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wonwoonlight · 8 months

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Through the night, through the day - Seungcheol (unfinished)

A/n: a little something from my discontinued wip that i really wanted to finish but no longer has it in me to. Happy three years to this blog, here's to writing for yourself and not validation of others 🍻 thank you for all of you who have been reading my stuff up until now.

Loosely inspired by: AKMU - Last Goodbye, Adele - All I Ask

Seungcheol isn’t sure who’s to blame for the current situation he finds himself in.

Is it his because he fell out of love first?

Is it yours because you refused to break up with him even after he honestly told you what love he had left for you is barely romantic at this point?

Or is it his because he had let you refuse the break up simply because he felt too bad about forcing it on you?

But he believes as much as it’s a mutual decision to start a relationship, it’s also a mutual decision to end it. He certainly still loves and cares for you enough not to simply leave despite your refusal to end the relationship; but what he has for you is not something he thinks he should be feeling for a girlfriend.

He misses that spark. That thrilling sensation and the way his heartbeat would pick up at the sight of someone’s–your–smile.

And, unfortunately, it’s practically nonexistent now and, at some point, he hates himself for losing it because you still look at him like he holds the universe while he simply feels a pinch in his heart because he feels bad.

His phone lights up with notification, a picture of you and him grinning at the camera flashing before the screen turns black again. He sighs as he takes another sip of his drink, the alcohol burns his throat the same way your smile burns his heart.

Jeonghan’s right. He needs to be stern and stop dragging this more than necessary. The both of you deserve better; him, to finally stop feeling guilty because he can’t leave you behind, and you, e to find someone that will love you like you deserve to be loved.

At some point, Seungcheol knew the role was his to fill, but that’s no longer the case and prolonging this would only hurt the both of you in the future.

Like the two of you aren’t hurting on your own already now.

He bites his lip as he imagines the hurt in your eyes and the forced smile you’d give him.

Fuck.

He downs the shot and orders another.

Seungcheol imagined you’d be pressing your lips together as you suppress your tears, shoulders tense and jaws tight when he tells you once again he thinks it’d be better for you two to break up.

After all, that was your reaction the first time around.

What Seungcheol did not imagine, however, are your empty eyes and the way your hands limply stack against each other; your shoulders hunch in defeat and a corner of your lip twitch a faint smile for a millisecond before it turns straight once again.

Like you know it’s coming.

Like you’ve been bracing yourself for it.

There’s a painful squeeze in his heart at the way you’re not meeting his eyes, and he fights fights fights the urge to take your hands and apologize because he’s the one that’s ridding himself of that right.

How is he supposed to handle you like this?

Then again, isn’t this an attempt to let go of that responsibility? Because he doesn’t know anymore how to handle you without the romantic filter over his gaze towards you?

He’s starting to think it would be much better if you had been crying instead.

“Okay.” You say softly, voice barely even a whisper. But it doesn’t matter because he’s heard it and his eyes widen because he doesn’t think you’d agree so easily after the fight you put out last month. “But… Can I ask you one last favor?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you take me to that camping ground we went to two years ago?”

He blinks, not expecting it at all.

“The one we went to for our first anniversary?”

For the first time in so long, the smile you give him doesn’t make his heart lurch with guilt.

He suddenly tries to think back when was the last time you actually, genuinely smiled at him with happiness in your eyes.

You always have that fond look in your eyes–something so soft and full of love–even after he asked for the break up last month. You still look at him that way after that and even right this second.

But happy?

When was the last time you laughed happily in his presence?

“Yeah. I’ve always wanted to go back but don’t really have any reason to…” You frown to yourself, your lips purse in a way that makes him want to squish your cheeks like he used to. “A farewell trip… if you will. Is it okay?”

“Sure.” He says without thinking. That’s the least he can do for you; he hasn’t exactly been the best boyfriend nor even person in general the past month, and the fact that he’s staying with you out of obligation because he doesn’t know how to break it off after your argument has been eating him inside out. If this is what you need to finally let him go, he doesn’t see why it would be a bad idea.

He still cares for you. Just not in the way people in a romantic relationship should.

For you, he’d still do anything if it’s within his reach.

For you, he'd still do anything to make sure you're happy again.

You’re still his friend before anything and Seungcheol always always tries to do his best for his friends.

“When do you want to go?”

“This weekend is fine if you’re free.”

“It’s Mingyu’s birthday, I already promised we’d go out for a drink. Is next weekend okay?”

“Sure. Do you want me to make the booking?”

He shakes his head. Perhaps it’s him wanting to compensate, but if this is going to be a farewell trip, might as well do everything for you so he can convince himself it’s okay to let go of the guilt he’s been holding over himself if only a little.

“I’ll do everything. You just wait and be pretty, okay?” He smiles cheekily, which you can only smile back in return despite the way your heart cracks little by little at how easy the words tumble out of his lips.

And he wonders why you find it hard for you to let go.

“Why are you brooding like your screen has personally offended you?” Jeonghan asks, plopping on the sofa next to Seungcheol.

It’s game night, something he and his friends promised to hold at least once a month. It’s Jeonghan’s turn to host the night, and Seungcheol has come almost two hours early only to focus on his macbook and barely even says anything to him, the owner of the place.

Not that it’s a rare occurrence, Seungcheol does have the tendency to do this from time to time. Just barge into his place, grunts a greeting, and leaves after an hour or two.

“I’ve been trying to book this spot in the camping ground but it’s not available.” He sighs.

Jeonghan tilts his head, interested. Seungcheol hates planning with passion, yet he's apparently doing a very thorough research for some reason.

He looks at the amount of tabs open on his laptop, and when he asks about them, Seungcheol simply says he’s making an itinerary and is currently checking all the possible places he might visit around the camping ground. He points out some places, says their pros and cons and where he currently stands about visiting them.

“Who’re you going with again?” When he mutters your name, Jeonghan can’t help but get more interested. “Didn’t you say you’re breaking up with her?”

“Yeah. She said she wants to go there one last time… I don’t know. For old time’s sake, maybe? Anyway, I don’t see anything bad about it so I guess why not.”

“You’re breaking up with her.”

Seungcheol sighs and puts away his laptop. His best friend can get like this sometimes and, at the wrong times, it really gets on his nerves.

“I am. It’s a goodbye trip of some sort, okay? She said we’ll break it off after that. Just one last trip, that’s what she asked; how can I not give her that?”

“Why would you go on a trip with someone you’re breaking up with? Isn’t that kind of the point? To stop seeing each other?”

“Look, I’ve been with her for three years, almost four, even. And it’s not like we’re breaking up because we’re fighting or what–I fell out of love. It’s on me. And I still care about her and treasure the time I’ve shared with her. If there’s anything I can do to make this breakup bearable for her, I would.”

Seungcheol clenches his jaw at the way Jeonghan is looking at him; his eyes calling him stupid and pathetic at the same time without his lips saying anything.

“You’re just compensating because you feel guilty, then.”

“And it’s wrong for me to do that?” He fumes, not getting where his best friend is going with the talk. If he thinks this is one of those days when it’s fun to push all his buttons just for the sake of it, Jeonghan definitely chose the wrong topic to do so. “Why are you complaining, anyway? It’s not like I’m making you come with me. Do you not like the idea of me giving her closure? Do you secretly dislike her all this time?”

Jeonghan looks at him sharply, daring him to say more about how he feels about you. He knows Seungcheol threw the last sentence just to spite him, because of all his friends, you’re closest with Jeonghan and the feeling is pretty much mutual. Of all the partners Seungcheol has had, you’re the one that clicks with him the most; you seem to care about Seungcheol’s friends the same way you would your own friends. If there’s anything Jeonghan appreciates, it’s loyalty.

Always loyalty.

He’s sure he would also be devastated due to your break up with Seungcheol if it means he might lose someone he treasures as much as you.

“It’d only be harder for her, you asshole.” He grits his teeth. “Why would you give her hope by doing this much preparation for a fucking goodbye trip?”

“Because she asked for the trip!”

“What you’re arranging is a romantic getaway not a goodbye trip!”

Seungcheol falters a little at this, and before he can say more, the intercom beeps, signaling the other guys’ arrival. They share one last look with each other before Jeonghan gets up and opens the door, Mingyu’s rowdy voice followed by Wonwoo and Seokmin immediately dissipates the tense in the living room.

A few hours later, it’s still a little awkward between Seungcheol and Jeonghan, Wonwoo and Seokmin approaches them separately, and when the only thing they get is a set of reassurance that they simply had a disagreement, they let it go and decide it’d be best not to bring it up for now.

“By the way,” Seokmin opens the talk as Mingyu puts down cans of beer on the table. Seungcheol immediately reaches for one and the others wait for Seokmin to continue talking. “Is your girlfriend okay? I saw her in the hospital today.”

The way Seungcheol immediately chokes on his drink would’ve been funny otherwise. He wants to make sure that it’s his girlfriend Seokmin is referring to, but he’s currently one of the only two people with a partner in this room and one of them is Seokmin himself.

“I–what?”

“Oh… you didn’t know?” The younger guy winces, though he thinks it’d be best to tell Seungcheol anyway. No matter how small it might’ve been, he would want to know if his girlfriend somehow had to visit the hospital. “I was visiting a friend and I saw her walk out of the building but she didn’t see me and she was already too far away for me to call for her.”

“She didn’t say… I didn’t even know she went to the hospital.”

Jeonghan holds back a snicker, of course he wouldn’t know. Seungcheol hasn’t exactly been attentive to you since the moment he realized he’s falling out of you, head too deep in guilt and his own thoughts that he forgets to actually take a look at what’s in front of him.

The conversation goes elsewhere, and once Seungcheol is sure the attention is no longer on him, he whips out his phone and texts you to ask if anything happened.

[20:31] did you go to the hospital today? seokmin said he saw you

[20:44] 💜: oh, yeah. severe cold case, no worries tho! Is seokmin ok?

[20:45] you literally said severe, how am i supposed not to worry?

[20:35] why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve gone with you to the hospital

[20:47] 💜: it’s still just a cold haha. i simply got checked just in case. but they made sure it’s nothing but cold.

[20:47] Calling 💜

“Please stop trying to make it look like you’re not sick.” Seungcheol cuts immediately into the case, standing in the kitchen where it’s less noisy. “Why didn’t you tell me? I was with you a few days ago.”

Huh. Wait.

Was that why you looked a little out of it?

He closes his eyes in contempt and curses himself for not noticing. No wonder you looked so lethargic. So much for a boyfriend.

“It’s really just a cold, Cheol.” You try to reassure him, though your strained voice nor the cough that follows right after aren’t really doing a good job doing so. “You know the weather has been crazy these days.”

“Still. Why would you go to the hospital alone?”

It’s not easy for you to blink back your tears as you press your lips together, hoping Seungcheol would mistake your heavy breathing is due to your cold. You wonder if Seungcheol does all of this purposely. What a cruel man he is, asking you to break up with him and then scolding you for not telling him you’re sick, that he’s worried and asked if you want him to come over tonight.

Does he or does not want to cut ties with you?

“Cheol… Look–I… I simply thought you’re busy and it’s no big deal. I should be fine after a few good night sleep, they didn’t even prescribe me that much medicine and that should say something, right?”

Something stirs in him at how exhausted you sound, and he imagines you’re laying down in your room by the sound of rustling he hears across the phone.

“Have you had dinner?” He asks instead, looking at the digital clock on Jeonghan’s fridge.

“Not yet. Maybe later.”

“Alright, I’ll just wrap it up here and come over.”

“What?” You immediately sit up, not exactly pleased with the way this conversation is going. “No, Cheol. Just hang out with the guys, I’ll be fine.”

“You’re sick, why would I be here?” He argues.

You sigh, not sure anymore the cause of your headache.

Is it your cold?

Is it him?

Probably both.

Why is Seungcheol so adamant in taking care of you when he has asked to break up last month and then asked once again not even a week ago?

Why couldn’t he be a jerk and just leave you alone?

Why does he feel the need to make sure your feelings are still intact when he has, according to himself, no longer felt the same intensity he thought one should have when they’re in a relationship?

It’s really your fucking fault for asking for him to reconsider. But, then again, you didn’t expect him to accept it at once–what was even the point of asking for a break up if you’re going to crumble after one refusal?

You didn’t know what to say the first time he asked for it. Because you know… you know it’s coming. You’ve felt the way he’s been pulling away, the way he’s been less and less interested in what you have to say, and how he’s been enjoying his time not talking to you than the other way around.

It hurts.

It hurts so much because this is the person who used to listen to you like you personally hang every single star in the universe by yourself, one that used to stare at you and pay attention to everything you say because he said he doesn’t want to miss anything only to miss half the things you’re saying because he’s too busy staring at you.

And when he asked the second time… you pretend to cough to hide your sniffle, wiping the tears that have managed to escape your eyes before you try to hurriedly hang up the phone.

“Cheol, I need to–”

“I’ll be there in forty minutes.”

He arrives in thirty, fusses over dinner and your air conditioner system and forces you to rest even after you relay what the doctor told you; that you should be okay in a few days.

It’s 1 in the morning when he leaves your place, and he only does so after you pretend to be asleep in hope he’d go home instead of staying over.

You feel him caresses your cheek softly and pats your head before he leaves, and you’re pretty sure you can feel him staring at you for a good three minutes before you hear your front door click.

You fall asleep an hour later because you’re too exhausted from crying and your head is pounding because of the same reason.

Fuck Choi Seungcheol.

#seungcheol angst #seungcheol scenarios #seventeen angst #seventeen au #seventeen scenario #seventeen scenarios #seungcheol x reader #scoups angst #scoups scenario #scoups scenarios #khione.fics #seventeen x reader

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sanyu-thewitch05 · 9 months

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Yandere Demon Lord with an Angel Darling!

Daeman is a Great Demon feared by many,demons and angels alike. He's known as one of the worst in the Underworld,one day while he was strolling in a forest of the mortal world

He met her,the Darling,an angel who just happened to be there,he heard her sweet voice singing from afar,she was so sweet and kind. She wasn't even disgusted at the sight of him,she was different than all of those pretentious angels who would scoff at him if they see him

It was true love at first sight

They met eachother more and more in that forest. But Daeman knew he couldn't stop his growing love and lust for this innocent doe

He knew if he keeps letting her go,she would fly away from him one day. So he pulled her down to the Underworld with him

Darling was terrified ofc,she was so naive like a bunny caught in a trap. Daeman claimed her in bed afterwards ofc,while doing so,he told her that her God isn't here, only he is here

She became his darling wife afterwards, she's not getting back to Heaven anytime soon,now that she's defiled by him

Daeman was a sick bastard,he even puts a sigil on her womb called the Love's sigil, it's a mark of possession over her,it will even help him track her down should she escapes, when he activates the sigil,Darling would feel unimaginable lust,but ofc it prevents her from laying with any man beside Daeman himself~

After all he only wants her to lust after him and only he's the one to satiate her lust

A/N: Sorry this took so long to answer. I have two papers due in a week. Also, this is pretty tame, but hopefully, you still like it. I mainly based some of this work off of Hades and Persephone.

Also, here's a song to go with it, if anyone wants to listen:

TW: Smut, blood

You were a blessing to Earth. Everywhere you went, miracles happened. Ghosts went to the afterlife when you walked on their grounds, the darkest beasts bowed down and became domesticated, and life bloomed on your footprints. Your favorite spot is a quiet spot in the Amazon Rainforest. You love the biodiversity and the never-ending sounds of the forest.

"Ooh, ooh, just for the flowers, sea, and me," You sing, combing your hair.

In the clouds above, the most feared man in the underworld, Daeman, is watching for trouble or humans to mess with. Then, he hears your voice, and before he knows it, Daeman is behind you.

"Your voice sounds beautiful," Daeman says, sitting next to you.

You turn around and look him up and down. You see his wide frame, 6'5 figure, and long dark purple hair. You smile at him, light filling the forest floor.

"Hi, what's your name?" You ask, slowly moving your feet in the water.

"Daeman, you probably know me. Most people in the Underworld know who I am," Daeman says, unsure why you're nice to him.

"I do know. My angel friends tell me all sorts of things about you. But I saved my judgment until I actually met you. Which would be now."

Daeman's mind couldn't help but scream, "She's different! She's different than them!".

It was true love at first sight. Unbeknownst to them, two cupids are watching them from behind the trees. They pull out their bow and arrows and shoot at Daeman and you. An explosion of pink happens around the two of you, neither of you can see it, and the feeling of love settles in.

"I can't wait to talk to you again," You say, flying away. The sun eventually covers your figure.

"Wait-"

Daeman's hand is in the air, reaching for you but out of reach like you are his Icarus. He sighs and returns to the Underworld.

"Boss, what's wrong?" A fellow demon asks, seeing him reappear.

"Nothing, I just saw Icarus fly away," Daeman responds, walking into his mansion.

Daeman returned to that same spot tomorrow, and soon enough, you two met each other there every day. You two became closer and traveled the human world together.

"I wanna stay with you forever," You say, holding Daeman's arm.

"You shouldn't say such things around me. I'll drag you down like Hades did Persephone," Daeman responds, putting a hand on your cheek.

"It's ok. I heard what you said. I know you're afraid of me flying away from you. But I'm not. I'll gladly give up my wings and live a mortal life with you," You say, kissing Daeman.

"No. No! No! No! Stop! You're making it worse! Stop it!"

"Daeman, I want to be with you!"

"Don't! Please, don't!"

"I love anything you do. I love you. You know, even If I listen to music that is not my style, or even if I eat food that I don't like, or even if it's raining without an umbrella and all soaking wet, it's alright. I love it because I love you."

Daeman hugs you, and suddenly the ground beneath you disappears. You fall into the dark abyss with him and wake up in a bed with him.

"My angel, would you do me the honor of being my bride?" Daeman asks, pulling out a blood-red ring.

You were terrified. The walls were gothic and black. There's no sunlight. Only a red moonlight peeks through the velvet curtains.

"Y-Yes," You answer, stuttering as you feel something bad is happening.

Daeman slips the ring on your finger, and you feel a burning sensation on your wings.

"AAAAHH!" You shriek in pain, arching your back.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Daeman exclaims, cradling you.

Your wings burn away until they are nothing. Daeman's long nails go to your stomach and draw a love sigil. He couldn't help but follow his instincts. He had to mark what was his.

"What have you done to me?" You cry, tears falling onto Daeman's clothing.

"My love, you're my bride now. You've chosen to be with me. Your God has forsaken you for choosing a demon like me. I'm only here for you. You, my Icarus, flew too close to the sun," Daeman says, kissing every piece of skin showing. "The love sigil should be taking effect any minute now. How does it feel to only feel lust for me and no other man?"

Incredible lust overtakes your body, and you fiercely kiss Daeman. Nothing matters in the world more than him.

"My dear Hades, won't you show me how it feels to be with you?" You say, taking off your dress.

Daeman undresses, and soon enough, you both cave into your worldly desires. He strokes his dick, then puts it into you. Your pussy is unbelievably tight, and you cry in pain.

"Daeman, it hurts," You weep, crying onto his chest.

"I know it hurts, my love. Stay still, I'll help you," Daeman comforts, kissing your lips.

The love sigil glows and suddenly, your pussy is dripping wet. Daeman starts to thrust and you're overtaken by these new feelings. No one made you feel the way he did. Even in romance or in sex.

"Ah~" You moan, holding onto Daeman to keep whatever is left of your sanity.

"Yes, baby! Keep going!" Daeman encourages, trying to keep you from orgasming too early.

Your stomach feels weird, and your love sigil glows.

"Daeman, I'm cumming!" You moan, trying to hold it in.

"I know, my love. I'm cumming too," Daeman moans, thrusting faster. His long nails scratched your skin.

"Oh, Daeman!" You exclaim, throwing your head back.

You both cum together, and the love sigil becomes a faint mark. Daeman pulls out of you and carries you to the bathroom. He turns on the hot water and places you in the bathtub.

"My angel, are you upset with me?" Daeman asks, washing your body. The blood from your first time turning the water red.

"I don't know. I chose to be with you knowing the risks. I just didn't expect them to hurt so much. I never knew I wouldn't be traveling Earth and its skies again," You reply, hugging your knees.

"You said you would live a happy life as a mortal with me. If I became a mortal with you, would you be happy?"

"Of course. There's nothing I wouldn't give to see Earth again."

"Then, so be it. I will be a mortal too. And when our time comes to enter the Underworld again, we will be together. Forever."

You kiss Daeman and look into his eyes. He goes into the water with you, and you continue to make out with him. You both go underwater, feeling like you're on cloud nine.

#asks #sanyuthewitch05 #yandere demon #yandere smut

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wvnrqs · 7 months

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a song nobody knows.

pairings stray kids x reader genre fluff established relationship warnings none more

a/n divider by @plutism

bang chan — full of you ( so soo bin )

you would be having a little date at home, where you both were just relaxing and watching movies. at one point, you closed your eyes, tired. thinking you were asleep, he tucked you in a warm blanket and started singing "full of you". you lay in his lap, really falling asleep this time, to his soft singing. he didn’t realise you were actually awake while he sang until the next day, when you started playing the song. it soon unofficially became your song, and you both would listen to it in silence whenever he came over, enjoying the comforting warmth of each other’s presence.

lee know — art class ( beabadoobee )

you first saw your soulmate in a cat café. it was the weekend, and you decided to take a drive. you found this adorable café while searching for a place to have lunch. you went inside, and smiled as you realised that art class, your favourite song, was playing. soon, you found yourself unable to resist the cats’ cuteness. you bent down to pick up a fluffy golden brown kitten with large eyes. but you realised that someone else was about to pick her up too. him. you smiled awkwardly and made small talk. months later, when you were dating, you asked him what was our song. "isn’t it art class? it was playing when we first met," he said shrugging.

changbin — god of music ( seventeen )

you and your best friend were at a karaoke place when her brother, seo changbin, decided to walk in just while we (or only you, because your bsf started eating chips and watching you sing since the third song) were singing "god of music", your all time favourite. to your surprise, he started singing, or rather shouting, it very passionately. you both did a sort of harmony to it. it was a quite special memory you both cherished when you both started dating later on, especially since that was also the first time you interacted with each other properly. and the first time you fell in love with him.

hyunjin — wet umbrella ( rad museum )

you were in an art studio, painting a picture of the beautiful scenery at the beach you managed to capture with your phone. you were playing "wet umbrella" in your airpods, unaware of your soon-to-be boyfriend, at that time known as your best friend, walking over to you due to your engrossment in your painting. he dragged a chair over next to you and stole one airpod from you, popping it into his own ear. you blushed, but pretended not to be bothered. you continued paint and he watched, eyes sparkling like the pretty stars twinkling in the night sky. you took note of this so you could paint him and his adorable sparkling eyes next time. (spoiler: you started dating afterwards)

jisung — luv luv luv ( sung hanbin x jo yuri )

you and han were watching my lovely liar on the couch together. except usually he doesn’t really pay attention and he’s just there for cuddles. but then this HEAVENLY song started playing and he immediately perked up. of course, this became both of your favourite songs and your boyfriend also started watching my lovely liar properly and played the soundtrack literally everyday. it’s his whole playlist atp. who knows why, but you two became closer than ever after finishing the kdrama series. though you two still loved the song and at one point, one of your friends thought that you should just make it "our song", and so it did.

felix — love lee ( akmu )

you were filming a tiktok dance challenge in the mall, to the song you have recently been OBSESSING over, love lee. you were doing one of those public dance challenges. after dancing, you checked the recording, only to find a (pretty cute) guy joining in a few seconds after you started the challenge. you laughed at how shy he was in the video and spotted him just standing there a few metres away. surprisingly, he stroke up a conversation with you, but he was pretty awkward at first. but soon, you both became fast friends. then best friends. then finally, your very own boyfriend!

seungmin — wa-r-r ( colde )

you were both seated next to each other on the bus because they were the only seats available in the crowded area. the bus jolted, and he jerked, dropping his phone. you bent to pick up the phone that had landed at your feet, catching a glimpse of his lockscreen and the song he was playing on spotify. wa-r-r. you raised your eyebrows, showing him your own phone that too was playing that song. you both became friends and bonded over your love for the artist. "song of fate", you called it after you started dating.

jeongin — slow dancing ( v )

you and jeongin had just started dating when you attended your first school prom together. when you heard slow dancing starting to play (which is a song you both love btw), you immediately jumped to your feet. you both started to slow dancing to slow dancing (sorry for the dad joke). you practically had the best time ever, you took tons of cute photos together and danced until your feet hurt and you had to sit down and rest. that day was a memorable one, remembered even after a few years of dating ><

( perm taglist open ) :: bunreis

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plasticflwrs · 4 months

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Beginning with their first episode airing on April 12, 2019, JTBC's SUPERBAND would take sixty male contestants from the indie scene to create their own band in the live finale. The series is composed of fourteen total episodes and concluded on July 12, 2019, with an average of 3% viewership in South Korea. In the end, the top five placements were HOPPIPOLLA, DEATH VALLEY, LUCY, PURPLE RAIN, and MONÉ. The competition was further split into introduction performances, one-on-one battles, two semi-finals, and the live finale with judging by Yoon Jongshin, Yoon Sang, Nell's Kim Jongwan, Linkin Park's Joe Hahn, and AKMU's Lee Suhyun. Superband was met with mixed responses with positives for allowing indie artists to show off their talent for the world and negative ones based on fans not being able to vote until round four, poor judging, and lack of female artists.

THE SOUND OF DEATH VALLEY.

THE MEMBERS OF DEATH VALLEY.

SAWYER LEE ( 1999 ), born as Lee Siyul, is a musician and producer hailing from Chicago, Illinois, United States and currently signed under Superbloom Media. In 2019, he made his first public appearance on Superband and would place second as DEATH VALLEY's leader, pianist, and vocalist.

KO SEUNGMIN ( 1999 ) is a musician and teacher from Seoul, South Korea. After the unofficial "disbandment" of DEATH VALLEY—where he was the drummer—he would become a secondary music teacher to fall back on. As of 2022, he signed with JYP's Studio J and debuted as the drummer of DOGFIGHT.

YOON TAEYUN ( 2000 ) is a musician and member of SAFETY ZONE, which still remains independent to this day. He competed on Superband with his members, however, they were all eliminated before the semi-finals. Taeyun would join DEATH VALLEY as their bassist and one of their lead producers.

OLIVER SONG ( 2001 ) is a member of the idol band PLASTIC FLOWERS, serving as their guitarist and lead vocalist, and calls Boston, Massachusetts his hometown. He is currently signed under Superbloom Media and has risen alongside his original members to become one of the best selling bands in the industry.

THE OLIVER SONG EXPERIENCE ... INTRODUCTION — ROUND THREE.

Coming into Superband, no one knew who OLIVER SONG was. Plastic Flowers was still struggling to sell 1,000 copies of their new albums and the band had just wrapped on promotions for Hypocreep just the month before. On April 12, Oliver would be introduced to the public as one of the vocalists on Superband with his cover of Fleetwood Mac's BIG LOVE, from their fourteenth studio album TANGO IN THE NIGHT. Though he impressed judges with his fingerpicking and vocals, they would complain the cover did not go "far enough" as his own rendition of such an iconic song. With just his voice and a guitar, the judges were also surprised by his attention to the cameras and basic stage presence. It was noted early into his critiques that not only had he debuted as a member of PLASTIC FLOWERS, but he was the YOUNGEST CONTESTANT as well.

This would also begin the small feud he had with Linkin Park's JOE HAHN as he wanted to push Oliver to his true potential throughout the competition. LEE SUHYUN enjoyed his performance the most and they actually remain close friends outside of Superband. According to the judges, his nerves got in the way of what would have been a great performance and Oliver needed to work on that for future rounds. Despite this, Oliver was chosen as a FRONTMAN for the first round of performances.

Teaming with pianist SAWYER LEE, bassist SHIN DURI, and drummer JEONG ILSEONG, he was demoted to just vocalist and found it difficult to perform without something in his hands. They went with a cover of Nirvana this time, choosing HEART-SHAPED BOX to showcase their individual talents. However, the song was met with less than stellar reviews because the group lacked synergy and lost to their rivals, who performed a cover of TVXQ's hit MIROTIC. All the members were considered for elimination and sadly, Duri and Ilseong were let go by the judges. They have since gone on to create other bands and are relatively successful despite their short run. However, this loss messed with Oliver's confidence moving forward and this would give him the UNDERDOG edit for the rest of the season. It was obvious that the judges and production liked Oliver, but without him proving his worth, they struggled to keep his momentum in the first few episodes.

Poppies were sad to see Oliver have very little confidence throughout the beginning of Superband and many have stated they cannot watch before episode 7. For the second round, Oliver was chosen as a surprise by drummer PARK YEONGJIN to join himself, YANG JIWAN, KIM HAJIN, and ISAAC HONG in a cover of Lorde's ROYALS. According to Yeongjin, this would be the only time that they could work together and he wanted to test the dynamic. Going against the now iconic An Seongjin team with their original composition of F=MA, Gwyn was nervous but his team had something up their sleeves. From their initial composition with Yeongjin's now iconic, "the two that sing" before calling both Isaac and Gwyn as their vocalists, this team was different.

There was the initial worry that finding a middle ground was going to be impossible for the five musicians as seen in the confessionals. Oliver was still surprised even when being interviewed and apologies were given by Park Yeongjin as a joke to the vocalists. Though not much was seen from the initial practices, the five members quickly came together to formulate the perfect arrogant with Oliver being told to sing "arrogantly" by his teammates. From the first moments of their performance, everyone was shocked to see this new, darker side of Isaac and Oliver as they shared the stage in a duet. For this performance, Oliver showed off his abilities on the keyboard and other instruments to provide the perfect sound when he was not singing. The most iconic part was the bridge as Isaac and Oliver provided harmonization and belted to the gods as their instrumental counterparts highlighted their own talents, with the last minute going viral with fans.

According to the judges, this performance was the ultimate reversal. Gwyn was even given the opportunity to shout out his bandmates when stating that he had done rock and roll with their previous releases and was surprisingly more confident than in the previous stages. He was successful in making the judges his fans from this performance as they enjoyed seeing a more confident side of the idol. Nell's Kim Jongwan and Mystic Entertainment's Yoon Jongshin became his biggest supporter from this moment. With two iconic performances, this could have gone either way and thankfully, the judges voted 2:3 in favor of Royals, securing their first win.

Coming off their win with Royals, Park Yeongjin decided to KEEP his lineup for a second performance of THE TIME OF MY LIFE from Dirty Dancing. Unlike the previous round, it was less shocking when they decided to stick together. However, they struggled when choosing a song as the expectations were already high for the group. Utilizing the same positions as before, Oliver remained the second vocalist, keyboardist, and synthesizer. He also had to give some 'dance' lessons to Isaac Hong for the performance, bringing them much closer as the 'brothers' of Superband. Another successful performance, they won against Shin Hyeongbin's team 4:1.

THE FORMATION OF DEATH VALLEY ... ROUND FOUR — SEMI FINALS.

After the third round, the bands could reshuffle for the last time before creating their respective bands. Having proved himself competent enough to stand against Isaac Hong, Oliver was a popular choice for those desperate to make it to the last few episodes. However, he had already made promises to SAWYER and they just needed to find two more partners—a bassist and a drummer. The pair had made a pack after Oliver's second win in that last episode and wanted to show the judges that they could work well together. They went for the overlooked options as neither TAEYUN nor SEUNGMIN had been a part of a winning team but seemed interested in making the same type of music as them. Within the first twenty minutes, they were the second group to finish choosing members. Many were surprised by the lineup considering how popular both Sawyer and Oliver were, but they had a plan forming in the background.

In the fourth round, Sawyer's team would release one last cover of OSASIS'S CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA, which was met with stellar reviews from the judges. Oliver was much more relaxed and confident on stage, especially now that he had his guitar back in hand. Seeing how Isaac's freedom on stage was taken positively, Oliver let go as he swung the microphone around and did some stupid dances. Rather than focusing on keeping what made Champagne Supernova iconic in the first place, Sawyer and his team would put a few of their own touches on the song and just have fun being on stage. his welcomed change awarded the band with 453 points, tying them with LEE JUHYEOK and the future members of LUCY for second place. The judging panel complimented their composition, calling it something they had not seen yet and Oliver's newfound confidence. It was even advised that they stick together by Yoon Jongshin as they had found something great together.

With compliments like that, they formed DEATH VALLEY in the 12th episode of Superband. No one was surprised to see this lineup when they all met together before the performances. As their first live performance with an actual audience, SEUNGMIN was worried that about impressing the fans as they were all struggled with confidence throughout the show.

They presented their first original composition in the form of FARTHER AND FARTHER, a ballad about longing and memories. In their critiques, YOON SANG stated that seeing this newfound freedom from both OLIVER and SAWYER was amazing compared to the first round. While the song was met with great feedback from both judges and fans, there was no overtaking LUCY with CRY BIRD. Death Valley, however, did take SECOND PLACE with 7,410 votes.

OUR PAGE was definitely a Plastic Flowers reject and Poppies were quick to notice after the episode aired. Despite this, they earned almost a perfect score from the live audience and secured FIRST PLACE with 7,470 points, with HOPPIPOLLA not far behind them. With the two having very similar performances that showcased a new side of their bands, it made many confused as to what the audience and judges were looking for. They were given, once again positive feedback from the judges, however, they were given the challenge to make something more exciting. While these songs were good, none of them seemed like lead singles for their first album and Joe Hahn wanted to see that from the quartet in their next performance as it was the last stage. If they could make something lead single-worthy, they would have no problem winning.

SECOND PLACE IS THE FIRST LOSER ... THE LIVE FINALE.

Taking the advice of Joe Hahn to heart, the members of Death Valley got to work on their next song. For leader Siyul, it would make no sense for the group to prepare a cover this late into the game and need to come up with something brand new. They took similar themes from OUR PAGE and transformed them for TAKE MY HAND, a promise to their new fans and breaking away from the fear that had held onto them throughout the entire competition. They kept with their FLOWER BOY aesthetic and fought hard against their competitors, however, OLIVER struggles with his in-ear caused some weird sections as he attempted to shove the device back into his ear to hear the music, which was clocked by both judges and the audience. Death Valley ended up ranking SECOND OVERALL in the competition, earning 27,389 votes total.

THE AFTERMATH ... WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Following the end of Superband, each other members went their separate ways. OLIVER returned to Plastic Flowers and his popularity during Superband brought the first wave of new fans to the band. He has since become the creative lead of the team along with debuting as a soloist in March of 2023. SAWYER followed close behind Gwyn and signed with Superbloom Media as a songwriter and producer. The pair often collaborate, as seen with Burnout Syndrome. Sawyer currently has no plans of debuting solo or in another band at the current moment. SEUNGMIN returned to his college program and recently earned his teaching license in South Korea! Though he went back to his original band, he wanted to complete his degree to have something to lean back on as DOGFIGHT struggled to gain relevance. Finally, TAEYUN went back to SAFETY ZONE, which remains an independent artist to this day and tries to release music consistently.

DEATH VALLEY would, of course, reunite not long after filming ended for the SUPERBAND TOUR, where the top five bands all reconnected. It was a bittersweet time for their fans and they promised to come back soon, which never did happen. With the FIVE-YEAR anniversary of Superband happening in 2024, the members have teased the potential for a reunion and even their own album. Given how busy each member is, it's not surprising that nothing has been set in stone but they promise something will come!

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