laughable, really, how a dimpled smile and an honest word from jaeyoon is enough to sweep something fragile and fluttering through her chest. she lets it fly past, glinting prettily in the corner of her vision, without daring to examine it more.

"it's good to see you too," areum says quietly, so soft it would have been swallowed by the noise of the room if they hadn't been standing so close already. she matches him truth for truth, a slow smile spreading across her features—her first real one of the night—and nudges him gently with her elbow. the touch is intentional. playful and platonic—a speed bump raised reflexively against this feeling like they're racing each other to recklessness, like she's driving fast into unknown territory, one turn away from careening off the edge when she still doesn't know if she's ready to fall.

as someone who's always lived with two feet planted firmly to the ground, weightlessness is an unsettling prospect. a rush that areum gets a taste of every time jaeyoon hits the accelerator and looks at her like that.

areum holds his gaze briefly before looking away. "with how busy you are, it's been getting harder to see your face."

areum raises her flute of water to her lips, smiling meaningfully when he asks what she's been doing since the last time they met. how long has it been again? since their last bookclub meeting, surely... which would make it around the time she started making plans for her next comeback...

"oh, you know, it's the usual for me. i've been working," areum begins lightly, almost teasingly. she takes a small sip and meets his eyes over the rim of the glass. "my next project's going to lean heavily r&b," she explains. "and since it's a different sound from my usual image, i've been exploring the musical scene a bit. expanding my horizons..." areum grins something sharp and secretive. "going to places that half the people in this room would pay good money to catch me leave... for research purposes, of course. how else would i be able to capture the right vibe?"

areum hums, eyes lighting up suddenly with a thought. "which reminds me, i was going to ask if you'd be interested in working on some songs together, though—" she squints up at him. "maybe i should be saving this topic for when you're more sober..."

ofpearls:

areum pauses to stare up at jaeyoon, her face thoughtful. "but i think the better question would be... are you good? for someone supposedly celebrating a comeback, the mood is a bit off..."

tonight, he chooses recklessness.

the alcohol helps too when he's pouring down the glass that now tastes bitter — he attributes that to her. alcohol clouding his judgement, and the remnants of the pull away now lingering on his skin.

he knows better than to act like this. but mind over matter's no longer a factor, and anonymity's long been thrown out the window. there's no room to hit pause when he's pressed on the gas pedal, sealing away each action with the brazen smirk that follows suit when he stares down with an unyielding gaze.

jaeyoon shakes his head (because maybe tonight — trouble's just what he's been asking for). years building onto the hinges of his own self-restraint, and unsettled doubt now toss to the back of tomorrow's worries. tonight, he'll allow himself the benefit of the doubt to be unhinged, immune to the judgement eyes and peering stares surrounding them.

"i always ask for trouble. don't i, areum?" he lets himself bite further into the lack of formalities, blurring the edges of what's black and white. there's a gray area, and he wants to make it clear: there's no real backing out now. "i finished some performance, and i'm having a good time. i had a drink, and now i'm talking to you — is there a better time i could be having?"

(there's no real answer to the question. evidence is already written plain and clear.)

because when he sees areum, what she personalizes herself into is a breath of fresh air. compounded by the heaviness of the night and the coattails of the hectic piling of schedules in front of him, she gives him the schoolboy bliss that he's lost throughout the process. clearview picture, and the tight-rope thoughts of what happens when he catches himself off-balance and right in her periphery.

"no, no praise. i just wanted to see you."

well, shit. he doesn't know how he'll handle the aftermath, now.

there's the schoolboy shine that peeks through his dimpled grin, shaking his head at the comments he never intended for. yet, he'd be caught mid-way through a lie if it didn't want him to pull in further. so, he relents — one step closer. "do we have to talk about my comeback right now? i want to know what you've been up to."

[ofpearls]

what's your ideal type!

— 🔔 !! from:[AREUM]✓

❄️: my ideal type would be someone i can respect — someone with strong values, who's good at what they do, and willing to grow together. a partner in life who supports and accepts me completely...... ❄️: ....but now i'm just describing aruas! so maybe i'm all set? ㅎㅎㅎㅎ

[ofpearls]

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

— 🔔 !! from:[AREUM]✓

❄️: kang hyungwook’s dog guest show! 🐾 ❄️: my meru is the best, and the whole world deserves to know her charms... please call us!!

[ofpearls]

i really need some advice... i've been with this guy for a few months now, but lately he seems less eager to meet up. he says that he needs to stay at work longer, but when i ask him about it he won't talk about it. i'm not sure if i'm overreacting or not. do you think i should confront him?

— 🔔 !! from:[AREUM]✓

❄️: hmm... it’s possible he’s genuinely stressed or overworked, and avoiding the topic could mean he’s trying to protect you from that pressure. but if he's consistently unavailable, you're right to question the relationship's sustainability. ❄️: in my opinion, i don't think it's possible to prioritize both work and a relationship. ❄️: at some point, he has to choose—is he going to be a good boyfriend or a good employee? it's irresponsible to commit to anything halfheartedly. ❄️: and above all, your time is too precious for that... ❄️: confront him, and if he doesn't seem interested in listening to your concerns and figuring out a way forward, find someone who will. ❄️: 🤍

[ofpearls]

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!

[ofpearls]

just as areum is contemplating what to say next, thumbing through a catalogue of topics in her mind and weighing all the appropriate options, she hears hyorin ask about her comeback. immediately, something in her relaxes, welcoming the mention of work. this she knows how to talk about.

"we're preparing for one too," she replies, nodding. "the date hasn't been finalized yet, but the next full album is projected to be released sometime this quarter."

areum pauses, catching herself slipping too much into the tone she uses in team meetings and press conferences and feeling the need to adjust. in a lot of ways, professionalism is a comfort zone for her, familiar territory she knows how to navigate. areum knows that if she wanted, this could be where she draws the line, keeping hyorin at arms length and at a distance of polite, predictable encounters—bowed greeting in elevators and company corridors, the occasional shout-out on livestreams and radio shows—all falling under the category of friendly colleagues that would at minimum satisfy fans and pr managers alike.

but a part of her hesitates at the thought of stopping here.

it's true that to an extent, areum still feels awkward around the members of angelix, having trained in their debut lineup all those years ago. she'll be the first to admit that she hadn't been the warmest trainee to them back then—closing herself off to everything but the competition and pulling away even more once their paths to debut diverged.

but despite all that, hyorin had always been someone who areum remembers as exuding gentleness and warmth, quietly carrying a sweetness like the furled buds of a spring tree—one breath away from blossoming. in waiting rooms, scrolling through her phone as she monitored her feed, areum had watched the clips her fans sent her of hyorin singing along to her songs and had felt her sincerity then—the open, uncomplicated appreciation hyorin had for her music, expressed wholeheartedly and without an ounce of reserve. areum had wanted to respond in some way back then but wasn't sure where—or how—to begin.

an idea comes to her now.

making up her mind, areum smiles and leans in with a slightly conspiratorial air. "i have a few acoustic demos on my phone right now if you want to take a listen. they're just rough drafts at the moment, but if you're interested in reviewing them, i'd love to hear your thoughts."

hyorin's never quite understood why ydh was so fixed on trying to build this family image. it's not like a sodapop fan was going to suddenly buy an angelix album just because they seem all buddy buddy with one another. the only conclusion she can come up with is that the executives have some sort of big picture in mind.

however, a positive has come out of the whole thing—hyorin gets to spend the day with areum. she's never very secretive about her love and support for the older artist as she was a big, big fan of the music she put out. whenever she went on live, she couldn't stop raving about her songs or even singing along to them. truthfully, she had the career that hyorin sort of dreamed of as a soloist if ydh were to ever give her a chance.

"i didn't think cherry blossom could actually be a flavor," she admitted before gently taking the cookie that'e been offered to her. "i'm guessing it'll just be pretty sweet?" with that, she breaks off a piece of the cookie and tosses it into her mouth. nodding, her guess had been proven correct. the cookie was mostly just a sugar cookie, but she wasn't too surprised seeing at how well-decorated it was.

hyorin quickly shakes her head at areum's words, offering her a gentle smile. "oh, i'm not the most talkative person either. i probably should've made more of an effort myself." if she were to be completely honest, she was actually kind of nervous. she's always wanted to become friends with areum, but now that she was thrown in a situation where she could, she didn't know what to say.

"umm, we're having our comeback soon. is there any word of a comeback for you in the near future?" when stuck, hyorin felt that the safest way to start a conversation was to talk about music as it's something they all had in common. plus, she genuinely was curious when areum would release her next album. really, she just wanted to be one of the first to hear of it.

[ofpearls]

early on in the night, areum had taken post at one of the high top tables set up around the room, standing with a flute of sparkling water in hand as various industry professionals had drifted in and out of her space like waves to a shore—producers, editors, creative directors—always one approaching at the heels of one's retreat. this whole evening had been a carousel of matching names to brands and saying variations of the same script to every new face that arrived, smiling and going through the motions of small talk as her mind floated further and further away from her body.

it's only when areum makes eye contact with jaeyeoon across the room that she snaps back to the present.

in a matter of moments, she excuses herself politely from the conversation happening at her side to meet him in the middle of the floor.

jaeyoon's coming from the bar, of course, and she doesn't need to check the glass of amber liquid in his hand to know that it's japanese whiskey on his breath as he pulls her into a hug and skips the honorifics in his slurred greeting. the familiar scent of cigarette smoke and woody perfume wraps her briefly in a cloud before she steps out of his hold—the movement a bit too quick for it to be natural.

but it's true that she's been thrown off balance. equally caught by surprise at his public display of closeness (areum sees a flash go off in the corner of her vision) as she is with him addressing her by name—marking another type of closeness areum had not expected to hear.

in all her years of knowing him, she's found that jaeyoon can be many things—some of them contradictory—but she does not know him to be careless.

there is a line here that's being pushed. deliberately tested. stretched taut and plucked and the note rings out between them—bold and uncertain.

she doesn't hate the sound of it.

despite not having a sip of alcohol all night, areum feels her ears grow warm.

"cheeky." she clicks her tongue and tries to cover being flustered for annoyance, narrowing her eyes as she steps closer again.

"joo jaeyoon, you're just asking for trouble..." she pokes his chest with the tip of her finger, then lowers her hand towards his, suddenly craving a drink and briefly entertaining the intrusive thought of just taking the glass in his hand and raising it to her lips as everyone in the industry watches the unlikely pair. "pull it together..."

at the mention of his album, areum raises her brow. "oh is this why you're here? did you come find me to get praised?"

irrespective of the small smirk playing on her features, her response is sincere and direct. "i thought it was a high quality comeback. perfectly produced, as expected, with a well-chosen title track. i can already see the trending shorts..."

areum pauses to stare up at jaeyoon, her face thoughtful. "but i think the better question would be... are you good? for someone supposedly celebrating a comeback, the mood is a bit off..."

호칭 / @ofpearls DAZED AFTER PARTY

cigarette dead on the heels of his boots, he exhales what's left of the smoke remaining inside of his lungs. the nicotine daze is a figment of a paradox when the post-show high becomes engulfed in the magnetic disorientation of too many glasses of whiskey on the rocks. the night already sets the scene for a myriad of tomorrow's troubles, and he's already fleeing the scene — mishandling his steps, walking back towards the periphery of a dead-beat crowd.

it's the first thing he notices. too much time and too many superficial conversations that don't begin to touch the cusp of the remaining time left in the scene.

what joo jaeyoon wants, is something of substance.

that substance, just happens to fall in the form of another glass of the hakata whiskey on the rocks, he motions to the bartender with the taps of his finger against the table. he bides his time scanning the scene, calculative enough to avoid any unwanted intrusions to add to tomorrow's worries, and well enough that amidst the haze of it all, emerges someone that feels strangely welcoming.

he slips his drink from the table — a quick nod of thanks to the bartender before hitting the beeline straight away.

"areum." his words unfold, slowly slurring together. there's another calculative pull, dropping the noona, pulling her into a quick one-armed hug — while he's at it, he'll blame that on the alcohol, too.

"glad to see you here." one quick glance, and he'd be ignorant to not read between the lines that maybe, something's off their realm of normalcy. for a second, he contemplates ignorance — but even drunken morals still stand firm.

jaeyoon loosens his grip, sneaking in another quick sip before opening the air of uncertainty with a one-two punch of humor. "you good? was my album that bad?"