#id.nitro

[idolizenews]

Did anyone see this bts footage from Polham? I’m originally a Midas fan and have been following Jane since before her debut, but these Choi siblings are seriously so cute? I’m so happy that the company casted them both for this promotion ㅠㅠ They look so cute and natural together. 

I’ve heard that Dane’s talked a couple of times about how much he loves and dotes on his little sibling. Ah...if only my older brother would be so kind...I’m just jealous of Jane in every way. Unnie...please...let me live your life, just for one day ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

POST RESPONSE | [ + 198 ] [ - 17 ]

1. [ ㅇㅇ ] Jane is really such a natural at modeling though? She really has su~ch an aura about her. It’s obvious to see why Midas was pushing her for modelling even before Neon debuted. 2. [ 제인 도우 ] They’re seriously too cute together. Dane seems like such a dependable big brother...I hope someday they’ll get to release a Chain Station song or something, I want to see them perform together, too! 3. [ ㅇㅇ ] What the...? I didn’t even know Daein had a sister...? Wow...their parents must both be so beautiful, the class of their genes.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NITRO’S MAIN VOCAL HA MINSOO...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: Min CURRENT AGE: 25 DEBUT AGE: 18 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 13 COMPANY: Koala.T SECONDARY SKILL: Acting

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): “Minnie Mouse” - A result of Minsoo’s startled reaction to a prank during a variety show in his rookie years. The host’s witty comment had stuck to his image. That was back when he was freshly debuted and grasping for any sort of distinction. Now it’s more of an inside joke between older fans, but he’s still the highlight to every haunted house special, and he still obediently grins and dons a minnie mouse headband at every other fansign.

“Min-ergy” - He’s the mood-maker. The man with the brightest smile. The energizing force that drives conversations forward and fills in the awkward gaps.

“White Knight” - A fairly recent one that took off following a viral video of him “saving” his music show co-host from falling down the stairs. It’s suspected the nickname began as a mocking throwaway comment by an anon, but fans were quick to seize upon it and spin it into genuine praise. INSPIRATION: When asked, his greatest inspiration is trot singer Lee Mi-Ja. He says he grew up with his grandparents listening to her 24/7. He remembers being starstruck by her stage presence and may have had a little crush on her for most of his formative years. SPECIAL TALENTS:

His eye smile

Crying on demand

Making the soda bottle opening + pouring sound with his mouth

NOTABLE FACTS:

Appeared on the TV Show ‘Star King’ as the seven year old child who loved to sing trot  

He used to be a somewhat well-known trainee at Midas, but got convinced to join Koala.T after uncertainty of his chances of debut

He is an only child, but has publicly lamented many times of this fact and has frequently restated his lifelong dream to be an older brother.

It takes him longer than most to memorize choreography, and his movements are notably more stiff than those with natural talent.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Minsoo wants to capitalize on his viral moment. He wants to ride the momentum into landing more roles in dramas. He wants to do well in them. Really well. Well enough to make every girl in the nation dream about him as their boyfriend. Minsoo wants Nitro to win a daesang. It might be unthinkable with where they are now, but who knows? Maybe after a stint in a successful drama or two… A couple ace comebacks… Anything can happen, and Minsoo’s nothing but ambitious.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

He predicts he’ll always be typecast for roles as the lovable nice guy due to his ironclad public image. He’s fine with that. If anything, that’s what he’s hoping for. The acting industry is saturated with rising talents, idol or otherwise. Minsoo’s planning on staying around for the long haul, and he’ll do so by carving out a niche that only he can occupy. He wants to be unforgettable. He wants to build a legacy. He wants to touch the ceiling then retire, gracefully, maybe to a house somewhere with the ocean right next door.

IDOL IMAGE

As far as Koala.T is concerned, there’s no such thing as a Nitro member with a bad personality. They’re the well-behaved, hardworking, “Oppa-I-hope-you-only-walk-the-flower-road” boys who fill their fans with purpose from rooting for the underdogs.

Minsoo falls in line seamlessly.

For the longest time, his company markets him as the bubbly, slightly ditzy, mischievous type who incites equal parts mirth and exasperation from his members. His youthful features and boyish grin practically seals the deal. Variety shows documenting the group’s lives would frame him as the funny “younger brother” in need of constant monitoring but also as the emotional center of the group, a sensitive soul who reveals through tears in the customary letter-reading segment that he just wants his brothers-in-arms to be happy and successful.

It works. More importantly, it sells. Fans scramble to bulk-buy albums and help fund their idols’ biggest dreams. Minsoo cries some more and chokes out in award speeches that none of this would have been possible without their precious Gens.  

For the longest time, Minsoo’s content to play the role. Even when as the years add up, the role wraps tighter and tighter around his frame like a shirt that no longer fits, he’s fine with it. But it’s getting old. The same diamond-in-the-rough sob story loses its impact as Nitro crawls towards slow, yes, but respectable success.

So Minsoo refocuses his image.

He adjusts his actions and reactions from cute-younger-brother to charming-boy-next-door: less throwing pies and more baking pies to bring over to the next door neighbors.

An opportunity for that arrives in the form of a role as a long term host for MBC Music Premier. It there where he balances his bright stage-personality with dependable coordination into subject points and a tasteful back-and-forth dialogue with his co-host.

He painstakingly times the process to be as natural as possible, so that his fans comment on his maturity with appreciation rather than confusion.

But the transition is truly cemented when a stroke of luck lets Minsoo be a hero for a minute and have it get caught on camera. The drama-esque moment of him stopping his co-host’s fall circulates the internet and brushes the last specks of dust from his new image.

He’s never been one to waste opportunity. So Minsoo evolves. And he plans to keep on evolving.  

IDOL HISTORY

Ha Minsoo is not a genius.

His parents are working-class citizens. His dad’s a salaryman and his mom’s a piano teacher. He grew up in a quiet seaside town where the doors and windows were always open and the grandparents all knew each other and the ocean lived right next door. He grew up listening to seagulls and trot music, sounds that seemed to permeate the air like the smell of smoke and seaweed.

Ha Minsoo is not a genius.

It’s just that when his grandma boils mackerel stew and the handheld radio crackles out the same music that’s been playing on repeat in this part of the countryside, Minsoo sings along.

And when the neighbor who came over for lunch mentions that she’s got a friend whose son is a PD in Seoul, that he’s looking for cute little kids who can sing or dance in front of a camera, Minsoo doesn’t recognize the sounds out of her mouth for what they were– the axis of his world shifting just so.

Ha Minsoo is not a genius.

But wrapped in a tuxedo, hair gelled back, and oversized microphone in hand, he becomes the seven year old trot prodigy, paraded around stage and showered with praise and applause. Standing there in the bright lights of the recording studio, he feels the ground beneath his feet start to move.

His parents feel it too.

His dad finally earns his work promotion, and the raise means the Ha family can move out of the country and into an apartment in the city. That’s also when the private lessons start. High off Minsoo’s 15 minutes of fame, they pay for a vocal trainer. It’ll all be worth it, they say, when Minsoo earns himself a lucrative career in the music industry.

The hours of practice only get longer once he starts middle school. While the bell at the end of the day signals all the other students to go to cram classes, Minsoo goes straight to the vocal studio to practice until the sun sets. If he ever held promise as a student, he wasn’t given the chance to find out. On the other hand, the relentless training starts to pay off. He wins community talent festivals, small neighborhood contests, and his instructor switches him permanently to modern music. Little by little, his efforts begin to reap results.

Ha Minsoo is not a genius.

He wrestles for every minuscule amount of improvement. He works twice as hard to close the gaps where natural talent might have filled, easily. He grows from the ground up with only two advantages: an early start and an ingrained understanding to never squander an opportunity.

When a Midas scout approaches him after a competition and hands him a business card, it feels like a sign that he’s on the right track. He sweats through auditions. Flubs the dance portion. Miraculously passes. Signs the contract and finds it curious that satisfaction feels less like a buoyancy and more like a weight settling on his shoulders. He’s not done yet. The real work starts here.

His adolescence passes by in a blur of trainee activities and last minute school obligations. He becomes relatively well-known in his company for his young age, pretty face, and the hours he would spend training into the night.

It’s a little creepy, one of the staff members mutters to another. It’s like he never leaves the building.

Look at his pale skin. / Practically translucent. / Like a ghost. / Does he have any friends?  

He decides to learn how to mask his awkwardness with bravado. His irritation with kindness. He hides behind both like spear and shield. He pieces together how to talk with charisma by observing how the older trainees interact and listening into snatches of conversations.

The most popular point of discussion soon becomes rumors about Midas’ upcoming boy group. How many members? When’s the next evaluation? Who are they looking for?

Competition for the spots is violently fierce. There’s no one in the room who doesn’t want to debut. That’s why they’re here, at Midas Media, clawing and fighting to make it to the top. Minsoo gets so close, so close he can almost taste it. But in the end, he’s not enough (not old enough. not confident enough. not good enough at dancing.) Years of meticulous planning, of calculated sacrifice, of careful control crumble at his feet.

The results devastate him. Minsoo falls, hard, hits rock bottom and coughs up gravel.

He allows himself three panic attacks and two packs of cigarettes in total, (burned down to the filter without taking a drag, of course. He doesn’t need the nicotine, just the smoke that calms him).  

Then he tenses his shoulders, picks himself up, and trains with nothing but cold ambition to drive him forward. It’s the most hollow he’s ever been: propelling himself into an uncertain future with no strategy, no plan b, and no clear goal in sight.

Breakthrough comes in the form of Koala.T Music.  

The timing is perfect, with his Midas contract coming to a close and with little chance of a second boy group to be formed anytime soon. Minsoo switches companies. Koala.T is a new an unfamiliar environment, but it’s alright. He’s done this before. It’s easier to adapt this time around, and he knows now how to mold and shape his personality to be the person they need him to be.

Two more years of sweat drenched practice rooms and finally, finally he debuts.

The happily ever after is sweet but short-lived. As a rookie group, Nitro is faced with challenges almost right after the showcase stage. They now have to compete for the public’s affection with dozens of other idols all vying for the spotlight. The cut-throat competition, the ladder climbing, none of that changes. But while others might hate the pressure, Minsoo enjoys it. He savors every step forward because he believes every inch of progress is the culmination of his efforts.

He doesn’t mind the wait.

2015 seems to be the year where everything rolls into motion. Nitro’s slow and steady rise to popularity breaks into their first music show win. Minsoo even lands a supporting role in a rom-com drama by a screenwriter with a solid track history, an rare opportunity for an idol of his standing with only years of company sponsored acting training under his belt.

While it’s by no means easy, Minsoo finds that he takes to acting faster than choreography. His performance is especially aided by the fact that he’s playing a role similar to the one he already plays as Min from Nitro. Just a few extra tweaks, an adjustment here and there, and it’s essentially a different form of the same familiar mask.

The drama earns respectable ratings and the ground beneath Minsoo’s feet moves once more.

It’s just enough momentum to push forward his acting career, albeit slowly in the form of more supporting roles. But this realization comes at the same time Nitro is just beginning to gain traction, and Koala.T pushes to present the group as a united front of underdogs. A front that would break if one member begins to gain attention disproportionately to the rest, especially in a side job.

They tell him to wait, so Minsoo waits. He promotes diligently with his members and spends the rest of his time polishing his clean image and practicing his acting. He keeps his plans for the future close to his chest.

In 2018 a viral moment gives his public personality an electric boost. That combined with Nitro’s continued steady ascent gives Minsoo the agency to start setting his sights on acting again. He’s cast in an idol-driven drama, this time as a lead, and just glancing at the character description fills him with anticipation.

This year he will set his plans in motion, one by one. The real work starts now.

[idolizenews]

Did you guys hear? Nitro’s finally allowed to move out of their dorms and live separately in their own apartments if they want to... Is it weird that I’m both proud and a little bit sad? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I liked seeing the members live together and spend their time together even when not working, they really seemed like a family all this time... 

I wonder if any of them will feel the same as me and maybe stay in the dorms to keep living with each other? What do you guys think?

POST RESPONSE | [ + 289 ] [ - 46 ]

1. [ ㅇㅇ ] I think you’re delusional OP ㅋㅋㅋㅋ They debuted in 2012... seven years ago.... Why are you a little sad that fully grown men have finally been granted permission to move out and live on their own if they want to??? 2. [ 제너레이션-N ] I’m with you OP, I’m happy and proud but selfishly a little sad ㅋㅋㅋㅋ But it’s okay, I’m sure they’ll keep hanging out with each other even after they move out, let’s trust their bond Gens~ 3. [ ㅇㅇ ] I used to be a fan when I was in high school, and now I’m working full-time but they’ve only allowed to move out now?? Wow... it seriously must’ve been hard all this time for them to live with people they work with 24/7... You’ve suffered a lot, Nitro, fighting!!

[idolizenews]

WILL NITRO’S DANE BE THE NEXT GENIUS?

1. [ +1,491 , -131 ] Huh? An idol on The Genius?? Is he even smart enough ㅋㅋㅋㅋ What’s he gonna do, nunchuck his way through the competition? ㅋㅋ 2. [ +1,133 , -101 ] Hul, our face genius is going on The Genius ㅎㅎ But seriously, as a Gen-N and a fan of the show, I’m so excited ㅠㅠㅠㅠ 3. [ +727 , -66 ] I wonder how long he’ll last, I’m willing to bet he’ll be eliminated early, if not first right away ㅋㅋㅋ 

[idolizenews]

NITRO SUBUNIT HYDRO DEBUTS WITH ‘TOMORROW, TODAY’ 

1. [ +1,421, -133 ] Hul, the song is so good ㅠㅠㅠ My heart is fluttering because of their voices ㅠㅠㅠ Ah seriously, isn’t this the best subunit Koala.T’s done yet?? 2. [ +1,219, -101 ] The song sounds so different from what Nitro usually releases and the concept’s totally different too, but it really suits these two members well~ ^^ Nitro Hydro fighting!! 3. [ +839, -58 ] Wow, Koala.T really likes making subunits, huh? ㅋㅋ It’s funny though because all their subunits seem much better than the actual groups... 

[idolizenews]

SASSY GO GO! CAST FINALIZED, SET TO AIR AT THE END OF THE MONTH

1. [ +1,391 , -129 ] Aigoo, another drama set to fail because of the casting.... 2. [ +1,128 , -106 ] I read the description for his character and isn’t he actually the perfect fit though? I’m excited to see his cheerleading ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 3. [ +761 , -79 ] Hul, did I read that right? Our white knight Min finally has another acting role again? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ  As a fan, I’ve been waiting.. 4 years... for him to act again... thank you, director...

[idolizenews]

Everyone, please listen up, I’m here to promote Minsoo. His recent CF with Ghana was seriously heart fluttering and I thought it was a shame there aren’t many Gen-N’s on Pann talking about it ㅠㅠㅠㅠ So I’m going to do it myself. 

If you don’t know who Min is, he’s Nitro’s main vocal, please go listen to their songs and hear his sweet sweet voice ㅠㅠ Not only does he have a sweet voice, but he was such a sweet personality too?? That’s right, everyone, he’s the White Knight that went viral around here last year for helping his MBC cohost from falling off stage ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Is your heart beating fast yet??

Go watch the CF again if it’s not ㅋㅋ But seriously... go watch it, isn’t his acting so good? It’s because he’s acted before~ But it’s been... four years... since his last role ㅠㅠㅠ Ah, I really hope he acts again soon..

Anyway! I hope through this post everyone can discover Min and Nitro’s charm~ They’re seriously unlike any other group right now, so even if you’re tired of idols, give Nitro a chance ^^ Min will really make your heart stop the more you find out about him ♡

POST RESPONSE | [ + 249 ] [ - 42 ]

1. [ ㅇㅇ ] From good vocals to white knight to sweet boyfriend vibes, isn’t Minsoo the perfect idol?? Or no, the perfect man? ㅠㅠ Where can I find someone like him in real life... I’m only surrounded by squids... 2. [ 백기사 ] I agree with everything OP ㅠㅠㅠㅠ While I was watching the CF it seriously felt like he was talking to me that I even said out loud that he’s right, so what if I don’t pass my exam???? But.... I don’t even go to school anymore... ㅋㅋ Ah, seriously... I want to go buy Ghana chocolate now  3. [ ㅇㅇ ] Hul... I’m sorry OP but I can’t finish watching the CF ㅋㅋㅋ Is it just me who finds the concept super cringe??? It’s trying too hard to be heart-fluttering, but it’s mostly just his face that makes it like that... Or maybe I’m just too old now ㅠㅠ

[idolizenews]

NITRO SHOWS OFF THEIR MISCHEVIOUS SIDE WITH  ‘NAUGHTY’ COMEBACK

1. [ +1,841 , -232 ] Wow, the song is so addicting it’s already stuck in my head after one listen, and the dance.... ㅋㅋ It’s so cute and fun, as expected of Nitro!!!  2. [ +1,399 , -175 ] But isn’t this the perfect Nitro song?? The green frog symbol really suits them so well ㅎㅎㅎ 3. [ +1,066 , -99 ] Mm chicken, mm chicken, go eat your chicken~ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ F*ck, Nitro seriously has endless charms ah, how am I supposed to find the exit like this ㅠㅠ

[idolizerp]

[ LOADING INFORMATION ON NITRO’S MAIN RAP HIRO…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 22 DEBUT AGE: 17 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 15 SKILL POINTS: 15 PERFORMANCE | 00 VOCAL | 05 DANCE | 15 RAP SECONDARY SKILLS: Modeling

INTERVIEW

everyone is intrigued by a good mystery.

and hiro happens to be just that. he has an alluring disposition, that is only enhanced when he performs on stage. his aloof nature draws people in, and with his sharp visuals, he’s practically unstoppable.

in truth, hiro clearly lacked a personality when he began training under his label. his skills were exactly what they were looking for, but they soon began to think that placing him in a group would prove difficult for them. hiro didn’t exactly have a warm exterior, to say the very least. he wasn’t very open and he wasn’t particularly friendly. he had an intimidating presence, and most trainees were hesitant in approaching him for anything.

as a potential idol, he didn’t have much star quality. he barely interacted with anyone during his trainee years, so many within the label were led to believe that he’d only be a headache for them if put before the fans.

so of course, the label began to theorize how they could spin this to their advantage.

with nitro’s debut, his mysterious aura became his most defining quality. as a man that spoke few words and only spared the camera a single smile every now and then, fans couldn’t help but become captivated. they were curious, as well, and it even became a running theme among the fans to try and evoke a reaction out of him in some way or another.

not to mention this image perfectly fit his position. as a rapper, he was almost expected to be tough and intimidating, and this was definitely the vibe he let off. with this careful management, his label knew they had a money maker on their hands.

in a more complete truth, hiro was nothing more than a shy and reserved foreigner. he was only fifteen when he began training under his label, and he came with little to no knowledge on the language and culture, having only gotten a firm grasp on it in the last year or two. he was also someone who had struggled with anxiety in his childhood, and only continued to as he pursued an idol career in south korea. hiro would rarely speak up for fear of making a mistake or coming off as awkward, and as he became an idol, that fear only got bigger. with more eyes on him, hiro has only become more critical of himself.

and it’s unlikely it’s ever going to get easier for him.

BIOGRAPHY

yamada naohiro always had a way with words.

having been a lover of poetry since he was young, it was only natural for him to find his passion in this field soon enough.

a passion that didn’t interest his parents one bit, mind you.

naohiro was born into a particularly wealthy family, as his parents were both prominent figures. while his father knew everything about business as a ceo, his mother spent a lot of time in court as a defense attorney. having both found success within their careers, they only expected the same for their son. all his parents ever thought about was business, so much that their own marriage had become loveless since they were so preoccupied in their own careers.

they wanted naohiro to find success in a high status career like they both did, and something as simple minded as writing poetry would never grant him the same success that they had both achieved. they also knew the risks of pursuing a career in literature, if you could even call it a career.

on the side, naohiro was also pursuing dancing. he was no expert, it might’ve even been a stretch to call him an actual dancer, but he enjoyed it. it seemed he found himself more interested in the creative field, rather than something like business or law. of course, his parents disagreed with his choices. and of course, he was inclined to listen to them.

it wasn’t until he was scouted on the streets of his home country that he began to think differently.

he was scouted purely on his visuals, and was invited to come for an audition. it took a lot of conversations, but naohiro had managed to convince his parents that finding work in south korea would be a great opportunity for them. his father could expand his business, while his mother could open her own firm.

when naohiro had eventually auditioned, his focus was initially dance. it was the only skill he had possessed at the time, but he was fortunate enough to pass. as a trainee, he began applying effort into other skill sets, and found that rapping was something he excelled in. having an affinity for poetry certainly helped, and considering he wasn’t entirely fluent in korean, it seemed like his better bet. at least with rapping, he wasn’t expected to be particularly good so long as he could keep the flow. which he certainly could.

and then it came to singing, which naohiro had absolutely no talent for. luckily, as a rapper, he wasn’t expected to.

his dancing was better than average, but it wouldn’t be what he was known for. he found his talent for rapping, but what really killed him was the lack of originality. he wasn’t skilled in the language, and so he wasn’t able to at least write his own raps. having written poetry during his childhood, he began to heavily criticize his abilities. it was difficult for him to see himself as an idol when he couldn’t even properly connect to what he was building his reputation for.

how could he ever be an accomplished rapper if the language was still unreachable?

so he would train relentlessly, until he finally debuted as the main rapper of nitro. having put all his focus into learning korean and perfecting his rapping, he began to fall behind in dancing, which did nothing to help his already growing insecurity.

and as an idol, he’d never catch a break.

he was stuck behind the image of a cold and intimidating rapper, lacking a warm and friendly nature. despite his popularity, naohiro still found himself gravitating towards the back and out of the spotlight whenever he could.

the opportunity of an audition and a possible chance at some sort of success had presented itself when naohiro was in a state of flux and at his most vulnerable, and he had foolishly acted upon it.

there was no doubt he had a talent for rapping, and as his fluency grew in the language, so did his rapping. but he knew idol life is not what he was meant for. this isn’t what he was meant to do, but he finds himself unable to part from this life.

perhaps he’s afraid of change, or perhaps he’s afraid that there won’t even be much to change. outside of rapping, what does he really have?

[idolizerp]

hi, could you recommend some more fcs for nitro please?

Got7 Jinyoung, Pentagon Hui, Jinho, Infinite Sunggyu, SHINee Onew, EXO Xiumin, Chen, NCT Taeil, Johnny!

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NITRO’S MAIN DANCE, LEAD VOCAL LEE TAEWOO...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: n/a CURRENT AGE: 26 DEBUT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 14 COMPANY: Koala.T SECONDARY SKILL: Choreography

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): n/a INSPIRATION: He is inspired by the support, hard work and dedication of his family (Especially his mother) as well as Gens. Stylistically he takes inspiration from 4ce, POWer and other second generation groups. SPECIAL TALENTS:

Can speak multiple languages (Fluent Korean, conversational English & Japanese, beginner Mandarin)

Skilled freestyle dancer

Can perform a backflip from both a standing and seated position

NOTABLE FACTS:

He has two younger sisters

Worked a number of part time jobs whilst training, including stacking shelves at a local convenience store and washing dishes.

Has a quiet and collect demeanour. The silent guardian of the group, always looking out for the other members and ensuring that things run smoothly.

Plans to learn more languages in the future, beginning with Spanish.

Has contributed to Nitro choregraphy in the past as a collaborator on two songs

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Though their rise through the ranks has taken a little longer than some of their peers, Taewoo is happy with where they are now and their trajectory going forwards. His goal is simply to carry on moving down that path, perhaps by putting greater emphasis on their international appeal and fanbase. He would also like to become further involved with production, choreographing a release on his own rather than as a collaborator.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

It’s an unfortunate truth that all idols have a shelf life, and Taewoo is fully aware of that. Though his focus right now is on increasing Nitro’s popularity, he knows that he should begin laying down plans for the future if he is to continue being a pillar of support for those he cares about. What form that takes is still a mystery, and he intends to explore a couple of different options, but right now a production path is appealing.

IDOL IMAGE

Idol life has never come naturally to Taewoo. He doesn’t have the same charisma and towering personality shared by many of his peers, nor the looks to be considered a visual or the commanding presence of a leader. The years of training have helped to hone his natural talent as a performer, but that alone makes him no better or worse than any other idol. This is an industry as cut throat as any other, and on the surface not one that he’s cut out for. His nature has always been soft and gentle, defined by his willingness to do whatever is necessary and value others needs above his own. A doormat in nearly every sense of the word. He may not be innately superior, but he’s more willing than most to put the work in to surpass them. 

Despite his flaws, the company know that they can take advantage of that. Yes, he’s an exceptionally talented dancer with a recognizable voice, but his true strength lies in his versatility and malleability. Nitro has been an ever-morphing beast, beginning with intense edginess before softening their corners and becoming a quirkier entity, and currently walking a tightrope between the two. He is ready and willing to be whatever is needed, and do whatever needs to be done to push the group forwards. Need someone step in and embarrass themselves on a variety show? Taewoo is your guy. Learn a foreign language to appease overseas fans? Done. Rehearse until you’re literally on the verge of hospitalization? Who needs to sleep anyway? No matter what Koala T throws at them, he has learned to adapt on a whim.

Given the chance though, he takes a backseat role in promotions and other appearances. Years on the job have helped his personality to more fully bloom, but he’s still a reserved and nervous person who’s just as happy in the background as the foreground. Taking advantage of his quiet nature he was initially pushed as edgy and mysterious, a man of few words who exuded cool with no effort (ironically, the complete antithesis of his off-stage persona), but as the group has changed so has his role. There are some who argue about the change, decrying it as fake and a ploy to try and increase the group’s appeal, something that bothers him far more than any criticism of his talent. Though he’s still far and away the least outwardly charismatic member, his unique brand of unwavering positivity in the face of adversity and uncertainty is utilized as a selling point. Rather than sullen and brooding, which much to his dismay was often misinterpreted as arrogance, he’s seen as warm and reliable. A pillar of the group who values his members and fans above all else. He’s the reliable one whose compassion shines through his quietness, and despite not being the most popular amongst fans, will always go the extra mile.

Away from the spotlight though? He’s barely holding himself together. The hectic schedule is finally beginning to take its toll, and the weight of responsibility piling on his shoulders is slowly causing him to falter. For better or worse, through thick and thin, he’s always been an unbreakable rock. Anything will crack when put under enough pressure though, and the dark circles that appear below his eyes are the first fault lines to appear. Exhaustion is not an unfamiliar feeling, but where before he’s been able to power through, now he is on the cusp of burning out. Despite those around him voicing their concerns, he can’t address it though. If a single cog in the machine stops turning the whole thing stops working, and he’s little more than a cog. He can’t afford to stop. For the sake of the company, for the sake of his members and for the sake of his family he needs this to work, no matter the cost.

IDOL HISTORY

There was never anything extraordinary to be said about Lee Sooyoung and Lee Hyunseung. They were just and unremarkable couple in love with a tiny house on the outskirts of Seoul, a tinier dog and three equally unremarkable children. The eldest is Lee Taewoo, a quiet kid enamoured by the world with a perpetual smile, who would go on to be more than anyone could reasonably have expected. 

Being a line cook and a waitress by trade meant that money was never particularly forthcoming. Even before his birth purse strings were pulled tight, what little remained of their wages after bills being squirrelled away in savings accounts for the future, and with every passing birth the bet was pulled tighter. By the time of the third the cashflow is non-existent. They do their best to provide, and for the most part manage to struggle on, but food is often in shirt supply, clothes are second hand without fail and basic utilities are cut off at least twice a year.

Not that Taewoo cares, or even really notices. His parents are swans gliding gracefully across the water, and he’s too young or too naïve to see the legs scrambling beneath the ripples keeping them all afloat. To him, dinner by candlelight, freezing cold baths and clothes three sizes too large are all entirely normal, and even when his peers question it, he reasons that his family are just strange rather than struggling.

That has always been his way: to search for positivity in any person or situation, even when there’s none to be found. His optimism is unwavering, even in the face of tragedy or overwhelming adversity. “You have to laugh, or you’ll only cry” is the mantra that he lives by, and one that has dragged him from the darker corners of his mind on many an occasion. Though quiet, reserved and bordering on timid he was able to light up the room with a wide smile and an infectious laugh.

He was never an especially social animal, focussing instead on pushing himself in both and academic and athletic sense. Lacking the natural charm and charisma of many of his peers, it was his hope that doing so would win him friends, or at the very least acceptance. Rather than drawing them closer though it only seemed to push them away. He was, and still is, for all intents and purposes a doormat. He will let you step all over him, push him into doing anything and be whatever you need him to be just to be accepted. The reason was never really clear: perhaps his reclusiveness was mistaken for arrogance, or the rumours that swirled about his family’s financial situation. More likely though, it was because he had all the social skills of a baked potato, and no book was likely to change that.

And so, his quest for acceptance continues once more in vain, until one day, aged ten, he comes across a street performer. A dancer, to be precise. The way that the man moves is unlike anything he’s ever seen, the fluidity of motion completely hypnotic. Of course, he’s heard of idols, but this… this is something else entirely. He’s completely enraptured, unable to tear his eyes away until thunderous applause brings him back to reality. That was the moment that he knew: this was the answer he was looking for. A path lying in plain sight that had remained completely unexplored.

Even in the early days, the internet was a wonderful tool. Every video he could find was studied in microscopic detail, every book or article on theory and technique analysed multiple times. The depths of the family financial crisis are still a mystery, but he’s no idiot. He knows they can’t afford professional training, so to begin with he’s self-taught. It takes months, but his innate athleticism helps him to master the basics.

By this point the Park’s situation has only gotten worse. The tipping point had come when they’d made the questionable (see: terrible) decision to buy out the restaurant that employed them both with the aid of their savings as well as a complex and deadly cocktail of their savings, grants and multiple private loans. By putting themselves at the top of the chain, they reasoned, they would reap the most rewards. It was not a decision made on a whim, but rather one that Taewoo would later learn had been years in the making.

Business under the new owners ground to a halt, and by the time Taewoo is thirteen it is nearly none-existent. His parents, for all their good intentions were not business people and had no clue how to run a restaurant. His father hid away in the kitchen, his mother in the office as things spiralled further and further out of control. Back home it’s never mentioned, never discussed. Instead there’s only tension hanging thick in the air, withering glares and the quiet sound of crying in the dead of night as things spiral closer to rock bottom.

The failure of the business has repercussions. Where in the past they’d been forced to skip a meal here or there, now there were days when food was forgone entirely. There were more days without power than with and mortgage payments are consistently late. In hindsight, it was perhaps not the best moment to tell his parents his grand plans for the future.

Not a doctor like they’d hoped, nor a lawyer or anything of the sort. He wanted to perform. What form that took, he didn’t know yet, and didn’t care, but he had to at least try. Silence. You can hear their hearts crack as their faces sink. They’d always had high hopes that his dedication to his schooling would take him to higher places, and give him an opportunity to be better than them. They’d never been able to say no. After reassurances that he’ll continue his studies and laying out a clear plan b that ends with him in medical school, as well as paying for his own tutoring “Okay.” Is all they manage, the silence hanging heavy before they both leave the room hoping that it’s nothing more than a phase.

And so, he scrambles to gather funds from any direction he can. Favours from friends, odd jobs that need doing in the neighbourhood. He can barely afford a session a month, but surprisingly he’s pretty good. Being self-taught he’ picked up some bad habits but that foundation allows him to move at a much faster pace. Images of the man flash through his mind as he moves; a constant reminder of the level he wants to reach.

It isn’t long before he begins to emulate the stranger that he’s seen no more than a handful of times and begins street performing himself. Though it doesn’t have quite the same fluidity or precision of his memory of that performance it’s decent enough to warrant some attention and a faint smattering of applause. A small amount of money even finds its way onto his jacket laying nearby, which is pleasant and put towards more lessons, though ultimately superfluous. The rush he gets is reason enough to carry on.

Taewoo becomes a regular fixture of street corners around the city, and pops up at least once or twice a month in different locations, every performance better than the last. At this point in time he’s still a kid, with no plans for the future or any idea how to translate this into a career. He isn’t idol material, and that’s a fact that has been subtly drilled into him over time. “The industry is cut throat and you’re… too nice…. Too good” people say, cynicism glossed over with the illusion of good intentions. It’s something that he’s resigned himself too, an idea that he’s slowly grown to believe. Self confidence has never been a strength.

So, it comes as a surprise when he’s approached by a frantic man after finishing for the day, shrugging the jacket laid out on the floor over his shoulders and preparing himself for the dark, icy (in every conceivable way) confines of the home that feels more like a prison with every passing day. The words are a blur, and he’s completely blindsided. Representative, Koala T, scout, trainee, idol. He simply laughs nervously and walks away, assuming it’s a joke.

Except the man finds him again. This time even more frantic than before, he eventually beats Taewoo down and convinces him to come to an audition. It can’t be real, it’s just some crazy dude in the streets. He agrees, mostly just to make the other leave, with no intention of actually attending. Time passes as usual and he carries on attending school, attending dance classes and performing in public.

When the day finally comes, he wakes up and goes on as if it were any other. A notification on his phone reminds him of the audition but is dismissed without a second thought. He’s still convinced that it was nothing more than a cruel joke. But then, an hour before, it dawns on him. This is not a chance that will come around again. Yes, it could just be a man being senselessly cruel just to get a cheap laugh… but it could also be the golden ticket he’s been looking for.

It turns out that, unbelievably to him, the latter is true. After scrambling to get there and arriving at the last possible minute, he’s gobsmacked. Even more astonishingly he gets through the audition mostly unprepared without a hitch and gets the greenlight to proceed. His charisma is severely lacking, they say, but it can be worked on and his other skills will be enough to carry him. For now, at least. He leaves dumbfounded, mind moving at a thousand miles a minute and unable to process the news. He thinks he might collapse when the cool air hits his face as he exits and the bus buckles his knees on the journey home.

The wide-eyed joy that has been painted on his animated face all day fades when he gets home to find his mother sat at the table, tears in her eyes. Letters are scattered around her, red and black ink screaming from the paper. Final notice, they blare.

For the first time he finds out just how much trouble they’re in, his heart sinking like a lead balloon as she tries to hold herself together. The restaurant is lost, but the debts incurred and loan repayments remain. Their home is under threat, and utilities about to be cut off indefinitely. Where before they’d been swans, grace and elegance hiding chaos, they were now a sinking ship, the passengers screaming in panic as the descent quickens. She tries to feign happiness when she finds out the news about her son, but her worry is obvious.

And so, when he begins his training, he also begins working. Some nights he follows his mothers’ example and waits tables, some nights he follows his fathers and washes dishes. Some nights he stacks shelves and others he sweeps floors. The pay is never great, but it’s funnelled almost entirely back to his family. Though they’ve not been rescued from the sinking ship, the three have slowly managed to inflate a lifeboat just big enough for five.

Training begins well, but as it grows more complex and intense, he begins to fall in the ranks. Between maintaining his grades, working most every night and trying to keep pace with the schedule he never meets his full potential. Never the best but never the worst, he’s once more unremarkable.

Faces come and faces go, each one a little more disheartening than the last. He’s a good dancer and a decent singer, but that isn’t enough anymore. He needs an edge. Something to make him a more appealing prospect, something to make him useful. Languages is what he settles on, already knowing basic Japanese. Again self-taught, he begins with English. Koala T have artists with international appeal, so maybe this would be enough to tip the scales in his favour.

The second big blow comes a little later. His father falls ill, having a stroke at work that has a severe impact on his speech and movement. The news is devastating, and it takes him a few days to process. The temptation is there to quit, to work full time to support his family in their hour of need, but on his father’s insistence he stays. “You’ve come too far to stop now. You Can do this.”

That’s the first time that anyone has said that to him other than the scout, and it acts as a shot of adrenaline. He works harder in training and takes on extra hours at work, his grades taking a hit in the process. For this to work, he needs absolute dedication, but he can’t just leave them to fend for themselves.

Finally, his debut date is set, but just a month before he burns out. During training he collapses, vision fading to black as he crumples to the floor, the strain of exhaustion on his body overwhelming him. Pure terror overcomes him when he awakens, the fear that he’s blown his one shot running rampant. He has to fight a long and arduous battle to convince the company to allow him to join the group, but eventually he manages it. Perhaps they just took pity on him, sensing the desperation, but for once he couldn’t care less.

In the early days Nitro was an ever-morphing beast, going from edgy to quirky at the drop of a hat. He was always one of the quieter members, especially during their more serious concepts, and this innate introversion was misinterpreted by some as arrogance. Seeing this the company tried to rebrand him, using that naïve innocence and infallible positivity that he’s somehow managed to maintain as his main selling point. He’s still not the centre of attention and often has to fight of the arrogance label, but his new role fits like a glove.

In an attempt to be seen as more personable and genuine, he established a presence on YouTube. His demeanour on camera is still awkward and his lack of natural charisma and confidence translates on screen, but enough people seem to find it endearing enough to warrant its continued existence. Clips from the studio, Q&As as well as some of his early dancing and choreography are all featured. He has also been known to return to his roots and perform on the streets, footage of which is available here.

More recently his focus has turned more and more towards choreography. In his eyes that is the easiest path to take when Nitro comes to an end, and a solid foundation for the future. For now, he’s happy collaborating with others for the company, learning everything that there is to know before stepping out solo.

Which brings us to now. Nitro are finally making waves, and though they’re not the most popular group in the world, Taewoo is happy with where they are and their future trajectory. Everything that he has is poured into this group, every waking second used to help push them further. With their recent Global Popular Artist win under their belts there is a new fire inside of him to be the best he can possibly be.

Or at least that’s what he’ll tell people. In reality the blood, sweat and tears are slowly begin to take their toll once more. Black bags under his eyes and the same exhausted melancholy that plagued his mothers face that day now play on his own, betraying the next burnout rumbling in the distance. For now, though, he’ll cover it with makeup and smile for the masses. Because this has to work out. He has to make this work.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NITRO’S LEAD VOCAL, LEAD DANCE CHOI DAEIN...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: Dane CURRENT AGE: 26 DEBUT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 18 COMPANY: Koala.T Music SECONDARY SKILL: Nunchucks 

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): Face Genius, 반대인 - because he’s always doing the opposite of what people expect INSPIRATION: he looked up to gemini and 4ce who inspired him to pursue becoming an idol. SPECIAL TALENTS:

“impossible” to scare ( will walk through a haunted house laughing, is still during jumpscares, etc.).

is a better-than-average artist.

can read palms ( he can’t actually, but when he’s asked to for shows he predicts outlandishly fake futures ).

NOTABLE FACTS:

is quite active on social media.

is a 3rd dan in hapkido

studied abroad briefly in japan, and can speak conversational japanese

owns a cat named dal

enjoys photography, often has a polaroid camera on him when he travels

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

his current goals are much of the same. to keep propelling himself forward as much as he can. to try and keep pushing nitro up and toward more popularity. they’re not a projectile missile of a group, not like atlas or olympus. but they’re getting there. putting koala.t back on the map. making a name for themselves. and after all this time, daein does want to do that. make a name for himself. for his group. scrawl out some kind of a legacy to leave behind. an imprint of who he is. music and all.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

daein want to find his place in the world. sometimes wants to feel more firmly planted in a reality that he can create. he’s interested in ghosts, but he doesn’t necessarily want to be one himself. he knows he wants to create an imprint with music, with nitro and by himself. he wants to push forward and come to terms with his own interests intermixed with the trajectory that koala.t wants to send him on. he wants to try and be somewhat picky with the projects that they push onto him, because despite nitro’s length in the industry thus far, he hasn’t yet grown to despise it in the same way he’s seen some of his peers do. and he doesn’t want that to happen, either. wants to keep careful balance on the wire of what his company wants, and what he himself wants. and then build a legacy from it. something he’s content with. something he can lean on when he outgrown the career path he’s chosen. is it feasible, in the long run? well, nobody really knows the answer to that one. but daein hopes it is.

IDOL IMAGE

daein in image and in role is used as a collector. he’s essentially a tool in fan outreach, something that had been pre-planned, from his place of birth to how his personality is shaped and used to the company’s advantage on screen. koala.t has built and launched his entire brand based off of this. daein is sure that they didn’t decide to put him into their new flagship group just because he was talented. whatever amount of talent he had was seen as a bonus. the valuable piece that daein holds is his appeal is, materialistically enough, his face and opportunity for widespread appeal based off of this and the easy way he’s able to endear himself to people. daein’s real value is his following, with his knack for drawing fans into nitro as a whole. that initial gateway point that catches at people’s attention.

in nitro, he’s the member people might point to and declare a stan attractor. the one who pulls interest into the group, even if they end up hopscotching off to bias another member in the end of things. so step one was to sell this image, a split between hardworking and 4d in a toned down, palatable sort of way. the kind of guy who was quick to talk, the kind of guy who was personable, who made you want to keep talking. who had no reservations chatting away to show hosts or describing nitro’s latest comeback. he had the sort of face that made people look, it was just daein’s job to make it stick after.

he was given a stage name, something that they decided fit with his concept more and might appeal to an international fanbase. was told which parts of his personality he was allowed to play up ( not being afraid of ghosts? great, let the members cling while you laugh during the haunted house daein, that’s great ), and those he wasn’t ( cut the sarcasm and macabre humor, we need to appeal to the thirteen year olds ). a dose of humor, a loud effect to his voice that’s often lost later when the camera clicks off. he wasn’t a boy next door, but he was a boy you found yourself staring at. interested in. styled in a peter pan, never grow up fashion with a mischievous bite underneath that pixie-dust appeal.

there’s more behind the lens. behind the glamour. but daein’s been in the industry long enough to know that you’re only supposed to share certain parts of yourself with the public. because for all the fans shout and clamor and say they’ll love you forever. love you no matter what. it’s a lie. all it takes is one new fact that rubs them the wrong way, and you’re passed over. petitioned out. at least when it came to him, koala.t looked to see what parts they had cast him for and pulled them to the forefront. not everything about daein’s image is fake. but it’s overplayed, exaggerated. sometimes to the point where he gets sick of himself. overlaid with white lies that settle better with the fans. stains hidden. an illusion of perfection - but sometimes it’s a nice feeling.

IDOL HISTORY

하나 born in seoul to on the edge of upper to middle class parents, daein’s life should have been easy. it, perhaps, has been. but that all depends on who you ask. they weren’t fit with golden spoons, but his father was a well respected dentist, and daein was expected to follow those pre-trodden footsteps in some manner or another. if not in the field of orthodontics, then in some other highly regarded career. lawyer, maybe. something that would allow for him to continuously climb that ladder of success, provide opportunities for the next generation in the choi family. it is apparent now, looking back, that daein has failed all but miserably in their request. his story could perhaps be seen as predictable in some ways. but who longs for freedom more than a bird beating itself against what it thinks a cage? daein saw the world stretched before him from behind the glass window, kept knocking himself against it headfirst until he could break free. trod over the idea of pre-conceived destiny (dentistry? ha!). rip himself as far away from expectations as possible. for better or worse, daein has built this life for himself.

둘 the first dream that daein remembers having was summarily rejected. a secondary hobby for when he had time. it wasn’t connected to the idol life, and it wasn’t his bridge into the industry. it was hapkido. he had a talent for it, in the way that some kids do, where they’re the leader of their small after school hagwon class pack. he might not have had the makings for a real athletic star, but even if he had, daein thinks they wouldn’t have really cared. somewhere around this point, at twelve or thirteen, daein started to learn that he loved to harbor things that he shouldn’t. dreams, thoughts, interests. he reached toward the taboo simply because it was out of bounds. even now he’s not sure if he forced his way into some of the interests he likes, some of the eclectic music he prefers, or if it was all just a happy coincidence. he decided he liked horror movies. he decided ghosts were pretty neat. so were polaroid cameras, along with cutting up a good portion of those pictures to piece together strange mosaics. which led him to liking art. twisted up, inky designs of strange proportions. sometimes drawn on paper, and sometimes his own skin. frowny faces and  lopsided eyes decorating kneecaps or the back of his hands. he liked skateboarding next, along with the sting of skinned knees. singing came a little later when he was pushing sixteen, seventeen. it’s really luck that daein managed to find a way to lean into one of his strange proclivities. if not for koala.t, where he’d have ended up is a grand mystery. maybe forced into becoming his father’s successor. maybe staring at the clock from behind the cash register at a convenience mart. but nobody cares about those maybes except daein at three in the morning.

셋 daein started studying abroad if only to slip out from underneath his parents thumb. they weren’t possessively controlling, but they were the type that decided that they knew best. they were the type to push him toward some kind of productivity. to cluck at what they decided were poor decisions or to ream him out for coming how too late. even if that last one might’ve been a completely normal parental reaction, while they weren’t shoved to an extreme end of the spectrum, his father was still a disciplinarian. he wanted daein to get his act together. to find a path and drill down hard into it. work himself for the sake of work and follow along in what society deemed as an acceptable career path in the natural progression of things. but daein didn’t want to follow that. there was just something in him that kicked back against it. so he lied, just a bit. decided to start telling them in the later years of high school that he was interested in politics. that maybe becoming a diplomat could be his far reaching ambition. so he took language classes, applied to schools, and when it came tie for his last year of high school he was temporarily relocated into japan on a language learning transfer opportunity he’d found. not that his time spent there lasted all too long. a total of one year. that was the amount of time spent away from home where his father would still talk to him.

넷 his time spent in japan really only served to give daein the makings of a conversationalist in another language and a slew of new interests that would last for an obsessive few months. he didn’t really become invested in politics. he decided he’d prefer not to be a diplomat after all ( and truthfully, he wasn’t very well suited for the job ). so when his study abroad term reached the end he didn’t reapply, he instead chose to come back home and continue his education in korea. back to a happy mother and a mildly frustrated father, because why couldn’t daein get his life together? to pick a path and march steadily toward it, just like he had? but then daein did just that. only it was the wrong path. he’s always found that rather funny. the constant demand to do, do, do, except! not that one. anything but that one. maybe that’s why he picked it. why he saw that flyer hanging up near a noraebang he frequented with his friends for a defunct entertainment company and decided to go audition. just because it was the stark opposite of what they wanted from him. something he knew deep down in his gut. but he’s always been like that. they’ve always known he has been. going against the grain. so he auditioned., and he got in. accepted the offer and started marching down that path. a path that would take him away from his parents, or at least his father, in the end.

다섯 at the time, being in koala.t didn’t mean much of anything. there were no current idols in their roster, the whole company in a strange place. who could tell if their next attempt at a pop group would succeed? so it was a little funny, a little interesting. if his friends questioned him, daein would point out that he ‘probably wouldn’t end up debuting.’ or if he did, maybe it would be some huge disaster. it wasn’t like they didn’t have a company building though, didn’t have a handful of other male trainees he was expected to train with. and train like it was a job, even if daein was still in the mindset of half seeing the company as a joke. his grades suffered. an ultimatum kicked in from his father, continued financial support if he separated from the company and what was viewed as a below their level ambition, or else he’d cut off the money. it’s clear that daein opted to stay at the company. his father made good on his word. the money stopped, daein technically took ( and is still on ) an academic hiatus, and managed to get himself part time work during his off hours for training. if nitro didn’t end up coming together, didn’t end up succeeding ( even if they never were on a very explosive scale ) then daein isn’t sure how his life would’ve turned out. other thoughts that only daein thinks about, but this time at four in the morning.

여섯 eventually, nitro debuted. he hadn’t trained for an exceptionally long time. but it was long enough where he made for a passable dancer, where they’d equipped him with enough singing technique that they could slap the label of vocalist onto him. truthfully, it was hard. a fact that daein is slow to admit to. he’s on the older end of things, and has always preferred talking to others about their own problems than his own. he likes the idea of advice. he likes trying to solve problems like puzzles, the right solution that will click into place. but not usually for himself. he wanted to be away from his parents and the life that they’d wanted out of him. and he was. identity has always been a confusing thing to daein, despite the fact that he was always throwing himself after one. sometimes he feels like it’s evaporating even further now, when it feels like parts of his identity are being stripped away. replaced by something else, something more enjoyable for nitro’s fans. this strange, ephemeral peter pan of a boy. forever lost in neverland, the option and memories of returning home fading and fading. maybe he’ll feel less divided about it if they ever disappear entirely.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NITRO’S LEAD VOCAL, LEAD RAP PARK SEHAN...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: n/a CURRENT AGE: 25 DEBUT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 17 COMPANY: Koala.T SECONDARY SKILL: Producing (Dance-pop/R&B)

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): harry potter, hanhan INSPIRATION: his inspiration is the main rapper of POWer who was not just a great artist with an amazing stage presence, but also produced his own music. SPECIAL TALENTS:

can guess any song from five notes alone

can dislocate any joint and used to play a lot of pranks at his mom while doing it

plays soccer very well

knows how to play the guitar and the piano

NOTABLE FACTS:

has an older brother who is a doctor and they’re very close.

has produced songs for nitro.

his dad-like jokes had made him into nitro’s hole when it comes to variety.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

producing another a side for nitro; being able to produce the song for a soloist; get to be known in the industry as a producer even if at first he’ll still get the “idol” label attached to it.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

to be able to stop being an idol and focus completely on producing. sehan wants to be open his own company one day and work solely as an r&b producer, focusing mostly on solo acts.

IDOL IMAGE

“you seem like the perfect boyfriend.”

the interviewer sentence doesn’t shock him and sehan only smiles, gentle, soft. he knows how to do it now perfectly, he knows all the ways he has to curve his lips, the way he has to look almost embarrassed. being an idol has all to do with faking - the right smile, the right blank look on your face. a mask for each occasion. sehan honestly believes every idol is a good actor, it’s ridiculous that so many of them do such a poor job when they actually try acting for real.

sehan never knew he was a good liar but he is, he truly is. his company has taken advantage of the softness of his looks in all the right ways. he’s the perfect boyfriend, the boy your mother would kill for you to bring home and marry. his grades are brought up, tales about how polite he is, how thoughtful. in fan meetings he looks at fans with care, tell them to go home safely. it may have been true once, all of it. genuine. at some point sehan had been eager, at some point he had enjoyed the fans’ gifts, he had enjoyed the fame.

but now?

now it’s a role he learned how to play. he hates the fans, the way they’ll grab into him. he hates the sweet words he has to say. he hates the following around, waking up early. being trapped in a group that seems not to go anywhere and still be fighting for it. so sehan hides the true part of himself, the one that wasn’t made for cameras. he hides the pride, and he hides the moodiness. he hides the taste for partying. he hides the need for risks. he hides the one he loves. he hides himself.

“do you have a girlfriend?” the interviewer asks and sehan shakes his head, shakes both hands in front of his chest. he has to look astonished by the question. of course he doesn’t. he’s a pristine angel. a virgin prince, waiting for the right girl. and as long as the fantasy that that girl can be any ugly sad asshole watching him from their computer screen than his life as an idol can go on.

(the temptation to break the illusion is tempting, too tempting.  but sehan is a boy of survival. made for it. he just smiles.)

“my girlfriend is,” he pauses, looks to the camera, “you!”

laughter. the right answer. he laughs together with them. 

he wonders if anyone can see how it doesn’t reach his eyes.

IDOL HISTORY

park sehan grows amidst competition.

his mother is a teacher, his father a businessman. they’re the sort of couple that ended up well even though everything was set for them to fail. they had kids early, sehan’s brother was born when his mother was still in college. both of them were children of poor parents, both of them came from the countryside. they both made it. so sehan’s parents believe in effort and they believe in meritocracy. if you work hard enough you’ll get it. if you slack off, you’ll be a loser for your whole life. growing up in that sort of environment is almost suffocating because every single misstep is frowned up, every little thing reason for raised brows, a sharp stare.

and it’s even harder when you’re a shadow. sehan’s older brother is the pristine image of what his parents want. he’s handsome. he’s smart. he’s first in his class, and he ends up in med school. and it’s not that sehan isn’t as good, it’s about what he’s good at. because sehan never had much interest in studying, even though he would try his hardest. there is nothing he hates the most than that cold harsh line his mother’s lips turn into whenever she’s displeased. but sehan doesn’t want to be a doctor, he doesn’t want to be a lawyer. sehan’s talent lies in the tone of his voice, in the way he easily learns how to play the guitar all by himself, hidden in his room. his talent lies in the way he easily can match a tune, in the way he can play a song just by listening to it enough in the radio.

sehan wants to be an artist, a singer. when he tells his parents that it’s the hardest day of his life. they don’t say a thing, they just stare. and then his mother shrugs.

“as long as you’re the best at it.”

sehan takes that as an order.

and he tries. his parents help him with singing lessons, composing lessons. he ends up joining a company by the time he joins high school. by the age of fourteen sehan is a cel trainee and there’s a life of promises ahead of him. and he trains. he trains the hardest he can. he learns composing even more, gets an interest in rapping. and everything comes to him easily, maybe a little too easy. it’s like it’s on his blood, this whole being an idol thing, a performer. he’s good at it, actually good and the feeling of it is inebriating. he’s put in a group, the idea of a debut almost at his reach.

and then cel closes its doors taking all those dreams with him.

it takes a while until he tries joining another company. koala.t is not a big company, not even close to the name cel used to hold. but he doesn’t have time to try for another company, a bigger one. but sehan feels pressured, his parents always asking about it over dinner, his brother always smiling even though he’s tired from all the workload from med school. so when he makes it into koala.t he accepts it, goes for it. maybe it’s even better. maybe helping a company to grow, make it even bigger, could be even better than the easy road from debuting in a bigger one.

when sehan debuts there’s something in his chest that he can’t understand. it’s just years later that he’ll understand that it’s disappointment.

and it’s a terrible thing. the fact he worked so hard for something only to feel it is not enough. and maybe that’s the curse of being human, always chasing and chasing only to be left out completely unsatisfied. he’ll never be satisfied. he starts promoting and the idol life is like a castle, a sand made one. too fragile, too futile. it gets tiring easily. it gets frustrating easily.

and frustration only builds up as he goes. he became an idol for music, his love for it, but he feels more and more alienated from it. one day the company picks one of his songs, makes it a title and sehan finally, finally feels himself growing again. only to find out they gave the credit for someone else.

“we need it to be from a bigger name,” they say, “no one will pay attention to a song from someone unknown.”

“okay,” sehan says.

and they do it again, and again. after a while they start adding his name here and there, allowing it. but when sehan looks at the list of songs he gets the credit for for the actual amount of songs he produced for the company he feels betrayed. there was a promise here. we’re doing this for the group, they’d say. so nitro can grow. so you can grow. but sehan now feels completely drained, with nothing left.

that sort of frustration can only lead to tragedy. sehan starts resenting his group, their discography. he starts feeling trapped. he starts resenting even the member, a horrible sense of superiority getting over him. where would that group be if not for him, all of his sacrifice? his songs, his talents? where the fuck would they be? it’s a feeling that grows and grows. and a feeling that taints him, twists him. a feeling that isn’t good for teamwork. a feeling that drives him to find satisfaction in other places. a feeling that comes because he has to hide the question that burns him, kills him. breaks him.

he is giving them all. everything.  he gave them his youth. he have them his privacy, his personal life. and he even gave them his heart, his songs. and for what?

for what?

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NITRO’S LEAD VOCAL AND LEAD DANCE LAI XIANG...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: Xin CURRENT AGE: 26 DEBUT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 18 COMPANY: Koala.t SECONDARY SKILL: Korean language and pronunciation (has phonetic skill and mastery in korean and a large vocabulary)

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): xiaoxi INSPIRATION: he looked up to gemini and 4ce who inspired him to pursue becoming an idol SPECIAL TALENTS: 

“impossible” to scare ( will walk through a haunted house laughing, is still during jumpscares, etc.). 

is a better-than-average artist

can read palms ( he can’t actually, but when he’s asked to for shows he predicts outlandishly fake futures )

NOTABLE FACTS:

can speak mandarin and korean fluently, is conversational in english

has a large following and fanbase in china

a lot of his solo promotions are done to appease said fanbase ( such as chinese releases on his soundcloud for free )

is extremely active on social media

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

his current goals are much of the same. to keep propelling himself forward as much as he can. to try and keep pushing nitro up and toward more popularity. they’re not a projectile missile of a group, not like atlas or olympus. but they’re getting there. putting koala.t back on the map. making a name for themselves. and after all this time, xiang does want to do that. make a name for himself. for his group. scrawl out some kind of a legacy to leave behind. an imprint of who he is. music and all.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

xiang wants to gain enough momentum that he can eventually carry that fame back over to china if need be. he’s been contacted a few times by chinese companies trying to pull him back to his home country, sign there and cut ties with koala.t. but he’s content where he’s at right now, it was the path he chose ( even if it hadn’t been the most well thought out of plans ). but he wants it there as a stable option for himself. with his family still out of the picture, he needs some way to keep his current skill set pushing him forward – and in all honesty, china is a much better bet for him than korea is as far as longevity is concerned.

IDOL IMAGE

xiang in image and in role is used as a collector. he’s essentially a tool in fan outreach, something that had been pre-planned, from his place of birth to how his personality is shaped and used to the company’s advantage on screen. koala.t has built and launched his entire brand based off of this. xiang is sure that they didn’t decide to put him into their new flagship group just because he was talented, because he had a knack for korean. whatever amount of talent he had was seen as a bonus. the valuable piece that xiang holds is his appeal in china. while nitro doesn’t branch out and promote in china, xiang is still given ample room to use social media and regularly creates or releases songs in mandarin on his soundcloud. despite his promotions almost entirely centering in korea, xiang has managed to amass quite an international following in china. and china has quite an expansive market if one is able to chisel into it. xiang’s real value is his following, and with the knowledge that they would let him try and reach out to his home country after debuting, his stage persona was crafted to meet and blend with that.

in nitro, he’s the member people might point to and declare a stan attractor. the one who pulls interest into the group, even if they end up hopscotching off to bias another member in the end of things. so step one was to sell this image, a split between hardworking and 4d in a toned down, palatable sort of way. the kind of guy who was quick to talk, the kind of guy who was personable, who made you want to keep talking. who had no reservations chatting away to show hosts or describing nitro’s latest comeback. a knack for languages paired with a language classes that focused specifically on phonology in tandem with grammar meant that they could use pronunciation as a talking point to draw in initial interest. it was just xiang’s job to make it stick after.

he was given a stage name, something that they decided fit with his concept more. was told which parts of his personality he was allowed to play up ( not being afraid of ghosts? great, let the members cling while you laugh during the haunted house xiang, that’s great ), and those he wasn’t ( cut the sarcasm and macabre humor, we need to appeal to the thirteen year olds ). a dose of humor, a loud effect to his voice that’s often lost later when the camera clicks off. he wasn’t a boy next door, but he was a boy you found yourself staring at. interested in. styled in a peter pan, never grow up fashion with a mischievous bite underneath that pixie-dust appeal and koala.t has put out a couple of ‘can you believe it?’ articles regarding his age.

there’s more behind the lens. behind the glamour. but xiang’s been in the industry long enough to know that you’re only supposed to share certain parts of yourself with the public. because for all the fans shout and clamor and say they’ll love you forever. love you no matter what. it’s a lie. all it takes is one new fact that rubs them the wrong way, and you’re passed over. petitioned out. at least when it came to him, koala.t looked to see what parts they had cast him for and pulled them to the forefront. not everything about xiang’s image is fake. but it’s overplayed, exaggerated. sometimes to the point where he gets sick of himself. overlaid with white lies that settle better with the fans. stains hidden. an illusion of perfection - but sometimes it’s a nice feeling.

IDOL HISTORY

一 born in tianshui to wealthy parents, xiang’s life should have been easy. it, perhaps, has been. but that all depends on who you ask. they weren’t fit with golden spoons, but his father was a well respected doctor with his own practice, and xiang was expected to follow those pre-trodden footsteps in some manner or another. if not in the field of medicine, then in some other highly regarded career. lawyer, maybe. something that would allow for him to continuously climb that ladder of success, provide opportunities for the next generation in the lai family. it is apparent now, looking back, that xiang has failed all but miserably in their request. his story could perhaps be seen as predictable in some ways. but who longs for freedom more than a bird beating itself against what it thinks a cage? xiang saw the world stretched before him from behind the glass window, kept knocking himself against it headfirst until he could break free. trod over the idea of pre-conceived destiny. rip himself as far away from expectations as possible. for better or worse, xiang has built this life for himself.

二 the first dream that xiang remembers having was summarily rejected. a secondary hobby for when he had time. it wasn’t connected to the idol life, and it wasn’t his bridge into the industry. it was soccer. he had a talent for it, in the way that some kids do, where they’re chosen first for pickup games. he might not have had the makings for a real athletic star, but even if he had, xiang thinks they wouldn’t have really cared. somewhere around this point, at twelve or thirteen, xiang started to learn that he loved to harbor things that he shouldn’t. dreams, thoughts, interests. he reached toward the taboo simply because it was out of bounds. even now he’s not sure if he forced his way into some of the interests he likes, some of the eclectic music he prefers, or if it was all just a happy coincidence. he decided he liked horror movies. he decided ghosts were pretty neat. so were polaroid cameras, along with cutting up a good portion of those pictures to piece together strange mosaics. which led him to liking art. twisted up, inky designs of strange proportions. sometimes drawn on paper, and sometimes his own skin. frowny faces and  lopsided eyes decorating kneecaps or the back of his hands. he liked skateboarding next, along with the sting of skinned knees. singing came a little later when he was pushing sixteen, seventeen. it’s really luck that xiang managed to find a way to lean into one of his strange proclivities. if not for koala.t, where he’d have ended up is a grand mystery. maybe forced into becoming his father’s successor. maybe staring at the clock from behind the cash register at a convenience mart. but nobody cares about those maybes except xiang at three in the morning.

三 xiang started studying abroad if only to slip out from underneath his parents thumb. they weren’t possessively controlling, but they were the type that decided that they knew best. they were the type to push him toward some kind of productivity. to cluck at what they decided were poor decisions or to ream him out for coming how too late. even if that last one might’ve been a completely normal parental reaction, while they weren’t shoved to an extreme end of the spectrum, his father was still a disciplinarian. he wanted xiang to get his act together. to find a path and drill down hard into it. work himself for the sake of work and follow along in what society deemed as an acceptable career path in the natural progression of things. but xiang didn’t want to follow that. there was just something in him that kicked back against it. so he lied, just a bit. decided to start telling them in the later years of high school that he was interested in politics. that maybe becoming a diplomat could be his far reaching ambition. so he took language classes, applied to schools, and when it came tie for university he was temporarily relocated into korea.politics major, korean language minor. not that his time spent there lasted all too long. a total of one year. that was the amount of time spent away from home where his father would still talk to him.

四 xiang didn’t move to korea with this hidden agenda idea that he would become an idol. he moved because he wanted to get away. even if it was for a few years. even if he didn’t care about any of the classes he sat through. he’d been bright enough to pull his weight, to keep his father filled in and happy about the grades he was pulling. he spent a lot of time in clubs too. making friends, sometimes making more than friends. frequenting karaoke bars after too many drinks. this was what gave him the push forward. he went with a couple of friends, and one of them had told him he might as well go to the open audition koala.t was holding near the campus. if only for kicks, because one of the girls bet him they’d let him in on his babyface alone. xiang had never been the type to turn away from the prospect of adventure and so he went. he didn’t expect to get picked up. he was out of high school, figured he was too old. his korean not yet good enough, and he didn’t really have an expansive background in dance. but maybe his baby face was good for something after all. because they did sign him on as a trainee.

五 at the time, being in koala.t didn’t mean much of anything. there were no current idols in their roster, the whole company in a strange place. who could tell if their next attempt at a pop group would succeed? so it was a little funny, a little interesting. if his friends questioned him, xiang would point out that he ‘probably wouldn’t end up debuting.’ or if he did, maybe it would be some huge disaster. it wasn’t like they didn’t have a company building though, didn’t have a handful of other male trainees he was expected to train with. and train like it was a job, even if xiang was still in the mindset of half seeing the company as a joke. his grades suffered. the truth came out. an ultimatum kicked in from his father, continued financial support if he separated from the country and what was viewed as a below their level ambition, or else he’d cut off the money. it’s clear that xiang opted to stay at the company. his father made good on his word. the money stopped, xiang technically took ( and is still on ) an academic hiatus, and managed to get himself part time under the table work tutoring college students in mandarin during his off hours for training. if nitro didn’t end up coming together, didn’t end up succeeding ( even if they never were ona very explosive scale ) then xiang isn’t sure how his life would’ve turned out. other thoughts that only xiang thinks about, but this time at four in the morning.

六 eventually, nitro debuted. he hadn’t trained for an exceptionally long time. but it was long enough where he made for a passable dancer, where they equip him with enough singing technique that they could slap the label of main vocal onto him. truthfully, it was hard. a fact that xiang is slow to admit to. he’s on the older end of things, and has always preferred talking to others about their own problems than his own. he likes the idea of advice. he likes trying to solve problems like puzzles, the right solution that will click into place. but not usually for himself. he wanted to be away from his parents and the life that they’d wanted out of him. and he was. but he was also removed from what he still considers to be his home. a language he’s used to speaking taking a backseat, revisited only in moments where koala.t says it’s acceptable, plays into his brand. songs on soundcloud? fine. tiny instagram stories in mandarin? also okay. but make sure you phase back to korean, so that the domestic fans don’t get angry. identity has always been a confusing thing to xiang, despite the fact that he was always throwing himself after one. sometimes he feels like it’s evaporating even further now, when it feels like parts of his identity are being stripped away. replaced by something else, something more enjoyable for nitro’s fans. this strange, ephemeral peter pan of a boy. forever lost in neverland, the option and memories of returning home fading and fading. maybe he’ll feel less divided about it if they ever disappear entirely.