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idolizerp · 5 years

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LOADING INFORMATION ON POIZN’S LEAD RAP, LEAD DANCE KANG CHANYEOL…

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 26 DEBUT AGE: 18 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 15 COMPANY: 99 ETC: This member is a rap soloist

IDOL IMAGE

Most idols are forced to wear masks, completely fabricated personalities or at least heavily distorted versions of reality, to fit the image desired by their companies. Pushed into boxes without so much as the chance to protest and thrown onto the stage with their new colours displayed proudly. Some take to it well, some can’t acclimatise and fall flat on their faces. On some rare occasions there’s no need to adapt, the person already ticking every box on the checklist, personality perfectly synchronised with the concept. This is the case with Kang Chanyeol.

Poizn have always been defined by their bad boy image, and even before considering his future prospects as an idol this was how he decided to display himself to the world. A carefully curated exhibition of attitude and cock-sureness, delinquency and unpredictability, bluntness and raucousness. And so the transition from trainee is near seamless, and rather than toning him down, burying his cockiness and smoothing the rough edges, they instead focus a magnifying glass on them. Amplifying and exaggerating those aspects of his personality instead, the faint fog of arrogance that surrounds him doesn’t always win fans and he’s grown to be a somewhat divisive figure, but it keeps the group on everyone’s lips.

Time has gone some way to tempering this. These days he is no longer the cheeky upstart with delusions of grandeur and no qualms about stepping out of line or speaking out of turn. The fiery passion that had previously defined him has frozen over. Every year that passes, every scandal that plagues them, and every poorly judged choice from company higher ups serves only to sour him, chilling his demeanour further. He still knows to play along with the group, to do as he’s told and paint the picture they’ve commissioned, and when to shut his mouth but there are times when he can’t hide the disdain.

A rebellion against 99 as much as anything else, he is often deliberately contrarian. A few years back they attempted to re-brand him, to somewhat rehabilitate his image and present Chanyeol 2/0 to the world; an idol that retains the same tsundere charms and devil may care attitude, but with softer edges than before. A savage beast with a heart rather than a up and up punk intent on provoking for the sake of provoking. It’s been met with open arms by some, a healthy dose of scepticism by others, but behind it all he remains the same man as before, barely pulling his punches anymore and most days barely managing to veil his contempt.

IDOL HISTORY

Chanyeol never wanted to play the bad guy, but when most of your life is spent in the company of the amoral and outright dishonourable it is perhaps an inevitability.

To most children money holds little value, just scraps of paper and lumps of metal, but to his parents it is the single most important thing in their lives. To say that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth would be a vast understatement. The spoon is at the very least golden, the handle encrusted with rubies and diamonds. He never wants for anything. Every need and desire, the finest foods, clothes, education, is catered for with just a click of his fingers, always someone to wait on him. It’s a lifestyle that so many crave, and in his early years it’s one he adores.

As the years roll by however, the novelty begins to wear thin. He’s lucky if he sees his parents more than once a week, and even then, only for a few hours, instead raised by a vastly underpaid minder. Even when they’re home, they’re rarely resent, instead preoccupied with conference calls or meetings. They are more interested in their business than in their son, building the empire that he is one day expected to inherit. A kingdom for an unwilling emperor. They ply him with gifts, buy his affection and attempt to plug the gap with material possessions. It fails miserably.

He struggles connecting with people his own age, having next to nothing in common with his peers. Those in the echelons of the upper class do not share his feelings of disdain, and the rest deem him too snobbish, too elitist to bother with him despite all of his efforts to prove the contrary. A few try to draw close, but as the years pass it becomes clear that they are less interested in him, and more interested in the family coffers. He grows to be distrustful, assuming an ulterior motive in everyone and burning up any would-be Icarus without care when they stray too close to the sun.

He feels ostracised, like a piece from the wrong puzzle; he just wants to be normal. To be noticed by his family, and seen as something other than a walking cheque book. Friends, even. But most of all to be appreciated as a human being.

A lone wolf in almost every sense of the word, on a diet of haywire hormones and teenage angst Chanyeol’s attitude only sours. Attempts to purchase his affection become more and more extravagant in turn. He starts acting out to get some sort of reaction, to pull some response from the ivory tower, but one never comes. Instead it just drives him further into the wilderness, those around him becoming even more reluctant to interact. By age ten he’s buried under a mountain of toys, age eleven drowning in a sea of electronics, and age twelve suffocating under a mass of musical instruments. A guitar, a piano, a violin; he doesn’t even know why. He’s never expressed any interest in the arts. Perhaps they’ve simply run out of things to buy him, or perhaps they truly knew so little about their own son. Either way, most are discarded or forgotten about.

Landing himself in (yet another) schoolyard fight aged fourteen is a turning point. Looking back he can’t even remember what caused the conflict, only that blows were traded and bruises exchanged; split lips and black eyes were near semi-permanent features of his face. The school punishes them, and it forges a strange bond. They clash, but they would go to the ends of the earth for one another. Two kids mad at the world, feeling forsaken by everyone around them. It’s the first time that a real connection is made, and over the months they draw close. The new companion is entrenched in western music, and introduces him to the sounds of 1970s London and 1980s New York and early 2000s Seoul. The sounds draws him in and the attitude makes him stay. Fiery rebellion. No one person better than any other. Anarchy. Punk rock.

When the bassist leaves his friend’s band, he steps up despite not having played a note in his life. “The Sex Pistols couldn’t play when they were recording albums, four chords and the truth is all you need, it’ll be fine.” He reasoned, digging out one of the guitars that had been buried in storage for years. It was here that he learned how quickly he could pick up instruments, and first fell in love with performance. The band ends rather suddenly a little over a year later, tensions within the group rising to unbearable and irreconcilable levels, and his outlook sours once more.

Age fifteen he’s asked by his parents, or rather an employee of theirs, to model for a few lines scheduled for release later in the year by subsidiaries of their main brand. Modelling is not something that he’s particularly comfortable, or even familiar with, at this stage but he agrees regardless. It’s likely just another money saving measure, he realises, but if he shows willing enough he might finally earn their approval. Despite his hesitance he takes to it like a duck to water, and returns to shoot promos twice more over the following months. None of the photos from the second or third shoot ever see the light of day.

After the third shoot he’s caught off guard, a stranger thrusting a business card in his direction babbling about an audition and then scurrying into the crowds outside the studio. Chanyeol simply scoffs. What’s prompted it he isn’t sure (That revelation would come later), nor is he certain how genuine it was. Though his initial reaction is to toss the slip over his shoulder he instead tucks it into his wallet, eyeing it cautiously over the course of a few days before curiosity gets the better of him.

It’s not a path he’s ever paid much mind; in fact it’s one he’s been actively against. The Korean entertainment industry is the antithesis of punk values in his mind, a hive money hungry businessmen watching over a factory floor where teenagers are stripped of personality. Now that the offer’s been made though, he’s rethinking. It would give him direction that he was sorely lacking, free him from the shadow of the family name, fans to feed his ego, and he’d be able to perform for a living… worst case scenario, he can buy out the contract. Best case it’s a platform that he currently lacks.

As it turns out the stranger had been serious, and what’s more when the time comes for his audition he sails through. Contracts are signed, and he’s in. Clean. Simple. Nowhere nearly as traumatic and stressful as he’d heard others make out.

Training is manageable. Gruelling, but manageable. He has less experience than most, weaknesses obvious from the outset but over time he learns to hold his own. The early months are rough, Chanyeol growing frustrated at his shortcomings and barely scraping through the first few evaluations, and he’s often tempted to quit but still he soldiers on. During this time he falls in love with hip-hop, noticing the similarities with the subculture that he knows and loves. The same rebellion, the same danger, the same edge. When it becomes clear that his vocals are weaker than so many of his peers, he instead focuses on rap and only then finds his feet.

There’s always a feeling that he’s treated differently though. The instructors are firm, but they seem to be less harsh towards him. His attitude persists and for whatever reason it isn’t crushed underfoot. This is not a world that he knows well, but even he knows better than to test the boundaries, and so never steps too far out of line, but little things seem to slip through the net. It’s never said aloud, but Chanyeol feels it, and so do his fellow trainees. Nobody dares outright call it out for what it is, but they treat him differently. Some shun him, seeing the treatment as unfair, and some scramble closer hoping that mere proximity will make their ride easier. It’s an all too familiar vision of the past that begins to push him back towards bitterness.

Three years pass before he debuts. Time sees him hone his rap skills and become a skilled dancer, and though his singing still sometimes borders on woeful his stage presence (and more than a little studio trickery) overshadow the flaws. Poizn are an ideal fit, the concept a near perfect match for Chanyeol.

It isn’t long before the scandals begin. Smaller at first, but escalating quickly. Other members take the fall first, tell all articles and exposes by netizens suggesting that perhaps their bad boy image is less of an illusion and more of a reality. When dealing with the backlash it seems as though are intent on making the worst decision possible at every turn; brushing off rumours rather than addressing them, outright ignoring others and letting them fester. Perhaps he should be mad at the members, but in his mind the damage that each scandal has is a failure of management, and the company are entirely to blame for not dealing with them.

For his part, Chanyeol’s scandals have only ever centered on one thing. Not relationships, not sex, not drink, all of that is carefully hidden, but there is no containing his fiery attitude. He is caught on camera in the midst of heated exchanges with several members of staff and other idols on more than one occasion. It all pales in comparison to his reaction to a gaggle of Saesang fans tailing their car one night, when he is filmed exploding at them and using language less than befitting of an idol before storming away.

For this, they pull him from group promotions, effectively throwing him into the cellar and losing the key. The response seems disproportionate considering past actions by 99, and Chanyeol feels personally slighted. That Christmas he returns home, and as is typical of the festive season things end in arguments. He confides in his parents, who have decided to make a rare appearance, about his frustrations with the company, about their mismanagement of Poizn. About how torn up he is over it, how it’s almost destroyed him before he’s even begun. They simply shrug. “Don’t worry about it. Money is the best motivator.” His father says, barely looking up from his plate. It’s as though he genuinely doesn’t understand why people are up in arms. “We’ll write them another cheque, encourage them to let you do what you like. Or we just get lawyers involved.”

It’s said so flippantly that you’d miss it if you blinked. Slowly the cogs click into place. Another cheque. Through gritted teeth he asks the question, gets the answer he expects, and thus begins the shouting match. They didn’t outright buy his place in Poizn, but they paid enough to encourage a scout to wait outside the photoshoot and grant him an audition. He passed on his own merits, but the fact remains that the only reason they saw him was because their palms had been greased. On top of that, a few extra Won had ensured that the entire process was a painless as possible and though he’d had to train just as hard as everyone else for his spot in the lineup rumours of special treatment were not entirely unfounded.

He doesn’t bother to ask why they’d done it, or why they hadn’t thought it worth mentioning. He assumes it’s another misguided attempt to buy his loyalty, or to keep their brand relevant. Nothing would be better publicity than the prodigal son of the fashion moguls becoming a star, after all. Whatever the reason, whatever the intention, it doesn’t lessen the sting or the sour taste in his mouth. Needless to say they now speak even less than before.

Everything that he has, he only has because it was paid for. Every opportunity he’s been granted, the result of a dirty deal. How much was down to him? And how much was down to his bank account? Everyone he chooses to trust believes in him so little that they see the only path to success as corruption and bribery.

The stigma lingers like a bad smell, melding with the countless other controversies of the members that emerge shortly after their debut. The whispers persist weighing heavy on Chanyeol, anytime it’s mentioned he physically stiffens up and looks as though he’s about to launch across the room and punch you. The public see him as a joke. Other idols see him as a punk, and not the kind he’d hoped for. Both simply sneer.

And he sneers back. If they want a villain, he’ll give them a villain.

His attitude only spirals. On camera he becomes gradually frostier, but manages to maintain the image that they’ve built their career on. Off camera he stops caring about how he’s viewed. Stops even trying to be personable, teeth bared and ready to lash out at any given moment. Blunt as a rock, his words drip with venom and tongue cuts like a razor. If you do good by him, he’ll do good by you, but otherwise he has no problem cutting you down as so may others have done to him.

A few years later, of begrudgingly playing the game, avoiding scandal and rising through the ranks, the company are convinced that his image can be rehabilitated. They wish to maintain his hardened, devil may care image, but soften the edges. In return for playing along, they say they’ll give him a solo with creative control. It feels no less dirty being on the receiving end of the bribe, and it’s tempting to refuse but… creative control has always been his endgame. And so he begrudgingly agrees.

Poizn have been around longer than most, at this point a legacy group in all but title. And yet now they are arguably more relevant than ever, the runaway Love Scenario shifting the goal posts. Where at times in the past it had felt as though they’d been coasting, a conduit for scandal and little else, this is a shot at group redemption. It’s enough to wake something up inside of him.

Long term, he’s under no illusions about his future. The chances of his contract being renewed are negligible at best, and frankly he’s jumping for joy at the prospect of ditching 99. The only reason he hasn’t jumped overboard yet is fear of dragging his members down with him. Despite it all, they’re the closest thing to a functional family he has ever known. Besides, it would be foolish to depart when they were riding such a high, so for now he’ll just do as he’s told. With any luck his solo career continues to be a success; consider it an audition tape for any other companies interested in taking him on after he’s unceremoniously dumped.

#id.bio #id.poizn #id.shin hoseok #id.99

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idolizenews · 5 years

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Did you guys see the news this morning? I can’t believe it’s happening... finally the second generation groups are falling apart, I guess. POIZN finally hit big with Love Scenario and these two decided to sue?? No but really does that make any sense?

POIZN has always been a lot of trouble we know that, so doesn’t it make you wonder what was happening behind the scenes? Why would they walk away after all this time... maybe they’re just sick of the company?? Or are they total crooks? It’s crazy I can’t imagine this. Really its so unexpected.

99 always media plays about being a big giant family and this is the reality, there’s really no loyalty in the face of money or fame is there?? wowow.

POST RESPONSE | [ + 779 ] [ - 23 ]

1. [ ㅇㅇ ] No but were they even important in the group, I don’t know their names even.... 2. [ 영원큐어 ] I can’t believe this is happening ㅠㅠㅠㅠ my boys ㅠㅠㅠ my group ㅠㅠ What a waste of their talents.... ah f*ck 99 is seriously the worst.... 3. [ ㅇㅇ ] Honestly though, the others hard carried them so what will they do now? Good riddance ~ ㅋㅋ

#id.poizn #id.pann

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idolizenews · 5 years

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Wow seriously, I’m a little late since I’m not a Junseo fan so I didn’t watch it until now, but as a Borealis I’m so f*cking annoyed... Did anyone else see Junseo’s appearance on SNL??? -_-

If you didn’t, good, I’ll save you the pain of watching it yourself and tell you what happened here. There was a skit where Junseo and the cast roleplayed the scandal with Jiyeon and made it look like he was coerced into taking the selfie... as if he didn’t want to take it at all -__- 99 is really f*cking shameless aren’t they? Or are they seriously just that bad at dealing with scandals? I wouldn’t know, I’m not a fan of that trash company, but I’m seriously so annoyed they threw Jiyeon under the bus like that, f*ck

Ah ㅋㅋ sorry, I just wanted to rant somewhere, are they any other borealis out there annoyed like me?

POST RESPONSE | [ + 265 ] [ - 181 ]

1. [ ㅇㅇ ] I’m not a fan of either group, but I agree with you OP, that was so dirty of 99, do they really think we’re that stupid...? They keep trying to paint him like someone who was blindsided by the scandal and is the innocent one in it but... we all saw that picture.. ㅋㅋ 2. [ 생각거지준서 ] Honestly, as a fan, even I think that skit was bullsh*t ㅋㅋ But it was still funny and I enjoyed his appearance ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I hope this means he can go back on variety soon, he really showed how witty he was through the skits ㅠㅠ 3. [ ㅇㅇ ] ㅋㅋ OP, it’s just a skit calm down... besides, you never know, it could actually be true, your Jiyeon unnie clearly isn’t as innocent as her group concept portrays~ ^^

#id.poizn #id.na junseo #id.pann

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idolizenews · 5 years

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I’ll admit their characters are cute together in Reply 1997, but isn’t this photoshoot a little too much..? Acting is one thing but the way they’re posing here shocked me... I promise it’s not just because I’m a Hyuk fan... Seriously does anyone agree, aren’t they too f*cking close here??Jiyeon’s in Aurora, too, Midas really needs to manage her image more... what’re they doing...

POST RESPONSE | [ + 381 ] [ - 93 ]

1. [ ㅇㅇ ] What is this post ㅋㅋ It’s just a photoshoot?? Are you just jealous of the chemistry they’re showing even in a still photo like this? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ What’re they supposed to pose like?? Do you want there to be a 10 feet between them? I have news for you OP, they’re probably dating~~ All your favorite idols probably are~ 2. [ 난 혁명가야 ] Ah this is so embarrassing to read as a cure... We’re not all like that, everyone... 3. [ ㅇㅇ ] Isn’t this photoshoot clearly an attempt at noise marketing though? They’re doing well with Reply so they’re obviously trying to keep attention on them for as long as possible with a risky photoshoot ㅋㅋ Well, apparently it worked....

#id.pann #id.lee hyuk #id.yoon jiyeon #id.poizn #id.aurora

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idolizenews · 5 years

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POIZN RETURNS WITH ‘KILLING ME’

1. [ +1,912, -186 ] Ah... they’re going back to this? ㅠㅠ I became a fan because of their softer songs since My Type so this is.. hm.. 2. [ +1,685 , -138 ] Say what you want about the members, but at least we can always count on POIZN for catchy songs ~ ^^ The choreography is addicting too, no no no no~ 3. [ +1,272 , -99 ] I became a fan because of their softer songs too, but isn’t this actually a good mix between their older songs and new ones? At least it’s not like B-DAY ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I really like this, it’s exciting and still nice to listen to~

#id.music #id.comeback #id.poizn

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idolizenews · 6 years

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WITH FINALIZED CAST, SHOOTING ENSUES AND `REPLY 1997` SET TO AIR THIS DECEMBER

1. [ +2,295 , -273 ] Idol showcase, f*ck it really is ㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is why kids these days train to be idols even if they don’t like singing or dancing, PD’s always cast idols over rookie actors, so annoying... We already see enough of them... 2. [ +1,659 , -185 ] Have any of you idiots even watched either of their dramas or did you just see ‘idol showcase’ and come here to leave your stupid opinions? ㅋㅋ Jiyeon just hit daebak with Goblin, why shouldn’t she get cast for dramas when she’s just as good as other actors??? 3. [ +1,137 , -97 ] Honestly I didn’t even know Hyuk was part of an idol group until now ㅎㅎ Ah, he’s so handsome... I’m going to watch just for him ㅠㅠㅠㅠ -- Jiyeon’s pretty too, ah... they look so good together...

#id.poizn #id.aurora #id.yoon jiyeon #id.lee hyuk #id.acting

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idolizerp · 5 years

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LOADING INFORMATION ON POIZN’S LEAD RAP, LEAD DANCE KANG CHANYEOL...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 26 DEBUT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 16 COMPANY: 99 Ent. SECONDARY SKILL: Lyric writing

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): N/A INSPIRATION: Pretty much everyone from the third generation onwards was influenced to some degree by POWer and Chaneol is no exception. Seeing their rappers perform on television first got him fascinated by the entertainment industry and has influenced the direction of the road he’s walked thus far. He also has an affinity for Midnight and in more recent times has found himself subtly influenced by the way that they conduct themselves in the public eye SPECIAL TALENTS:

Can play any song by ear on the piano after hearing it once through.

Able to perform an uncannily accurate impression of the 99 Entertainment founder as well as his members

Accomplished beatboxer

NOTABLE FACTS:

His parents own an extremely successful fashion company have major investments in several industries

Chanyeol is a graduate of SOPA’s (School of Performing Arts) Practical Music department

Was the guitarist in a three piece punk band (Along the lines of Vanmal, but far wilder and grittier) before joining 99 Entertainment. This has largely been scrubbed from his history.

Has a level two small drivers license making it legal for him to drive a motorcycle despite not currently owning one.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

With Love Scenario seemingly heralding a change in fortune for Poizn, Chanyeol fully intends to ride the crest of that wave for as long as physically possible. He hopes to take advantage of the surge of new fans oblivious to the groups history to further the groups success as well as cementing a solo career. There is also chatter of an appearance on another rap variety show later in the year, likely Unpretty Rapstar, in an attempt to redeem his first appearance, though he is vehemently against the idea.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

Long term, Chanyeol wants to put as much distance between himself and 99 Entertainment as possible. He still harbours a lot of resentment for the way that events and scandals in the past have been handled and largely blames them for the way he’s been perceived in the public eye. Secretly he hopes that when the time comes his contract will not be renewed and he will instead be poached by a rival company, though he knows how unlikely this is. And so, if it doesn’t, he’s perfectly content to leave the industry behind.

IDOL IMAGE

Most idols are forced to wear masks, completely fabricated personalities or at least heavily distorted versions of reality, to fit the image desired by their companies. Pushed into boxes without so much as the chance to protest and thrown onto the stage with their new colours. Some take to it well, some can’t acclimatise and fall flat on their faces. On some rare occasions there’s no need to adapt, the person already ticking every box on the checklist, personality perfectly synchronised with the concept. This is the case with Kang Chanyeol.

Poizn have always been defined by their mischievous bad boy image, and even before considering his future prospects as an idol this was how he decided to display himself to the world. A carefully curated exhibition of attitude and cock-sureness, delinquency and unpredictability, bluntness and raucousness. And so the transition from trainee is near seamless, and rather than toning him down, burying his cockiness and smoothing the rough edges, they instead focus a magnifying glass on them. Amplifying and exaggerating them instead, the faint fog of arrogance that surrounds him doesn’t always win fans and he’s grown to be a somewhat divisive figure, but it it keeps the group on everyone’s lips.

A rebellion against 99 as much as anything else, he is often deliberately contrarian. A few years back they attempted to re-brand him, to fold this colder edge into his image and much to his chagrin it was, for the most part at least, accepted. The fans see a tsundere nature and a devil may care attitude, but he doesn’t pull his punches anymore and most days barely veils his contempt.

IDOL HISTORY

Money is the root of all evil, but it’s also one hell of a motivator.

It’s something that Chanyeol learns at a young age. To most children money holds little value, just scraps of paper and lumps of metal, but to his parents it is the single most important thing in their lives. To say that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth would be a vast understatement. The spoon is at the very least golden, the handle encrusted with rubies and diamonds. He never wants for anything. Every need and desire, the finest foods, clothes, education (Up to and including SOPA) is catered for with just a click of his fingers, always someone to wait on him. It’s a lifestyle that so many crave, and in his early years it’s one he adores.

As the years roll by however, the novelty begins to wear thin. As the years roll by however, the novelty begins to wear thin. He’s lucky if he sees his parents more than once a week, and even then, only for a few hours, instead raised by a vastly underpaid minder. They are more interested in their business than in their son, building the empire that he is one day expected to inherit. A kingdom for an unwilling emperor. They ply him with gifts, buy his affection and attempt to plug the gap with material possessions.

He struggles connecting with people his own age, having next to nothing in common with his peers. Most deem him too snobbish, too elitist to bother with him despite all of his efforts to prove the contrary. A few try to draw close, but a the years pass it becomes clear that they are less interested in him, and more interested in the family coffers. He grows to be distrustful, assuming an ulterior motive in everyone and burning up any would-be Icarus when they stray too close to the sun.

He feels ostracised, like a piece from the wrong puzzle; he just wants to be normal. To be noticed by his family, and seen as something other than a walking cheque book by his peers. To be appreciated as a human being.

Landing himself in (yet another) schoolyard fight aged fourteen is a turning point. Looking back he can’t even remember what caused the conflict, only that blows were traded and bruises exchanged. The school punishes them, and it forges a strange bond. They clash, but they would go to the ends of the earth for one another. Two kids mad at the world, feeling forsaken by everyone around them. It’s the first time that a real connection is made, and over the months they draw close. The new companion is entrenched in western music, and introduces him to the sounds of 1970s London and 1980s New York. The sounds bring him in and the attitude makes him stay. Fiery rebellion. No one person better than any other. Anarchy. Punk rock.

When the bassist leaves his friend’s band, he steps up despite not having played a note in his life. “The Sex Pistols couldn’t play when they were recording albums, so it’ll be fine.” He reasoned, digging out one of the guitars tht had been buried in storage for years. It was here that he learned how quickly he could pick up instruments, and first fell in love with performance. The band ends rather suddenly a little over a year later, and his outlook sours once more.

Age sixteen he’s asked by his parents, or rather an employee of theirs, to model for a few lines scheduled for release later in the year by subsidiarys of their main brand. Modelling is not something that he’s particularly comfortable, or even familiar with, but he agrees regardless. It’s likely just another money saving measure, he realises, but if he shows willing enough he might finally earn their approval. Despite his hesitance he takes to it like a duck to water, and returns to shoot promos for a twice more over the following months. None of the photos from the second or third shoot ever see the light of day.

After the third shoot he’s caught off guard, a stranger thrusting a business card in his direction babbling about an audition and then scurrying into the crowds outside the studio. Chanyeol simply stares at him dumbfounded. What’s prompted it he isn’t sure (That revelation would come later), nor is he certain how genuine it was. Though his initial reaction is to toss the slip over his shoulder he instead tucks it into his wallet, eyeing it cautiously over the course of a few days before curiosity gets the better of him.

Training is manageable. Grueling, but manageable. He has less experience than most, weaknesses obvious from the outset but over time he learns to hold his own. The early months are rough, Chanyeol growing frustrated at his shortcomings and barely scraping through the first few evaluations, and he’s often tempted to quit but still he soldiers on. During this time he falls in love with hip-hop, noticing the similarities with the subculture that he knows and loves. The same rebellion, the same danger, the same edge. When it becomes clear that his vocals are weak, he instead focuses on rap and only then finds his feet.

There’s always a feeling that he’s treated differently though. The instructors are firm, they seem to be less harsh towards him. His attitude persists and for whatever reason it isn’t crushed underfoot. This is not a world that he knows well, but even he knows better than to test the boundaries, and so never steps too far out of line, but little things seem to slip through the net. It’s never said aloud, but Chanyeol feels it, and so do his fellow trainees. Nobody dares outright call it out for what it is, but they treat him differently. Some shun him, seeing the treatment as unfair, and some scramble closer hoping that mere proximity will make their ride easier. It’s an all too familiar vision of the past that begins to push him back towards bitterness.

Three years pass before he debuts. Time sees him hone his rap skills and become a skilled dancer, and though his singing still sometimes borders on woeful he has enough stage presence and charisma to excuse them. Poizn are an ideal fit, the concept a near perfect match for Chanyeol.

It’s decided that before they debut, Poizn’s rappers will partake in a rap survival show. To say that is unsure of the idea is an understatement, but as always he goes along with it without asking questions or voicing his doubts. He’s grown to see his group, and the company as a whole, as family, and worries that doing so will rock the boat and throw his members overboard. He surpasses his own expectations, becoming a favourite to win during the early rounds. Eventually he plateaus though, but each week he still comes out close to the top, even when he knows that he’s bottom of the pile. It serves only to feed his ego, to convince him that he is genuinely better than his competitors. This ego would remain unchecked to this day. When he emerges victorious in the final episode he feels as though he can take on the world. He’ll have to be acknowledged now, to be recognised by the world at large.

They do recognise him, though it’s as a cheat rather than as a champion. The whispers start as soon as it airs. That his opponent was superior in near every way. It’s suggested online that the show is corrupt, that money has changed hands to secure a win. Though he outwardly refuses to believe it, unwilling to take that hit to his pride, as soon as he reads it he knows. The company privately confirms it to him, tells him to keep it secret and that they’re going to bury the story. Chanyeol is crushed. And furious. And bitter. And cold. He stays silent, bottles it up and leaves without a word.

That Christmas he returns home, and as is typical of the festive season things end in arguments. He confides in his parents, who have decided to make a rare appearance, about what 99 have done. About how torn up he is over it, how it’s almost destroyed him before he’s even begun. They simply shrug. “Don’t worry about it. Money is the best motivator.” His father says, barely looking up from his plate. It’s as though he genuinely doesn’t understand why people are up in arms. “We’ll write them another cheque, encourage them to dig a little faster. Or we just get lawyers involved.”

He doesn’t bother to ask why they’d done it, or why they hadn’t thought it worth mentioning. He assumes it’s another misguided attempt to buy his loyalty, or to keep their brand relevant. Nothing would be better publicity than the prodigal son of the fashion moguls becoming a star, after all. Needless to say they now speak even less than before.

The stigma lingers like a bad smell, melding with the countless other controversies of the members that emerge shortly after their debut. The whispers persist weighing heavy on Chanyeol, anytime it’s mentioned he physically stiffens up and looks as though he’s about to launch across the room and punch you. With his background it’s assumed that he was the one to purchase the victory personally rather than the company. The public see him as a joke. Other idols see him as a cheat. Both simply sneer.

And he sneers back. If they want a villain, he’ll give them a villain.

It peaks when word spreads about him losing his cool at a fansign, lashing out. A “fan” dares to mention the competition and he flies off the handle, forcing an early end. It’s not committed to film, thank god, but suddenly everyone shifts into damage control mode. He’s removed from public engagements and promotions until the furore dies down. Time cools his temper, and it’s taken years to earn the trust of those above him once more, but he’s finally reached that point.

Poizn have spent a long time drifting under the radar, moving at their own pace, but the success of Love Scenario has shifted the goalposts. Where in the past it had felt as though they’d been coasting, a conduit for scandal and little else, this is a second chance. A shot at redemption. It’s enough to wake something up inside of him.

Long term, he’s under no illusions about his future. The chances of his contract being renewed are negligible at best, and frankly he’s jumping for joy at the prospect of ditching 99. The only reason he hasn’t jumped overboard yet is fear of dragging his members down with him. Besides, it would be foolish to depart when they were riding such a high so for now he’ll just do as he’s told. He’s quietly begun the launch of his solo career, and if their next comeback is even a fraction as successful he plans to take full advantage. Consider it an audition tape for any other companies interested in taking him on after he’s unceremoniously dumped.

#id.bio #id.poizn #id.99 #id.shin hoseok #id.legacy

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idolizerp · 5 years

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LOADING INFORMATION ON POIZN’S MAIN VOCAL HAN SIWON...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 25 DEBUT AGE: 18 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 14 COMPANY: 99 SECONDARY SKILL: Lyric writing

IDOL PROFILE

INSPIRATION: Siwon started out watching underground rappers and all the performers littered around Hongdae growing up and took an interest himself. He started out as a rapper, but was quick to find he had more talent for singing and quickly ditched the rapping idea, focusing more on his singing ability while watching top first generation idols for tips and inspiration SPECIAL TALENTS:

Can hold his breath for a stupidly long time.

Can untangle headphones really quickly

Ambidextrous and can write and eat with both hands just as each other

NOTABLE FACTS:

Attended Hanlim Art School and is also a graduate from Seoul Arts

Has a lot of gaming friends and is always mentioning the large group chats he’s in and all the idols he’s met through gaming

The youngest in the family and has three older siblings, all girls.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

His current goals is to get more involved in lyric writing and write lyrics for a title song which end up getting at least one music show win. He’d also quite like to write for other groups as well. But the main goal is to help keep Poizn rising in popularity. Maybe get some well liked idols as guests on his radio show. Not to mention trying to keep himself out of any other scandals.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

While the idol life has been fun, it’s also been a long road and Siwon is starting to get a bit tired now. While he doesn’t see himself staying in an idol group for the rest of his life, he still knows he wants to be stay in the music industry. He quite likes the idea of eventually breaking from 99 Ent and starting his own label and producing and writing songs for himself in the far future and helping the more underground singers get themselves out there as well. But he does know he wants to build up a name for himself outside of Poizn and have enough money to live comfortably. Maybe even start a family.

IDOL IMAGE

Siwon has changed quite a lot since his debut with the group. Back in the very first months he was right troublemaker, instantly branded with a bad-boy and rough type of image. Which was fine, it was easy to fit into that image with his quick tongue and almost rude natural gaze. Sure, he had gotten into worse trouble in the past, but his time training had helped mature out all those worse kinks and worse behaviour he used to have. But in the early years you could still catch a glimpse of the sort of person he was before, with failing to think before opening his mouth and spouting some ill thought words, or maybe not being so polite and respectful towards those higher in the industry. A sort of arrogance hanging over his head wherever he went, a look which almost told you that he thought he was better than you.

The seven years he has spent in Poizn have helped immensely in maturing him. And while he can quite easily fit into the mischievous bad-boy image the company wants of him almost on command, Siwon has grown as a person. He’s a lot more polite on and off camera than he once was and now actually takes the time to think about what he wants to say before actually saying it. But that isn’t to say he still doesn’t slip up from time to time and there is still a lot of smoothing to do of all those rough edges. He still has trouble with the fine line between being playfully rude and being actually rude to people.

But he’s always had that boyish charm, the winks and easy grins on his face, the leisure of his stance with hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. It’s almost as if he doesn’t have a care in the world and he’s always been the sort of chill member. The one who seems to go at his own pace through the world, never rushing around or getting all anxious about anything. Even when going through a hard time with the group he’ll be the first to sit everyone down and tell them that they’ll work through it.

To this day, he swears that there is no footage of him crying on camera. Even when they received their first win Siwon was dry-faced and didn’t spill a tear. Which has made people think that he is actually colder than he really is. And it’s something else 99 has been trying to tie into his image, the cold bad-boy. And it’s not an image Siwon is completely comfortable with, not that he supposes he pays much attention to sticking with an image any more. He’s been in this industry for seven years – people can easily make their own assumptions if they really want to. It doesn’t matter to him.

IDOL HISTORY

Han Siwon never had all the cards on his side. The baby of the family, the only son, living in a house which was barely big enough for all the bodies – let alone the grandparents who lived with them as well. His family didn’t have much, not much money, not much hope of getting anywhere with their lives and no great aspirations. His family was always more than happy just working low-end jobs which paid enough for the bills and to put food on the table. They never wanted anything more than that, always claiming family was more important than being successful.

It was why the son decided early on that he wanted to get away with this and actually make something of himself and prove having big aspirations wasn’t actually a bad thing.

He was only young when he took solace in music, living near Hongdae meant that he often got a lot of time to watch all the street performers. His first interaction was with a rapper, someone Siwon instantly took a shine to and was quick to become a fan of. Whenever he heard the rapper was performing, Siwon was bolt to make sure he got there in time, plonk himself right at the front of the crowd and stay there till the very end of the performance.

When he was only nine years old, Siwon started to rap himself. It was messy, he didn’t take any lessons and was only copying what he had seen others do. It never occurred to him that maybe he might be better off as a vocalist until his music teacher pulled him to the side after one lesson and complimented his voice, inviting him along to the next choir meeting.

And so he went, quickly finding that his vocal range was much more suited to singing than it was for rapping. While he still loved watching and listening to rappers, the boy started to pay more attentions to the singers he came across around Hongdae, taking the time to stand and watch them instead, taking notes from what he saw and from what he asked the buskers themselves if he could get the chance. He even started watching idols, pouring over old performances he managed to get his young hands on.

But when he was twelve he started getting bullied at school, pushed around and laughed at behind his back. So Siwon started fighting back. At first it was all just verbal, with whatever insults he could think of, but then he started using his fists. It got him into trouble on more than one occasion and he was almost kicked out of school for starting fights. He became arrogant, each fight only seeming to fuel the fire under him as he started acting out more towards his teachers and caring less and less for what he said and who he said it to. He even started hanging with the wrong types of people, lingering behind the school building after lessons and smack talking and yelling insults and people walking past just for kicks.

His attitude problem only seemed to get worse as he grew older, so maybe the casting agent coming into his life when she did was a blessing in disguse. Singing was more of a hobby for him than anything at the time, but he ended up getting scouted on his way home from school when he was fourteen and he started to maybe think he could make something from this. And the rest, they say, is history. A couple of auditions later, and after managing to convince his parents this was a good thing, he managed to get himself a contract under 99 Entertainment.

With the help of his new vocal lessons, Siwon managed to get himself into Hanlim Arts, unfortunately, not SOPA like he had wanted. But it was better than nothing. And he only grew in the environment. His attitude problem was not going to stand any more and while it was hard to break old habits, he worked hard, giving everything he had to the company in the hopes that his efforts would bare some fruit. He even expanded more, starting to take an interest in writing his own lyrics and putting his won songs together, big ideas in his head about what he could do with his pen and paper.

Eventually, everything did finally work out for him. At only months past being eighteen, Siwon debuted as a member of Poizn and he could never imagine how long the road ahead of him was going to be.

With all this new attention on him and new environments, at first he struggled. His attitude started flaring up again from time to time, the slip of the tongue, the bored expression on his face during a recording without even realizing it. But he continued to work hard, singing was a love of his now and he wasn’t going to let it go without a fight. But he was thriving, enjoying everything challenge which was thrown their way, safe in the knowledge he had people to back him up now and he didn’t have to go at it alone like he used to with the bullies back in school.

Of course there were bumps in the road, his attitude problems causing some problematic posts from netizens as well as other scandals from his other members starting to pile up. But, they managed to do what he knew they would and worked through it as a team and as a group, Siwon only growing stronger because of it.

With a long career came the maturity. Siwon had mellowed out a lot, finding that it was far too much effort to be all stressed and fired up about everything all the time. He’s just more than happy to take everything in his stride, finding the time to unwind playing video games and making sure to take it slow and not let anyone rush him off his feet.

There was a small hiccup to this plan, however, when rumours started floating around that he was in a relationship with a member of Heaven in late 2017. It all stemmed from a picture which had been taken where Siwon was simply hugging the member in question, his head turned to speak into her ear over the noise. But fans took it too far, claiming he was going in to kiss her and they must be dating because of it. They had pictures of the two of them together from even earlier on, that they weren’t just friends as everyone had thought and they had been dating back then as well. The whole situation just blew up in a full blown scandal no matter what Siwon said about the situation himself. Even his post on the group’s fancafe explaining himself went mostly ignored by the fans, claiming he was quickly trying to cover everything up. So he took it further, posting on both twitter and Instagram, getting more annoyed and ruder with every explanation he had to post.

Eventually he was called into the management’s office. And it was an awfully long sit-down with the management team, Siwon having to explain himself, how the picture and the rumors he was dating anyone were false. Management decided to believe him, getting to work on quelling the rumors to the best of their ability and releasing an official statement. Though Siwon’s social media privileges were revoked for a couple of weeks as well because of the angry posts he had made on social media and he had to release an official apology as well for what had been said. While the rumors he was dating did die down, new rumours started to float around that he was almost kicked from Poizn because of the whole situation. But, due to his better judgement, Siwon decided not to respond to those rumours and let them lie.

The whole thing is still rather fresh in the memory and he’s just trying to move past the whole thing and forget it ever happened. Tomorrow is a new dawn and, hopefully, there wouldn’t be any more scandals on his plate anytime soon.

#id.bio #id.poizn #id.99 #id.league #id.han jaeup

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idolizenews · 6 years

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POIZN MAKES COMEBACK WITH ‘RUBBER BAND’

1. [ + 1,524 , - 132 ] Ah... I was expecting a lot after Love Scenario but isn’t this so boring in comparison? It’s not bad but... 2. [ + 1,278 , - 109 ] Honestly, hate POIZN all you want but you can’t deny their songs are seriously so good. I’m not even really a fan but I save so many of their songs~ 3. [ + 1,005 , - 78 ] The choreography is so cute and matches the song so well ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ When he shoots the rubber band in the beginning, it went straight to my heart ㅋㅋ Let’s hit daebak again POIZN!! Your cures will keep streaming!! 4. [ + 796 , - 53 ] Isn’t it kind of forgettable though? What happened to their more hype songs?? Does 99 think promoting all these sweeter songs will make us forget half of them are a bunch of thoughtless a**holes? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 5. [ + 463 , - 37 ] As expected, they just had to wait a little bit and most people already forgot their scandals ㅋㅋ They really are like a rubber band, they always manage to bounce back ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

#id.comeback #id.poizn #id.99

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idolizenews · 6 years

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But seriously... doesn’t he look so good in these photos? As expected of our fashion king Kang Dongwoo ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

I’m so freaking happy to see him doing more stuff like this again, he really suits it ㅠㅠㅠ And POIZN even had a comeback too, ah... is this what it’s like to have your favorites actually do stuff? I’m going crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Anyway, please support POIZN’s new song Rubber Band and KD’s collaboration with hupot!!! ♡♡

POST RESPONSE | [ + 310 ] [ - 17 ]

1. [ ㅇㅇ ] I agree OP, he picked the clothes so well, they really suit him ㅠㅠ He seriously has a good eye for fashion, I always look forward to his airport photos the most ㅋㅋ 2. [ KD비율 ] Ha.... wowow.... hul.... Yah Kang Dongwoo, take responsibility for my aching heart... I’m so proud of him and so happy to see him continue modeling like this ㅠㅠ This has been a rollercoaster year so far, but let’s keep fighting KD and POIZN!!! 3. [ ㅇㅇ ] Hm... isn’t this bad publicity for hupot though? ㅋㅋㅋ I’m surprised they chose him as a model?? I admit, he looks good but...??? Seriously, how did he get this deal?? Did his company pay for it? ㅋㅋ -- ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Are you crazy? As if 99 would ever buy anything like this for POIZN...

#id.pann #id.kang dongwoo #id.poizn

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idolizenews · 6 years

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99 ENT. STAFF MEMBER REPORTS KD FOR DRUG POSSESSION

1. [+ 4,382 , - 501 ] Ha... this is why 99 doesn’t promote POIZN, they get one hit on the charts and then.... Looks like I have to remove Body from my playlist now, bye-bye KD! 2. [+ 3,815 , - 349 ] Hey stupid fangirls stop trying to shield KDruggie, this is where all your money is going to ㅋㅋ drugs and dates with the likes of Sooyeon, I bet they did it together ㅋㅋㅋㅋ -- Why do people keep dragging her name into everything he does again? Leave her alone, she has nothing to do with this druggie anymore 3. [+ 3,004 , - 206 ] Everyone’s always so quick to jump to conclusions in the comments, did you even read the article? The police didn’t find any evidence you idiots and the staff member was fired. The journalist should be fired too for this misleading title, f*ck 4. [+ 2,219 , - 196 ] Yah, Invincible Youth PD-nim, are you reading this? Kick this trash off the show~ ^^ He’s tainting the other members already and I don’t want to watch him pretend to be all innocent with the poor grandmas 5. [+ 1,024 , - 108 ] ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ What’s surprising is that some people are actually surprised

#id.scandal #id.kang dongwoo #id.poizn #id.99

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idolizerp · 6 years

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[ LOADING INFORMATION ON POIZN’S MAIN DANCE STEELE…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 28 DEBUT AGE: 20 SKILL POINTS: 15 PERFORMANCE | 05 VOCAL | 15 DANCE | 05 RAP SECONDARY SKILLS: B-boying

INTERVIEW

SHITSTARTER.

only in not in such strong terms –– it’s no secret that steele believes actions to speak louder than words. sometimes it’s as if his main mode of communication is dance. but aside from that, aside from his lifeblood and everything that’s made him who he is today, it’s glances from the background. freakishly tall ( 6’ 5” towers over heads everywhere in asia ), you’ll often find steele standing in the back. to occupy his time ( and to earn that blessed attention ), he makes faces at the camera, rolling his eyes at certain things and giving incredulous ‘ are you kidding me ? ’ expressions at unsympathetic lenses. this wordless candor is what builds him up in the early days.

steele is no - nonsense, but he can have a dry sense of humor. often times you’ll see him lifting his brows at a group member, engaging in a slight chuckle. other times he’ll poke and prod within his group and spark play - fights between members with just a look, his face holding a treasure trove of inside jokes.

so, he is wordless. but even when very little noise leaves his mouth ( and people never seem to get enough of the rich depths of his voice ), steele has a lot to say. or, at least, that’s how it was in the beginning.

over time ( after a single scandal ), though, his snarkiness becomes a detraction. critical and scathing glances are amplified. every single movement is read too far into. why did he cross his arms at that specific time ? is there some beef between them ? did he yell at that person for getting into his light too ? really, he blows up at ONE PERSON and the whole world seems to think he’s a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

the truth is, that’s the old steele. he’s almost thirty; he understands that screaming at people isn’t productive or acceptable. and he also doesn’t believe letting such anger and resentment fester within him is worth his time. the way his face sits coolly unmoving now says as much. no longer is he the funny background guy. steele is the handsome man with the big brows who doesn’t say much. who scowls, but that’s only because that’s how his face is built. forgiveness is a slow and long time coming, but 99 is convinced that keeping his mouth shut and his expressions blank is the key to resetting it all.

“ don’t comment on anything, don’t even blink in someone’s direction because it’ll be taken the wrong way. ” they don’t yank on his chain, instead leaving rather forceful suggestions, but he lets the ‘ or else what ? ’ die on his lips nevertheless. steele / jieping / everything in between knows the answer : “ or else we’ll send you packing. ” they don’t need to squish him like a bug like midas would, because they know that they can just drop him instead of offering to renew his contract, leaving him flat on his ass. and isn’t that just the single worst thing in the known universe ?

so, nowadays, it’s less. ‘ oh my god, look at steele’s face ! ’ and more ‘ who’s that really hot guy with the chin in the back ? he’s so good - looking but he doesn’t say anything. ’

and steele preens at being called hot / sexy / et cetera, et cetera. so, all in all, it’s not so bad.

BIOGRAPHY

PART ONE: PHANTOM BLOOD

keep your head down. don’t start any trouble. we’re tight on money as it is. just finish school. get a good job. help mama out with the bills.

an easy five - step plan enacted on august 17, 1990, 9 : 36 am cst after a difficult birth and an extremely large baby boy. only a mother and father are in the waiting room, waiting to take their daughter and grandson home to guangzhou. the father is a potter, the mother a seamstress, and the daughter a secretary. the not - son - in - law is nowhere to be found, and he never reappears in their lives after the grandson’s birth.

three incomes are still just barely enough to keep the grandson ( jieping, “ hero of peace ” ) fed and clothed. so the boy starts to help out where he can, bouncing to an inaudible tune on his mother’s lap as he helps her sort through letters and take down messages for her boss with shocking accuracy for a boy of seven. this intelligence is never developed further, his free time spent more on menial chores than stimulation and socialization.

at the very least, they indulge his passion for dance, scrounging around enough to send him to classes for a few years from the ages of five to eight before they run out and he has to drop out. jieping never begrudges his family for that.

he never lets what few friends he has know that he does not, in fact, own seven pairs of the same pants –– but, in fact, two that he recycles over the week. it doesn’t even matter, anyway. once he’s done with step five, he’ll have all the pants he wants.

PART TWO: BATTLE TENDENCY

have nots like jieping tend to hold a lot of resentment. bitterness. once his mother manages to wrangle enough money to ship him off to a private school in beijing, he starts to see just how much he really does not have. rolexes on the upperclassmen, his peers deciding to go out for milk tea every other day while he sits in his lonely apartment counting his monthly allowance and stretching it as thin as it can possibly go. while the others get to avoid the oppressive smog either by being driven everywhere or from the safety of their own vehicles, jieping invests in masks and filters.

he walks everywhere, even through the seedier parts of town late as night as long as they get him to his destination quicker because he knows the only place he’d really be understood is the underground dance scene. there, he’s nameless, but his talent is admired. self - taught, crew - less, he spends more time than he expected giving vague non - answers when his identity is questioned. dancing is his priority ; he’s not the type to show up to an underground club hoping to get recruited, though the interest is, at least, flattering. jieping isn’t there to make a name for himself. he’s just there to move. and if he puts on a good performance, trapped in his own world as he is, that’s just negligible.

back at school, it doesn’t improve matters that he’s something of an unkempt lad, often yelled at by administrators to start tucking his shirt into his pants and to wear a normal belt or else insert - empty - threat - here. if people look at him long enough, they’ll start to see his father in his face. if they’re malicious enough, they might even use his existence to blackmail a high ranking official who has yet pay a hefty fine for secretly siring another child. but then they see the way jieping’s thick brows draw together and his fists clench and decide that it’s better to be on the good side of a young boy who’s too tall to be only thirteen.

he has no qualms with punching out fellow students, though this only happens three times in his entire career at beijing huijia private academy. the knuckles on his left hand catch on the cheekbones of rich kids that are too proud to admit that they’ve been beaten up by a dirty commoner. the so - called ‘ charity cases ’ start to look up to jieping. their accounts of his bravery and heroism are inconsequential when antis dredge up this part of his past.

see ? he was always aggressive. what a prick.

PART THREE: STARDUST CRUSADERS

“ it’s a vacation, ” he tells his mother. “ you’re supposed to relax. ” they stand in front of her estranged elder sister’s daunting apartment complex in gangnam. he’s fifteen, scrawny with long hair and an underbite, bruises all over his arms and legs from failed attempts at b - boying. he’s learning, getting better, but he just doesn’t have the upper arm strength to hold himself up very long before crashing down. his mother thinks he’s getting into fights again instead of hanging around with underground dance crews, and, frankly, that’s a little hurtful.

jieping’s never met his aunt before, the woman leaving six years before he was born. all he knows is that she’s something of a socialite ( ex - trophy wife ), and she’s friends with lots of powerful people. when he meets her, he notes with some distaste that she doesn’t seem very fond of his mother. but when he tells her he likes to dance, her eyes light up and he’s taken off - guard.

as if his mother is a nonentity, jieping’s aunt starts interrogating him, nodding as he drops some names from the chinese underground scene that he’s sure she doesn’t know, and after an hour of probing, she eyes him, and asks, “ you know, i think you’d thrive in sopa. ” she knows people, she can get him an interview and audition and is even willing to help him take care of the costs.

jieping blinks. “ what ? ” he barely speaks korean, his elective language being english. jieping’s only experience with korean was being his friend’s study buddy, whereupon he picked up a few basic sentences. to say nothing, of course, of the fact that he wasn’t even intending to pursue a career in dance. and that … he wasn’t expecting his mother to seem so enthralled by the idea. his aunt tells him that sopa’s not planning on accepting new students just yet, but if he’d like to enroll for the next school year, he should let her know by the end of the week. seeing as they’re staying in her loft, he’s probably going to be pestered until the day they leave.

he mentions it off - handedly to his mother as they’re preparing to go to bed that night and is taken aback when she tells him to consider it. “ how do you know she’s not lying to us ? ”

didn’t he know she used to be a dancer, leaving home because their parents thought her dreams were too frivolous ? that her career came to a screeching halt when her relationship with an idol was exposed and she was ( publicly ) cast to the wayside ? she probably sees some of herself in him.

( not like that’s troubling. no, not at all. )

“ if you really like dancing, baobei, ” his mother tells him, her hand cupping his cheek, “ if you really love it like you used to when you were young, then you should take her up on it. she’s even willing to pay for everything. ” oh, and it always comes down to money.

if he stays with his aunt, his mother won’t have to send him red envelopes anymore. she can use her meager paycheck on herself. purchase some new clothes, finally fix those clunky heels. maybe even break out the hotpot all for herself. jieping chooses to think of it this way rather than acknowledging the fact that it sounds like his mother’s just trying to get him out of her hair –– or, her wallet, as it were. he makes his decision that night. it’s the day before new year’s eve. a little early to be making resolutions like this, he thinks, but it doesn’t hurt.

living with his aunt isn’t as bad as it seems at first, culture shock –– which she helps with –– aside. he thought he’d profoundly dislike her, but it turns out the woman actually gives good advice. in addition to whipping his korean into ( amorphous ) shape, she teaches him actual technique so that he doesn’t end up hurting himself, and she even takes him out to eat with a bunch of her b - boy friends when his acceptance to sopa is finalized. it sparks the start of a very close kinship, expressed by wandering into her room in the middle of the night to ask what a certain word means in this one context or by massaging his calf after a long day of practice.

when jieping actually starts to get some real instruction, he skyrockets. one of the “ best damn dancers in this school ” according to the chair of the department of practical dance, most likely to succeed, his teachers all rave about his potential. the other students grumble about the fact that a non - native –– a boy from across the yellow sea –– is their superior. his area of focus is singular, they gripe. he’s not even interested in pursuing anything else. the only reason the faculty likes him so much is because he could’ve gone to hanlim, and all they expect him to do is dance, anyway. the man can hold a tune, but that’s not exactly difficult to do. so what if he’s actually pretty steady even when dancing ? his rapping is average, and that’s mostly because his grasp of the language isn’t as strong as it could be. a singular skillset and the vestiges of natural talent in other areas aren’t worth all that attention. a lump of clay could become a beautiful vase, but jieping’s never seemed interested in metaphorical pottery. maybe the praise will actually start to seem merited when his grades in everything other than dance stop being terrible.

jieping doesn’t care much when they relentlessly mock his accent, but it does drive him into fluency if only to stop that avenue of attack so he can have his peace and quiet. it’s a pity about his looks, the frequent chin jokes tossed his way, but braces have cleaned him up quite a bit and when he cut his hair ( enough that you could finally see his eyes ) he really wasn’t too bad looking. maybe that’s why he never really gets anywhere until after graduation. in the end, it turned out all the attention he received from the faculty was only meant to keep him from transferring schools when he figured he could get a better education elsewhere. they were waiting for him to seek out companies on his own and leech off of that ( “ we knew he had what it takes ! ” and other -isms thereof ), but when he kept to himself and instead looked into jobs in teaching dance, the favoritism all but vanished in his third year. from “ one of the best ” to “ a very good dancer. ” if only they’d told him how they really felt from the get - go.

“ have you thought about what you wanted to do ? ” his aunt asks him almost a year since he’s been out of school. he helps out at her studio in the meantime, his pockets still lined with her money. it makes sense that she, too, is trying to boot him out of her life –– or, she’s just trying to get him to reach maximum potential, if he wanted to be optimistic. which he didn’t. “ i think you’d do well in the idol circuit. you’re intense. it’s fun to watch you dance, and it’d be a waste to keep it to my studio or the underground when you could have this massive audience. you’ve got that flare about you, y’know ? ”

he thinks of her old boyfriend, the one who almost ruined her life, and makes a face.

“ oh, come on. don’t tell me you didn’t think of it ! you went to school with at least a couple of trainees, didn’t you ? and they didn’t pique your interest at all ? ”

if he shook his head, he’d by lying, but … he’s also something of a realist. him and idol life probably wouldn’t mix –– though not exactly a wild card, he’s got something of an independent streak. he only plays by the rules he likes, and that’s not the most desirable thing for companies looking to hit it big with their next boy group. even the phrase boy group makes him feel a little weird.

his aunt rolls her eyes. “ i know what you’re thinking. you’re too cool or whatever for it, they’ll spend every second of every day trying to control or contain you. i mean, that’d probably be true if you were in midas or msg. but 99’s pretty lax in comparison. koala.t is a maybe. kjh is too new to be reliable, in my opinion, but you could definitely go for the two other ones i mentioned. it’s just something to think about. i can probe around to see who’s currently casting, if you’d like. ” then, as an afterthought, she compliments his shower singing, ruffles his hair, and then flounces away.

jieping scowls at the kitchen counter, sighs, and then makes his choice. he might as well shoot for the stars, right ? even if he misses, he’ll land near the moon.

PART FOUR: DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE

99 gets him by chance, a coin that landed on heads leading to him attending two rounds of auditions and an interview.

being added into the company in april of 2010, in the midst of planning poizn out, doesn’t leave him a lot of room for bonding. so he doesn’t really do it. his skill as a dancer is acknowledged by the others, and he’s fine with that. his height intimidates a lot of them, and choreographers grouse about where they should put him in formations so that he doesn’t block people who are ear - height and below. his fairly average performance in rapping and singing is something of a shock, though it’s generally acknowledged among the teachers that he’s nowhere near good enough at either to be given a ‘ lead ’ anything. “ a little boring, ” the vocal teacher says. “ uninspired. but it could be something, if you tried. ” ‘ if ’ being the operative word.

all they know is that he’s a main dancer, through and through. impeccable technique, electrifying ( and just the perfect amount of terrifying ) stage presence. the name of his aunt’s studio sitting prettily at the top of his resumé definitely helps matters, as do his actual good looks once the stylists get their hands on him. he’s got the makings for poizn, they declare. he’s a little surprised. he’s not really friends with the other boys in the lineup, and he’s still something of a greenhorn in 99. to have them push him so far so soon is a little nerve - wracking, and no amount of arm pinching is waking him up from this dream.

what is he going to do when they offer him the spot ? say no ?

and so that’s that.

being an idol is an … acquired taste. he doesn’t expect everything about him to be so relentlessly marketed. his dry humor, which he’d been using to endear himself to his group mates, is suddenly now his shtick. his name ? steele ? some reference about how he’s a tough guy, unbendable, and flashy and shiny all at the same time. sturdy, holds the group’s performances together with his undeniable skill. it’s all coming up roses.

their reputation starts to take a few hits because of scandals before long ( what does 99 expect when looking for bad boys to fit the concept, anyway ? ), but jieping pays it no heed. he likes to think of himself as a good friend, offering support where the others need it, but he also manages to keep himself afloat by 1. ) staying out of trouble and 2. ) looking as if he doesn’t approve of his members’ choices in public. widened eyes as someone dodges a question about a past scandal and stretched lips that indicate a level of ‘ oh jeez ’ are enough to make him go viral for brief moments at a time. for a while, he’s the ‘ good ’ member ( if not the condescending foreigner ), even when cures realize he’s prone to somewhat malicious teasing. he does a good job of masking the slight resentment and weariness of being around constant fuck - ups.

but this good faith doesn’t last long.

2016. dumb and dumber. jacket shooting. he lets his temper get the best of him, becoming one of those rich idiots he hates the most.

( all because of a missed phone call. if he’d slept at an appropriate hour instead of practicing all night, he might’ve been able to catch his mother one last time. semi meets sedan. who’s going to win ?

the public never finds out about this. )

“ what do you think you’re doing ? ” it’s not so much of a roar as a boom. everyone freezes, even his group mates look up at the normally pleasant and quiet man with shock. “ you’re in my light, you idiot ! how is the photographer supposed to take pictures of me when i’m drenched in your shadow ? no, don’t walk that way. knowing you, you’ll just trip over the cable and take out the thing entirely. do you guys just fuckin’ hire anybody these days ? jesus christ. dumb and dumber. guess this song’s about you, huh, moron ? ”

shaky cell phone camera. shaken production assistant. jieping goes viral again. for all the wrong reasons, of course.

at least he realized he’s messed up. every comment that calls him out for his shitty treatment of this particular staff member is absolutely right. he shouldn’t have snapped like that. no matter how tired, no matter how stressed, no matter the deep grief paining his heart, nothing warranted taking it all out on someone who was just trying to do their job. it would have taken less than ten seconds to politely ask the p.a. to move. he might’ve received a smile and apology in return, rather than a young woman bursting into tears. he hates that there are cures that come to his defense. he wants to call them out, but after posting a handwritten apology on instagram, 99 strongly implies that they’d like him to keep mum, more consequences forthcoming.

this isn’t what he wanted. when he calls his aunt for advice, it’s the first time where she doesn’t know what to tell him. she’s disappointed in him, that much is clear in her voice, and he feels even shittier. “ i didn’t think you were that kind of person. ” he’s not, and he isn’t sure if she believes him. but she goes with him, hand in hand, to the funeral back in guangzhou, and it seems like all is forgiven, even if he never ended up explaining himself.

he’s only allowed to be there for two days and he’ll half to spend half of their promotion time benched. nobody recognizes him, mask covering his face, though there’s a slight murmur that maybe tall jieping grew up into this giant after all. he doesn’t make a fuss when he comes back, and 99 pretends that he never left. fans are none the wiser, though jieping’s sure the information is floating around somewhere now.

( his first reappearance on a music show is lukewarm. it doesn’t surprise him that the cheers are quieter than usual. )

poizn looks empty without their main dancer, someone says. if jieping had any amount of sense, he’d leave that empty space for brighter skies. maybe become a recluse like his aunt, teaching other young hopefuls to dance. she really did see a lot of herself in him, didn’t she ?

jieping’s mother didn’t raise a quitter, though, so that kills the thought immediately. it comes to a halt with a crunch of glass and steel.

PART FIVE: GOLDEN WIND

even though it’s two years in the past, 99 still reminds jieping to keep on his toes whenever interacting with anybody. his resting bitch face did him no favors as soon as his snark became an unfavorable mark upon him. he has to be neutral or friendly. no in between. if he can manage to work his way up to happy without looking terrifying, then that’s even better. but any ounce of negative emotion will be read for filth, so it’s in his best interest to stay away from anything pointing downward.

forgiveness comes slowly, given a slight boost when it comes out ( against jieping’s will ) that he personally apologized to the p.a. in question and even took her out to a dinner that went around six figures –– all out of his own pocket. but that’s not enough, because they’re all just waiting for him to scream at someone else.

he’s only two years away from turning thirty, so he figures he should start to act like it. and he does, stopping to think about things from an ‘ adult ’ and ‘ responsible ’ perspective as opposed to ‘ well, i’m doing just fine all on my own. ’ he sacrifices his isolationist tendencies for kindness and encouragement, wanting to show his juniors and the public alike that he’s grown up and decided to show that he really is a good person, just caught at the wrong time.

he tries to pick up where his aunt left off with her vague but pleasant advice, aiming for a wise - beyond - his - years vibe. and if all else fails, then he could at least be the calm respectful one sitting in the back. adult, jieping reminds himself. with a capital a. songs like love scenario and rubber band hinder this a little bit, at least on stage, but he finds that perseverance is the key to everything. so he’ll just keep working at it until he finds himself where he wants to be.

he doesn’t need to hole himself up in a fancy apartment in seoul, waiting for a cousin’s kid to show up and tell him that they enjoy b - boying. he doesn’t have to be a repeat of his aunt. he can claw his way back to the not - top.

it’s not like a guy who stands at 6’ 5” can afford to be scared of heights, after all.

#id.bio #id.poizn #id.99 #id.kris wu

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