#like this is the group who brought me into kpop in like 2009 . like…….

[xumoonhao]

watching ukiss’s video on killing voice rn 🥹🥹🥹

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Repost: Ask on a 'Honeymoon Period' with BTS

Anonymous: Hi BPP, I saw a conversation that made me curious to ask you a similar thing: did you ever think BTS was perfect or did you ever have a honeymoon phase with the group? You're a bit of an older fan so I wonder if you went through a period where you became disillusioned. Some things I'm reading about HYBE like how they bully women and that BTS are involved are concerning to me. I read about the scandals for Lucas and saw some of his fans saying BTS members are worse than Lucas and that they always mess around with women and have bad relationships with them. When I asked for proof they say I'm naïve. I know BTS isn't perfect but it just bothers me how fans of other groups use them to deflect from their own scandals? More than anything that's what prompted my own disillusionment with BTS and kpop. The whole industry is so incredibly toxic it's hard to enjoy anything here now. Even BTS. Why is there always so much drama? Isn't the point to focus on the music?

**

Hi Anon,

I think like everything else, it depends on your initial expectations. Many of BTS’s latest fans (fans who joined in the Dynamite/Butter era) are k-pop noobs. Basically, these are people whose first real exposure to k-pop was BTS. They see the high quality production videos, their cool performances, etc, and expect perfection. After all, these guys are called “idols”. Then they get into k-pop, see things they don’t like, then may or may not begin listening to other k-pop groups, get caught up in all the nonsensical narratives, and then begin ‘discourse’ of their own. But lol, because it’s k-pop, they’re hooked and can’t really let go, so they stick around not really for the music, but for the personalities and concepts which they’ll check in to give their commentary on with every new comeback. This is literally how it always goes lmao.

I’ve seen it happen with new fans of a few other k-pop groups. This particular cycle for BTS I first noticed when Blood, Sweat &Tears blew up but that was mostly with Latam fans, not even Americans. I saw it happen with Western fans for DNA era, saw it happen with Boy With Luv, now it’s happening with Dynamite.

I’ve been in the k-pop community since 2009, and didn’t become a fan of BTS till 2018. I’d seen all manner of scandals or bad behavior from both fans and idols, even before BTS debuted. My initial expectations of BTS were definitely not perfection and I’ve never been under the illusion BTS are perfect people. As I noted here where I described how I became a fan of BTS, I was watching from the sidelines for years, saw firsthand their most 'problematic’ years which was naturally around the time of their debut and all the missteps that comes with that. But I also saw what was happening in the rest of k-pop which in my opinion was so much worse.

When you have no idea what k-pop is like and are ignorant of its history, it’s easy to think you’ve noticed or discovered something new but every single thing related to BTS and k-pop happens within context that is lost on you if you’re focused solely on BTS. When Jimin and Jungkook’s scandals blew up in the Fall of 2019 (Jimin for playing finger games with women in a pub, and Jungkook for backhugging a woman), some new fans (Boy with Luv era) were 'disappointed’ that jikook were 'mistreating’ women. This was the dominant narrative by k-pop stans which makes no sense at all but you need to remember what else happened in 2019. In the Spring of 2019 we had the Burning Sun scandal that brought down the big kahunas in the k-pop industry including several prominent figures from the Big 3 as well as politicians and other celebrities. And not just for petty crimes, but really fucked up diabolical shit like prostitution and sex trafficking, statutory rape, filming women in vulnerable positions without their consent, prevalent drug use, etc. When BigBang was not just implicated but shown to have one of the members be a director for that club, all hell broke loose. It was like a frenzy. People were looking for any connections BTS members would have to it. Nothing came up. So, by the time those innocuous clips and pics of Jikook dropped in the Fall of that year, it felt like long-awaited confirmation for some that BTS were 'just as bad’. None of this surprised me lol. So anon, people saying Lucas is just like BTS members or vice versa is a very typical thing for a k-pop stan to say. I keep referring to how competitive k-pop is because that competition informs almost every aspect of fan behavior, and the more you look outside of BTS and ARMY, the more you’ll see it.

This isn’t to say BTS members are innocent or saints. We know they’re not cause nobody is, but it’s just as silly to ignore the environment these idols are in where flimsy things are primed to be blown up beyond reason depending on who the target is. K-pop is such that if there’s a scandal, it will eventually come out before long. There’s more money to be made in a scandal revealed than it getting it covered up and that is literally how it works. People say how BigHit is paying off Dispatch but BH is not the only agency with contracts with Dispatch, obviously, and yet. I watched from the sidelines for years as k-pop stans tried to make scandals for these guys while actual misconduct was happening in the open with their own idols that was being tried in courts and in formal arenas, not on Reddit. It’s just what it is.

I’ve lost count of the new fans raging at HYBE for this or that based on rumor or speculation completely unaware that SM or YG are actually under formal investigation for worse. You see new fans who take one look at HYBE’s financial statements to reach this or that conclusion, but have zero idea what the financial statements of other agencies look like which if seen, will completely undercut their conclusions.

It’s important to note all this also informs fandom behavior.

Most people fawning over BTS using hyperbolic language “he’s so hot I want to kill myself”, and the latest I saw from JK’s solo stans “young genius polymath” sometimes believe their own hype. But for a lot of people it’s because they’ve seen the same irrational language used for their idols but of the opposite sentiment. That is why there is so much drama - it’s a rally of hyperbolic statements and beliefs from opposite sides.

K-pop communities can be a very noisy and toxic place to be because, as you allude to anon, I promise you most people here are definitely not here for the music. Maybe that’s what ropes them in at first, but they stay for concepts, 'discourse’, and fanfics (not knocking on anyone that’s just the reality I’ve observed). And it’s immediately clear who isn’t, based on what they fixate on. 90% of what counts for discourse here is blather, quite frankly. And it doesn’t even matter because everyone will tune in again the minute BTS releases their new album. They’ll come here to write about this or that concept, music video or performance, they’ll remain plugged in, because this is k-pop and they’re hooked. Just look at all the k-pop stans once again waiting for a comeback from BigBang lmao.

This all might not be for you. In my case, I’m able to tune out the bullshit and I’ve made some really cool and meaningful friendships with like-minded people who more than anything, appreciate the musical output of the genre. I hope you're able to find your own crowd soon too.

Originally posted: March 25th, 2022 11:52am

[gm--requests]

What was/has been your kpop journey?? What was the first grouo you followed/song you listened to and loved? When was it? When did you find your ult group(s)? I'm always curious how people got into kpop 🥰

omg omg i love this questions and you!! you are literally too good to me always, thank you for always interacting with me bby~

so my kpop journey started in 2009! i was 9 years old and watching boys over flowers (the greatest kdrama of all time lmao) and i heard this little diddy called Stand By Me by a wonderful group called SHINee. that is where it all began. at the time i literally thought SHINee was only Jonghyun, I also thought that he made all of the songs in the show so all the other OSTs (some of which were by ukiss and others) i thought was just Jjong... i really had 0 concept of what kpop was, i just thought the music sounded phenomenal and i was always humming it and singing it. 

insert 2011 when exo debuted. i was in love with kyungsoo the second i laid eyes on him. i followed exo as a whole really loosely, but i was infatuated with D.O. this is when the spiraling began, i went from exo to bigbang and i was convinced by the age of 13 that i was going to marry Taeyang, that is ofc until bts debuted in 2013 and i saw Namjoon. in all of this time i learned that SHINee was 5HINee and Minho for maybe a year became my bias, Jinki bias wrecker, i learned what a bias wrecker was lmao, fell in love with Hyuna in the bubble pop MV, watched team B become iKON on the survival show WIN: Who Is Next, played G-Dragon’s Crayon MV for my entire class in like 4th grade on our smart board, fought for mint namjoon supremacy, got death threats from ARMY on twitter for the first time, etc etc. sprinkled between SuJu and 2pm and 24K and ToppDogg, the list never ends. i even twirled baton to Monster by EXO. 

i loosely like girl groups, definitely more now than I used to, but my favs are Orange Caramel, AOA, SISTAR, and EXID, so you can kinda grasp how old my taste is lmaoooo. nowadays i like twice, dreamcatcher, purplekiss, weeekly, fromis_9, and purplebeck (i also enjoy some problematic people’s music, but we won’t talk about that....) 

my ult groups have kind of fallen in to place over time. SHINee happened first so ofc they’re my ult group, they started it all for me and brought/bring me so so much happiness. from there Day6 came along whom i found mid 2016, and absolutely fell in love with. Day6 is synonymous with comfort for me. they saved me in my worst times and i don’t know what i’d do without their music. my third ult group has actually changed as it gone from exo to bts to nct, to finally, DKB! they bring me so so so much happiness and taking the time to get to know them was the best decision i’ve made in a while! 

nowadays i stan/like over 100 groups and i’m very poor because of it haha sjfalkdhflakdsjf 

my bias ults are Jjong, Sungjin, Mark Lee, Junseo, half of Seventeen S.Coups, 

*** please note that mOrk is only 3rd ult because Jjong and Sungjin have quite literally saved my life

[blossom-hwa]

you broke my heart with the shinee ask 😔 hahahaha it was them who brought me to kpop around 2009. What about girls generation?

ahhHHHHH I'M SO SORRY ANON just please know key is a role model I look up to and fear with my life ksjdngskhj!! I know snsd a bit more so let's see what happens here

send me a kpop group and I'll let you know if I stan!

do i already stan them?

yes | only for the music | attempting to | no

first time i heard of them: the friend who made me listen to growl was a huge fan of snsd, she recommended me a few songs so I listened! this was also probably in 2015 I think

when i became a fan: 2015? idk if I'm really a fan, I just happen to like some of their songs

favorite (and least favorite) title track: of the ones I've listened to, I really liked into the new world the most! I remember not liking lion heart (it released around when I was introduced to them I think) even though my friend loved it, so I'll go with that for least fave

favorite (and least favorite) b-side: I liked run devil run (is that a title track?? cannot remember) so I'll put that as my favorite, I remember not enjoying mr.mr. so I'll put that as least favorite

favorite (and least favorite) mv: oh my god these favorite questions are driving me nuts I haven't seen enough of them to judge hhh I think my favorite of the ones I've seen is into the new world? least favorite.... I couldn't tell you I've only watched a few and I vibed with them all

favorite (and least favorite) album: I have no answer for this, favorite would be whatever into the new world was on and least favorite is just. none. I don't have enough info to form an opinion skjdnsdjhg I'm sO SORRY

[obsessedwithbbandsuju]

Son Taeyeon Masterlist

*This is my default information on Taeyeon; however, most of it can change based on the scenario (AUs)

*Faceclaim is Kim Taeyeon of SNSD (quite obviously for anyone who’s into kpop)

*All of the ages in this timeline are in South-Korean reckoning, which generally means the people are two years older than they would be in western reckoning if the day of their birthday has not passed for the current year, and one year older than they would be in western reckoning of the day of their birthday has passed for that current year

*Last Updated: 7/19/20

Stage Name: Taeyeon (태연)

Birth Name: Son Taeyeon (손태연)

English Name: Aleah

Group: Pandora // Solo

Other Members: Park Soojin, Han Yuna, Lee Sunbin, Park Minhee

Subunit(s): Arcana (with G-Dragon), Vanitas (with Soojin)

Position: Leader, Main Rapper, Main Dancer, Center/Face of the Group, Vocalist

Agency: YG Entertainment

Birthdate: August 26th, 1993

Debut Date: October 17th, 2006

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Height: 157 cm (5’3″)

Weight: 43 kg (94 lbs)

Blood Type: A

Nationality: South Korean

Father: Son Chiwon (deceased)

Mother: Lee Jiyu (deceased)

Brother: Son Taeyong [younger by one year]

Facts

Taeyeon was born in Seoul, South Korea and lived there until age 5, when her mother passed away from cardiac arrest, moving away to America (more specifically, Los Angeles) with her father, who was a neurologist, and her younger brother

During the time she was in Korea, she was childhood friends with G-Dragon of Bigbang, but they lost contact after she moved

Taeyeon wanted to be a criminal profiler during her childhood

Since she was young, her father instilled in her the idea of always doing her very best at everything, to the point of surpassing her limits

When she was ten, her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and she began to worry about how she would care for herself and Taeyong if he died

With that worry in mind, Taeyeon in 2004 participated in a singing competition in which YG Entertainment executives were attending; winning first place, she was scouted by them and auditioned

She auditioned by singing Uhm Jung Hwa’s Rose of Betrayal, rapping to H.O.T.’s Warrior’s Descendant, and dancing to BoA’s Amazing Kiss, and passed

When she gave the news to her father, he disapproved and told her he was going nowhere so she’d have to stay, but Taeyeon responded that she would go on her own

In late 2004, Taeyeon moved to South Korea and lived in the dormitory that YG provided

She requested that half of the funding she received from YGE as a trainee went to her family in America as to make money for Taeyong and her father until her debut

She met Soojin in 2004, when they were both twelve years old (in South Korean age) and became friends with her; upon joining YGE, she found out that Soojin was under the company as well

Taeyeon and Soojin spent their trainee days together

As a trainee, Taeyeon reunited with GD and also met Taeyang, T.O.P, Daesung, and Seungri

She rekindled her friendship with GD soon after entering YGE and also became close with the other Bigbang members

She met Yuna, Sunbin, and Minhee in early 2006

Three months before her debut, her father passed away from his pancreatic cancer

After their father’s death, Taeyeon brought Taeyong to Korea, where he unexpectedly joined YG Entertainment as an actor trainee

Taeyeon lived in the dorms with her fellow members during her teenage years 

Taeyeon is a fan of BoA, Sechskies and Super Junior; she’s also a giant fan of actress Kim Seohyung 

Taeyeon is considered one of the youngest idols to ever debut since she was fourteen (in terms of South Korean age) when Pandora debuted

Taeyeon and Taeyong have a very close relationship due to their father being emotionally distant during their childhood; Taeyong once said that she was both an older sister and a mother figure to him

According to Taeyong, during their teen years, Taeyeon would walk him to school, make sure he ate and slept properly, and help him with his studies, no matter how busy she got; when they were younger she also told off his classmates for picking on him

Because she looked after Taeyong since a young age, Taeyeon is very used to taking care of others and is noted to be mature; Pandora’s other members agree that she is the “parent” of the group, GD stated that she’s great at taking care of others, and Heechul once remarked that despite being much younger than the SuJu members, when they meet she acts like an older sister sometimes

It was because she had to take care of Taeyong that Taeyeon was so determined to become an idol at such a young age; otherwise, she didn’t know how she could look after him, and their father’s death made her even more resolved to be successful

She had her first relationship was when she was sixteen, with a girl the same age as her named Yeon Hyunjung, who eventually broke up with her after about a year

(i) She featured in Bigbang’s Let’s Not Fall In Love MV as GD’s love interest; many people commented that their acting and chemistry were extremely natural, to the point where the dating rumors that had died down started again

(ii) She composed, wrote, and produced the title song for Super Junior’s Mamacita album, Mamacita, as well as the side tracks of the album: Hit Me Up, Islands, and Evanesce

Taeyeon was honored and flattered to compose for and worth with a senior group

(iii) She featured as the “devil” in Super Junior’s Devil MV; according to her, it was funny because by the time of the music video, she was friends with Leeteuk, Heechul, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun, but not particularly close with the other members, which made things somewhat awkward during the more touchy scenes

She was a member of the 2017-2018 reality TV show Borrow Trouble Season 2 and the 2018 reality TV show Why Not The Dancer

Taeyeon has worked as a director for Pandora’s concerts since 2015

In addition to being an idol, Taeyeon has starred in a few dramas and movies; (iv) her most well-known roles are Yeon Min-jung in the 2014 MBC drama Jang Bori Is Here, Lee Nayeon/Baek Dohui in the 2016 KBS drama The Promise, Min Chaerin in the 2018 MBC drama Hide and Seek, Yeo Dakyung in the 2020 JTBC drama The World of the Married, and Izumi Hideko in the 2016 film The Handmaiden

Taeyeon works as an emcee occasionally, although she doesn’t often take part in big or long-running shows 

She owns a clothing brand called D’apchier, which began as an online store to sell designs that she produces for fun, but it boomed in Korea, Japan, and China and developed it into a full brand

Taeyeon also owns a sushi restaurant on Jeju Island

She is a Chanel brand ambassador

Taeyeon is very comfortable sleeping in the same room or even on the same bed as close male friends because she always slept in the same bed as Taeyong to comfort him since they were young

The other members of Pandora are like sisters to her, because she’s known and worked with them for so long

Taeyeon says that if she could date any of her members, she would date Soojin; the other members also joke that the two of them are in love, which Taeyeon and Soojin like to playfully affirm by saying, “We’re desperate for each other.” 

The Bigbang members are like brothers to her

She sometimes jokingly calls T.O.P. and Taeyang “hyung”

Out of Bigbang, Taeyeon thinks Taeyang would be the best husband

Taeyeon and GD half-jokingly refer to the other as "my soulmate”

They call each other this and are partially serious about it because they consider each other to be the person who understands them best thanks to their many similarities

She is friends with all of Super Junior from working with them with the exception of Hangeng, Zhoumi, and Henry, but she’s especially close to Heechul, Leeteuk, Yesung, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun

She became friends with Heechul in 2009 when they emceed together during Inkigayo; Leeteuk, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun in 2014 when she worked with them for SJ’s MAMACITA album; Yesung in 2015 during her feature as the “devil” in SJ’s Devil MV

Because of how close they are, Heechul likes to jokingly ask her to marry him to which she jokingly responds that she’ll think about it

The two also like to link arms while walking and call each other “honey”, “my man”/”my woman”

Heechul has a signature nickname for Taeyeon – “devil” – because of how crafty she is, according to him, and Taeyeon has a signature nickname for Heechul – “nutcase” – for obvious reasons, she says

She is friends with Jessica Ho, better known as Jessi, a solo artist

Taeyeon is close with both 2NE1 and Blackpink, especially CL from the former and Rosé from the latter

Taeyeon is friendly with Sunny, Hyoyeon, and Sooyoung of SNSD, and former member Jessica; her shared name with SNSD’s Taeyeon is running joke

She’s also acquainted with all of SHINee’s members and friends with Key and Taemin

Taeyeon has been friends with Song Mino of Winner - also the same age as her - since he joined YGE, because both of them enjoy rap so much

She is also friends with the comedian Yoo Jaesuk

Taeyeon is rather friendly with Rihanna and Beyoncé, both of whom she met while working internationally

Taeyeon loves to write and compose songs, a shared passion that helped in re-establishing her friendship with GD

Taeyeon writes and composes her group’s tracks, sometimes with the other members’ help, and writes and composes all her solo discography; she also writes, composes, and produces other groups’ discography

She had a hand in the lyrics and production of 2NE1′s hit song I Am The Best

According to the other members of Pandora, Taeyeon guides the group, is the strictest one out of them all, has high expectations for her members and those that she works with, and is very meticulous; she also prefers to keep a distinct line between work and personal matters

This is why Taeyeon makes sure to clarify that she and the other members gathered together to work, although they love each other after so long together – therefore, internal or personal disagreements have no place interfering with or threatening their continued existence as a group

What complements and softens her strictness and natural exigence, however, the members and others around her say, is that she’s “warm-hearted” and takes good care of everyone that she works with; also, the results of her attention to detail are almost always very good, making the payoff worthwhile

Taeyeon is an excellent cook

She's an excellent driver and can adjust quickly to driving unfamiliar cars, as seen when she appeared on Running Man

In college, Taeyeon double-majored in neuroscience and anthropology

She and Soojin attended the same college

Taeyeon has a wide range of interests, but she admits that sometimes it’s not a good trait, since it often prevents her from focusing properly on any one topic 

By nature she loves to learn, even if what she knows never has any practical application, so she often tries random things for fun; it often annoyed her members when they lived together in their dorm

The other members of Pandora are at a consensus that the most apt way to describe Taeyeon is a ‘renaissance man’ (much to her chagrin)

Her most treasured possession is her wide collection of books

Some of Taeyeon’s favorite books are We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, No Longer Human by Dazai Osamu, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Demian by Hermann Hesse, Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemison, Circe by Madeline Miller, The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell, The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, Fox Girl by Nora Okja Keller, and Paradise Lost by Milton

She also loves the webnovels Èr Hā Hé Tā De Bái Māo Shī Zūn by Meatbun Doesn’t Eat Meat and Tian Guan Ci Fu by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Taeyeon enjoys learning about mythology, particularly Greek and Norse mythology

Taeyeon has an IQ of 189, and consistently maintained the number one spot in her class during her time in university

Out of all the members of Pandora, Taeyeon is the worst at taking photos

She’s also the worst at doing makeup since she rarely wears it outside of work

A complete homebody, when Taeyeon isn’t at work, she’s usually in her house, either working or, according to Soojin, “learning about random new things that will never be relevant to her life”

She and Soojin both agree that extreme sports seem fun and love trying them when the opportunity comes on variety shows

She has played the piano, violin, and guitar since childhood, but has also picked up the cello and flute

Her favorite variety shows are Running Man, Radio Star, Knowing Bros, SNL Korea, and Super TV/Super TV2

She learns choreography the fastest of the Pandora members – about a few hours if she works nonstop

Taeyeon is introverted and has a “naturally calm” personality (according to Heechul); she’s more playful with people she trusts and is close to

The people close to her attest that she has excellent self-control and rarely ever loses her cool, to the point where it’s sometimes almost freaky, and that when she’s angry, she speaks calmly; in Yuna’s opinion, that makes it scarier

When a disagreement occurs, Taeyeon’s method of resolving is almost always to sit with the opponent and talk it out; because of this, she’s Pandora’s go-to problem solver

Taeyeon is agnostic

She believes in aliens because she thinks it’s unlikely that Earth is the only planet in the universe able to sustain life; she thinks ghosts might be real, but if they are, not all of them are malicious or looking to frighten people

She learned Muay Thai since a young age at her father’s strict commands, since he wanted her to be able to defend herself; that learning came in handy when, in 2010, a man tried to kidnap Sunbin and Taeyeon managed to delay him long enough for the bodyguards to restrain him

Her MBTI type is INTJ

Minhee once commented that it’s frustrating to get in an argument with her because of how relentlessly logical she is

She’s very openminded when it comes to differences of opinion, as long as those differences can be well-supported rationally

Taeyeon is bisexual and an LGBTQ+ supporter 

Taeyeon is known for being witty and having quick reactions during verbal banter, resulting in her popularity in variety shows; on top of this, she’s not afraid to make the hosts a victim of her wit, either

Heechul, GD, Soojin, and Minhee all attest that she’s also as witty off-screen

When she goes on variety shows with other Pandora members, she usually becomes less talkative because she likes watching what they do on screen, but she steps in when she feels like it could help her members

She doesn’t follow a strict diet due to her fast metabolism, but opts to avoid certain foods and exercise often for health reasons; because of this, she’s a fast runner and is also good at sit-ups

She’s the most flexible member of Pandora

Taeyeon has great lower-body strength, lifting Kim Gura on her back and walking for a few seconds in Radio Star, and lifting Eunhyuk on her back and walking for a few seconds in Strong Heart

Taeyeon is ambidextrous, but slightly favors her left hand

Her favorite food is jjampong, but soondae and kimchi japchae also come close

She can hold her alcohol well, but she doesn’t drink often because it’s bad for her health

She’s a night person and in fact states that she feels more alert when the sun is down

Her favorite animal is the leopard; she’s just been fascinated with them since childhood

As seen on variety shows, Taeyeon has an extremely competitive side because she genuinely enjoys challenges

She’s very good at holding in her laughter

Leeteuk compares her sense of humor to that of Ryeowook or Kyuhyun of Super Junior – teasing and sharp

She’s very firm when she’s talking about serious matters, which is why she’s Pandora’s main representative for negotiations with the company – leading to her nickname “Manager Taeyeon”

Taeyeon is generally a very straightforward person with regards to most things; for example, she’s not the type to hide it if she’s interested in someone else unless there are specific circumstances holding her back, despite the fact that she’s good at hiding her feelings

Sometimes, though, Taeyeon likes to make her feelings obvious as a way of flirting

She treats romantic relationships seriously and tends to meet the same person for a long time, but ironically, she’s good at casually flirting

According to Soojin, Taeyeon is the type to retain her independence and life even in the midst of a relationship, and not someone who obsesses over her partner

She can, however, be very protective of the people that she cares about, and holds intense grudges against anyone who hurts them

She’s prone to keeping her problems to herself, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings between her and people who are close to her

Taeyeon since childhood has always been rather pessimistic and often imagines the worst-case scenario; as a result, she worried quite a lot, and can sometimes be draining to be around

Taeyeon suffers from depression, but no one would guess unless they knew her well because she makes sure to stay lively and witty unless she’s with people she’s really close to 

Taeyeon is and has been a perfectionist since childhood; she is known as a “complete workaholic”, since the majority of her time is spent working in any way that she can (writing lyrics, composing music, designing, etc.)

Her perfectionist nature was only exacerbated by both her father and aunt, who had very high expectations of everything she did

The people close to her attest that she works on one thing or another when any spare time presents itself – in the car, in the waiting room, during hair and makeup preparations, etc.

Because she is such a perfectionist, Taeyeon is somewhat of a control freak; it makes her intensely uncomfortable to lose control of things relevant in her life

This is part of the reason why she insists on participating in every aspect of Pandora’s or her solo discography, including writing, composing, producing, choreography, and directing; it’s still mainly because she has a passion for expressing herself through music, but she also feels anxious if she doesn’t touch on everything

Taeyeon isn’t one to be bothered by hate and likes to read anti comments to get ideas from them, saying that many she comes across are actually very witty

Taeyeon remembers a bit about her mother and thinks about her often; she wonders how her mother would feel to see where she is now, how her mother would feel about her still complicated feelings about her father, and how her life might have changed if her mother had lived

She thinks that her love for reading and writing came from her mother, who read to her every day when she was young

Publically, Taeyeon vaguely admitted that she “felt awkward” around her father up until his death; in truth, though, part of her resented and still resents him for never being there for either her or Taeyong

However, her father still occupies her thoughts, and the unresolved state of their relationship makes it even harder for her to forget him; (v) Her songs Fine and Time Lapse, which she wrote and had a hand in composing and producing, was largely based on her feelings toward him

In Taeyeon’s opinion, she inherited a lot of her father’s traits, namely his workaholic tendencies, perfectionist attitude, love for learning, and his pessimism and tendency to distance himself emotionally

Taeyeon is noted for having a wide variety of concepts when it comes to the songs she writes, composes, and performs; while YG is mainly known for its hip-hop and Taeyeon has gone that route several times, too, she also tends to experiment

Because of this tendency to be experimental, Taeyeon and the rest of Pandora have been noted for being “concept chameleons” by some

When asked if all the songs are from personal experience, Taeyeon replied: “No, not exactly. Some of them are, but others... I like to make up stories and characters in my head and experience things vicariously through those characters that I can’t experience in reality. Some of my compositions’ lyrics come from that, too. It’s kind of odd, but in the end I see it as another form of expression.”

Because of her interest in linguistics, Taeyeon enjoys learning new languages

Taeyeon can speak English (from growing up in America), Korean (from her time in Korea and taught to her extensively by her father), Mandarin (learned during work abroad), Japanese (learned during work abroad), and Spanish (learned in school and during work abroad) fluently; she’s good at Thai and French, and knows some German, Italian, Filipino, and Russian

Taeyeon firmly believes that men and women can be friends, since many of her good friends are male

She's had a lot of dating rumors because she has numerous male friends, although people have accepted now that many of them are just that - friends

When Arcana first debuted, there was an explosion of dating rumors about her and GD, thanks to their chemistry, close relationship, and numerous interactions on/off camera

She is also shipped frequently with the other Bigbang members, most often Daesung and Taeyang (until he got married), due to their interactions on variety shows and award shows

On top of this, Taeyeon is often shipped with Super Junior members –mostly Heechul, Leeteuk, and Eunhyuk – due to being especially close with them despite being under different companies; they are often seen interacting behind cameras or at music broadcasts, and enthusiastically enjoying each other’s performances

Taeyeon is a somewhat controversial figure in South Korea because she (and the rest of the Pandora members) is more outspoken about her concerns regarding the double standards against women in the industry as opposed to men, as well as South Korea’s sexism in general; she has also delved into topics such as LGBTQ rights and the stigma against idols dating

Taeyeon’s ideal type: “Honestly, I don’t really have one. My basic requirements for a relationship are that we love each other, respect each other, and enjoy each other’s company. I think things like ‘ideal type’ complicate matters. I do like humor in a partner, though.”

Kwon Jiyong/Son Taeyeon 

— General Information

— Scenarios  

Finally // Fluff+Smut

Friends, part i // Angst

Too Late for Regrets // Angst

Not Quite // Angst

You // Fluff+Smut

For You // Angst

Thanks // Fluff

Half of You // Angst+Fluff

Worth It // Angst+Fluff

Park Jungsoo/Son Taeyeon

— Scenarios  

I’m With You // Angst+Fluff+Smut

Friends, part i // Angst

No Strings Attached // Smut (preview)

In Love, part i, part ii // Angst+Fluff

In The Night // Fluff

Forever // Fluff

Faker [Mafia!AU], prologue // Angst+Fluff+Smut

Lee Hyukjae/Son Taeyeon

— Scenarios

Growing Pains, part i // Angst

Love Scenario, part i // Angst

Kim Heechul/Son Taeyeon

— Scenarios

Ignore Them // Fluff

No Strings Attached // Smut+Fluff (preview here)

The Two of Us // Fluff

_________________

(i) Obviously not true, since Son Taeyeon isn’t real. The actress who played GD’s love interest in the MV for Let’s Not Fall In Love is Seo Yejin

(ii) Credits to the real people who worked on and created Mamacita, Hit Me Up, Islands, Midnight Blues, and Evanesce, which are: 

Lyrics: 유영진 Composer: Teddy Riley, 유영진, DOM,이현승, J.SOL (Jason J Lopez) Arranger: Teddy Riley, DOM, 이현승

Lyrics: 이채윤 Composer: Teddy Riley, DOM, 이현승 for (TRX), Daniel “Obi” Klein, Mage Arranger: Teddy Riley, DOM, 이현승 for (TRX),

Lyrics: 서지음, 이유진, 조윤경 Composer: Ricky Hanley, Alex Holmgren, Andreas Stone Johansson Arranger: 돈스파이크

Lyrics: 신진혜, 이유진 Composer: Jason Gill, Curtis Richa, Emanuel Olsson Arranger: Jason Gill, Curtis Richa, Emanuel Olsson

Lyrics: Misfit Composer: Teddy Riley, DOM, 김태성, 앤드류 최 Arranger: Teddy Riley, DOM, 김태성, 앤드류 최

(iii) The actress in Super Junior’s Devil MV is a model named Angelina

(iv) The first three roles mentioned were played by the actress Lee Yoo-ri, the fourth role mentioned were played by the actress Han Sohee, while the last role mentioned was played by the actress Kim Minhee

(v) The songs Fine and Time Lapse are sung by none other than King Taeyeon of SNSD, and credits to the real people who worked on and created it, which are:

Lyrics/작사: 진리 Composer/작곡: Michael Woods, Kevin White, Andrew Bazzi, Shaylen Carroll, MZMC Arranger/편곡: Rice n` Peas

[dojae-huh]

Hello, i'm a kpop followers since 2009 and have seen many boygroup's ups and downs. I've seen things like shipping and whatnots and most of the times i was just like heh, people only see what they want to see and that in their eyes everyone must be gays and in love with each other. Until i met NCT recently last November. Taeyong brought me in, and Doyoung is my bias. I dont even pay attention that much to Jaehyun other than he's that classing visual guy. Yeah i see Taedo, too, been shipped (1)

(2) but again i only see Taedo as close friends. Nothing romantic. But soon i started to notice Jaehyun. The more i see their videos, the more i'm telling myself, that guy is surely gay. I don't know how to describe his vibe but he surely is. And then his feeling struck me hard. That he's actually in love with Doyoung. I was baffled. For the first time in like eleven years, I've no doubt, Jaehyun is in for real. And i started paying attention. To his eye movements, hands, smiles..

(3) .. oh man, sometimes during watching videos, i want to get into the screen to shake doyoung to awaken him and just please notice jaehyun. I'm glad that i came stumbling open your blog and find many more eye opening 'evidences'. I'm glad that i'm not the only one. Oh just want to add about the cube necklace, Doyoung bought it during their Hit US something videos when they just shuffling around cities visiting shops in groups. Doyoung was with Taeyong and Johnny. Jaehyun was in other group.

-------------

Doyoung: There is a crab!

Jaehyun looks down at the waves crashing at the cement blocks and the hiding between them crab: I... I can catch it for you, I can catch it for you, want me to?

Also

Classic Jaehyun. The idiot in love. The most important historical Jaedo moment.

And besties Taedo.

Doyoung paying Jaehyun attention. Agan. Again. Again. Again. And the gif I was looking for (Doyoung gives Jaehyun ear massage in the middle of shooting a programme in Japan).

Boyfriends.

Thank you for sharing your story. Hug.

Jaehyun does have the “vibe” for a better word. He doesn’t really try to suppress himself, especially in the past. The fact that fans who observe him for some time still insist he is straight teaches me how strongly some people tend to hold to their imaginary preconceptions. 

Could you tell me more on what moments exactly made you think Jae is gay and in love? Were it old programmes or new? The autumn and winter of 2019 didn’t have any real Jaedo moments. Well, aside from Jae laughing at everything Do does, heart eyes during 4seasons’ first vlog, the Korean cultural award... Now that Jaedo are in hiding and arrely interact on camera, even many shippers worry they broke up every other month.

Please give Jaehyun a chance, he is a pretty interesting individual, definetely not a common character. I myself think his idol image is quite boring and 2D, but he is captivating and endearing when his true self shines through. 

P.S. The cube necklace. There are speculations by shippers that end up being false. Many think that this is a testament to everything shippers say to be untrustworthy gibberish. It is not so. Wishfull thinking and inaccurate interpretations are bound to happen. Some shippers thought that Jaedo were dating already back in 2016, they were wrong about that, but their “hunch” that something was going on between the two - wasn’t. And the moments they collected from FMs and backstages are now a great source of information that helps to understand how Jaedo relationship progressed, to notice the shift from friends to lovers.

[solecize]

REPLY 2009 ⠀ ⠀⠀.⠀⠀.⠀⠀.⠀(OR: 2009, YEAR OF US) — 004.

now playing: y.o.u (year of us) by shinee

summary: ten years ago, we found ourselves at a turning point in pop culture as the decade began to close. this was the year that brought the world obama, the death of michael jackson, and the highest grossing film of all time, avatar. however, in south korea, something big was brewing as well and it started off with infectious lyrics, colourful costumes, and sensational dance moves: kpop. the korean wave that started to build several years ago begins to find its footing in the international limelight in 2009. this was the golden era of kpop. this was the time of sorry, sorry. the debut of quite possibly the most different and groundbreaking girl group in korean entertainment, 2NE1. the rise of shinee, one of the most consistent boy bands of this era and beyond. the throne of bigbang would remain steady with their ventures into japan. and of course. . . snsd's gee that would solidify their place as the nation’s girl group and overtake their male counterparts. nothing can touch this legendary age.meanwhile, in the very city that milled and churned out these stars, eight teenagers were also coming to a certain close in 2009. youth was suddenly running out like grains of a darkened hourglass, as everything and everyone brought tension into their lives. where was the next step on their path? high school is nothing more than a cruel halfway point between childhood and adulthood, but this group of friends made the most out of it. after all, this is the youngest that they'll ever be. this age is the time where hopes rise higher than ever, where love burns the most passionately, and the desire for freedom expands the furthest. in 2009, we follow these teenagers' stories to the background music of the opening chapters of kpop's greatest legacies.but, ten years later at their high school reunion, where do we find them.

or: highschool!got7, dancecrew!got7, coming of age, school reunion angst, reader x ?

PRESENT DAY (08)

“Hey, what song is this?” Bambam was in the middle of drowning a champagne glass as soon as it was offered to him by red bow tied waiters with trays. The stereo system had been blasting the ever iconic ‘Poker Face’ by Lady Gaga before switching abruptly to a much more mellow tune led by a heavy drum and piano. The sound of the song filled the old gymnasium all around and generated many different reactions from attendees, from sighs to cheers.

Faces, both familiar and unfamiliar, began to slowly trickle into Haerin’s varnished gymnasium. Bambam and I remained at our assigned table in the back, but many rushed there, mostly for the attention of the famous actor. Half of these people didn’t even talk to either of us during high school, while the others were faces unrecognizable due to age or plastic. I bit back a smile upon encountering some that used to make my blood boil—I needed to let past prejudice die.

One of those faces happened to be Bae Suji, strutting in with as much poise as she had all those years ago.

I looked away, hoping that she wouldn’t notice me. “Sounds like SHINee. . .?” I said, unsure of myself.

“It’s Year of Us, isn’t it?”

Jinyoung appeared from behind me, settling into a seat at the table. He slid a shimmering CD case across the table towards us. I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why he went back to the car for it, but then, I took a closer glance at the item. Scribbled with eight different signatures, I realized that it was one of the many mixes that the dance crew used over the course of senior year. I slipped it into my purse for later on, catching the look in his eyes.

Bambam snapped a finger. “Yeah! Hey,” he tilted his head at my brother, “how’d you know that?”

“They played it at our graduation. You guys don’t remember?” he said. The melody felt familiar, but the memory was so fuzzy that I couldn’t place my finger on it. Graduation was a day full of whirlwind experiences that it was hard to even pinpoint a singular one.

At that moment, the lights in the gym began to darken. The party was really about to get started and a round of cheers flared up, as the attendees raised their glasses. I felt a little bit out of place, watching others greet their old friends and exchange pleasantries. Maybe it was the inner hatred I had for other people, but I had yet to go out of my way to say hello to anyone.

Bambam seemed to notice this, as he nudged my side. “Oh, look who’s right there. Call her over!” He was referring to Suji and at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to fling myself into the sun.

“No!”

“Come on!” The Thailand native began to whine.

Jinyoung seemed to agree with him on this one. “Yeah, just this once. It’s not going to hurt.”

I wanted to retort a yes it will, but then she suddenly turned around. Our eyes met and it took a second for her face to contour into what I believed was faux enthusiasm, eyes wide and mouth formed into an ‘O’. I did the same, only my smile was spread thinner. I could hear her heels clicking even through the belting out of Lee Jinki.

It was as if she naturally drew attention like it was nothing. I noticed how people started to squint through the flashing neon lights from above, trying to make out everyone’s favourite Prom Queen. At her side towered a man with fair skin and blonde hair, sunglasses perched upon his face. The material of his all black suit shone under the light and seeing the way Suji dug her long fingernails into his sleeve, he appeared to be her date for the night.

“Suji! I can’t believe it’s really you!” I exclaimed, mustering up as much fervor that my body had.

Looking at her up close, it was evident that she had no ability to age. She still looked the same way she did when I first met her at the end of middle school, minus some baby fat in her cheeks. Suji’s face was fresh and glowing, free of makeup sans a swipe of peach lip gloss, and her light brown hair flowed in a curl to below her shoulders. Gorgeous, as she’d always been.

She squealed my name in response, pulling me in an all-too-tight embrace. “Wow, look at you! Oh. My. Gosh.” Suji started to shrill again and I attempted to echo her. People were beginning to stare.

“You look so much different! Did you lose weight?” Suji took my wrist and raised up my arm. “And your hair! I love the long bob, it’s so chic. You’ve gotten so much prettier since high school!” At the last statement, I was sure that I was going to lose it with her.

I looked around for help from my brother and Bambam, noticing the way Jinyoung was trying to hold in his laugh. “It’s nice to see you again, Suji.”

“Oh!” she said. “Right, it’s so wonderful you see you, too, Jaehyung—”

“—Jinyoung.”

The former cheerleader walked right past him and up to Bambam. Jinyoung and I exchanged looks, as I smirked at him. He polished off a glass of whatever drink he could get his hands on immediately.

“Bambam! Wow!” Suji pulled him into a similar hug, only it seemed like he actually didn’t mind. This was, after all, his senior year crush. “Noah and I absolutely adored you in The Shuttle!”

It took him a second to process that, looking between Suji and the tall man waiting behind her. “Noah?”

She giggled, as if she were waiting for that. “Guys—” she pulled the man closer by the wrist, “—this is Noah! My husband.”

There it was, her gloating point for the night. I couldn’t help but stare at the enormous rock that sat on her left hand, wrapped around the equally enormous bicep of her husband. A princess cut diamond ring with a rose gold band and smaller pink diamonds adorning the sides. No matter what she did, even the slightest bit of movement allowed for a beautiful luminescence.

“Noah. . .are you Noah Ward? The director?” Bambam gaped when the man removed his sunglasses. His face was tight and his body went completely frozen, as he was trying his very hardest to contain his emotions.

The other man nodded in response, a pearly white smile playing on his lips. “That’s me alright.” He held out his hand.

“I’M A HUGE FAN!” Bambam finally sputtered out and immediately took his hand in for a shake—or, several rapid shakes.

Showing no interest in watching him fangirl, I returned to my seat at our table, where Jinyoung already retreated to. He held his cellphone to his ear, appearing to be giving instructions to get through traffic to the person on the other line. I hoped it was who I thought it was, as our table of eight was barely full. As the evening progressed, I found myself growing anxious for the appearance of my old friends.

Suji followed me, sitting across with a glass of wine suddenly appearing at her hand.

“Oh, how adorable are they?” she cooed, looking over at Bambam and her husband talk about their careers.

“Just so sweet,” I murmured, not bothering to look as I rummaged through my purse for my phone. For whatever reason, that elected a gasp out of Suji and she squealed my name. “What? What is it?”

She grabbed my hand and brought it closer to her face for inspection. “How could you not mention it?”

My engagement ring wasn’t as colossal as Suji’s and it didn’t twinkle as easily as hers did, but the light glint couldn’t be missed. Sometimes, I even forgot that I wore it, since I never bothered taking it off when sleeping or showering. I didn’t plan on announcing it to anyone outside of the seven, so I remained nonchalant for the most part.

“Oh, well, yeah. . “ I trailed off. “We’ve been engaged for a while, but none of the wedding plans have really started. Busy lives.” The first part was true, while the latter bit I tried to exaggerate so that she wouldn’t feel bad about not hearing any word about it.

The story was that the two of us got engaged on a whim last summer without any idea of where and when it was going to happen. I explained that carefully to Suji, who thought it was just so cute how I was so spontaenous. It was just like us to do something like that. As of late, people were starting to bug us about the wedding, so we were trying to at least settle on a date. However, things were hard with our careers and especially with the news I was going to deliver tonight.

“Ooh, a ruby ring! It looks so, um, vintage.” She began to inspect my yellow gold ring, highlighted by a not-too-big, not-too-small blood stone.

“It was my fiancee’s mother’s ring.”

“Oh.” Suji cleared her throat at that and clapped her hands together. “Where did you guys meet?”

“Here.”

“Here?!” she exclaimed so loud that even Jinyoung’s eyes cut towards us in curiosity. “Wait! Do I know him? Is he coming tonight?”

Suji was surprisingly excited once hearing of the news, considering how little we got along in high school. I was taken aback by the fact that she even bothered with a conversation longer than a simple greeting, but she seemed genuinely interested in what was currently going on in my life.

A chair screeched and I looked over to see Jinyoung standing up.

“Guess who’s here?” he said.

MARCH 2009 (09)

Dad was almost always working the night patrol, so Jinyoung and I couldn’t see him during the day when he would be catching up on his sleep. This week, his entire shift schedule was temporarily changed, so the family had him during regular hours. We were sitting at our mahogany dining table one day with Infinite Challenge on in the background, while Jinyoung and I did our school work. Our father was tending to our dinner and mother was going through the bills that came in the mail earlier that day.

“Honey, where did you put the soy sauce?” he called out. He never got to make dinner for us and jumped at the chance to do so this week.

My mother replied, eyes fixated on the envelopes, “On the top shelf of the counter above the dish rack!”

With a sudden slam, Jinyoung shut his Korean textbook closed. He started to collect his notes and other books. I looked at my own sprawled out work, then back to him. We both started working at the same time, as soon as we got home, and yet, he managed to finish miles ahead of me.

“You’re done?” I gawked.

Jinyoung responded casually, “Yeah. So?” He noticed that I was still on the second question of my Calculus homework.

“You’re a whole freak of nature with that brain of yours, you know that?” I scoffed at him, not believing that we could possibly be related. Perhaps I should have been used to it by that point, considering his far more pristine report. There was also the fact that he was too many ranks ahead of me in school than I was willing to admit.

He pointed his black pen towards me. “Maybe it has to do with you taking, like, six breaks since we started.” I should’ve been used to it by now, considering in school, Jinyoung was too many ranks ahead of me than I was willing to say out loud.

“Like four, stop exaggerating! I needed to use the bathroom and check up on Facebook,” I quickly riposted and sent him a glare. Dad suddenly seemed to snap out of the trance that was watching his stew cook and poked his head out of the kitchen. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact.

“I had to use the bathroom!” I countered.

“And check up on Facebook?”

The ruckus captured the attention of my father, pulling him away from his stew. He exited the kitchen, ladle at hand. A groan left my mouth. I could already feel the reprimand coming, something always being nitpicked at by my parents. I learned to tune them out, but it only backfired against me when they would realize that I wasn’t listening.

He narrowed his eyes at the two of us. “What are you two bickering about?” Dad noticed the way my school stuff was still messily spread out. “Are you having trouble with your work?”

“No,” I replied, a little too quickly.

Jinyoung cut in, “She takes a break every time she can’t figure something out to avoid it.”

He wasn’t wrong, but I continued to make sounds of disagreement. I could never figure out calculus no matter what I did. Math was never my strong suit and I knew that, so attempting the work felt extra discouraging because I knew failure was more likely. That, and my fan group on Facebook depended on my activity.

My mother peered at me through her circle glasses from across the table. “Cram school hasn’t ever helped you,” she said, “maybe you need a tutor, sweetheart.”

It took a lot of willpower to not slam my head onto the dining table. My bad, Jinyoung mouthed to me. This sparked a quieted discussion between our parents, while I watched the Ha & Su segment on the television. While it was true that cram school did nothing for my grades—most likely attributed to the fact that I often skipped or flat out didn’t pay attention—the idea of a tutor was not a fun one.

“It’s fine, I don’t need a tutor! I have Jinyoung,” I insisted.

“You’d sooner rake his eyes out than manage to learn something,” Mom scoffed.

Jinyoung and I did get along, as well as any siblings would, especially twins. However, we’d gone through this route before and quickly realized that my attention span was the same size as his patience, which led to arguments and insults galore. We were one in the same, except when it came to school.

Both of our parents looked at me, then at each other, then to Jinyoung as if he held the answers to the universe’s mysteries.

He started, “Well. . .” Jinyoung slumped in his seat and a ran a hand through his immaculate hair. “I know a few people. Hyoseop?”

“Ew.” I scrunched my nose at the name of the school playboy. Sure, he was quite smart, but there was no way I was putting myself in a closed space with just himself and I for any longer than twenty minutes.

“Jihyo?”

“She’s in my calc class and is definitely worse than me!”

Jinyoung didn’t look convinced, but continued on. “What about Yugyeom?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

That made my face curl up in distaste. “Yugyeom? Like, your friend Yugyeom?” I scoffed. “He’s a whole year younger than me!” Asking for help from a second year was nothing less than embarrassing and my pride weighed more than my need to pass my test.

He countered, “Yugyeom is also ranked second in his year! Even I ask him for help sometimes. He’s a genius and he’s a relatively nice guy.” If I hadn’t known better, I would have assumed that Jinyoung was just praising him because they were friends, but I’ve heard the same things said about him from other people.

That seemed to catch the attention of Dad. “Kim Yugyeom, right?” He chuckled. “The really tall kid from the dance academy?”

The memories of the dance academy were so blurry after leaving, but it wasn’t too long ago that it was completely forgotten. Mom heard about the academy from a client and immediately enrolled the two of us in after realizing that neither of us had a gift for the piano. I was convinced that she would do anything to keep us out of her hair.

We were probably around twelve at the time, when I was still taller than Jinyoung and wearing jeans underneath a skirt was considered fashionable.

OCTOBER 2003 (10)

Beyonce repeating over and over again about just how crazy in love she is was getting old. For the most part, I had no trouble keeping up with the choreography, but I didn’t want to be here at all. When the dance teacher called for a five minute break, I let out the biggest sigh of my life. That meant just another thirty minutes after and soon, I could go home.

Jinyoung quickly made friends with other participants in class and I saw how he interacted with one of them so easily in one corner. I made small talk with some other girls, too, but I didn’t particularly care enough to get to know them.

“I get that our class got cancelled and we got put in the beginner’s lessons, but stop looking so grouchy.” My brother tossed me a water bottle when he saw me approaching.

The male beside him flashed his pearly whites. “Hey! You were really great out there.”

It took me a while to search my memory, trying to figuring out if I’d seen this guy before. He was around our age and was taller than Jinyoung, but shorter than me, and wore all Nike on his body. Shaggy hair in the boyish and purposefully messy kind of way, he was cute. Cute enough for me to take note of him if he were in the intermediate dance class with Jinyoung and I, but I couldn’t recognize him at all.

“Thanks. Are you a beginner dancer?” I asked.

That seemed to make my brother burst out loud into laughter, while the other male just awkwardly chuckled.

Jinyoung replied, “Yugyeom’s in the advanced class with the teenagers.” He gave me the are you an idiot face, so I responded swiftly with a punch to the shoulder.

The assistant choreographer, Yeeun, announced from across the room that we had two minutes left to relax and catch our breaths. I took a swig of my water bottle. Yugyeom must’ve been dancing in the back, as I didn’t even notice him during the session.

“Uh, yeah, I am,” he said bashfully and swiped at sweat on his eyebrow. “I just started at the school early.”

“And Kyesang said that I can join the class soon, too,” Jinyoung added with a smug smile on his face.

I furrowed my eyebrows. “He didn’t say anything to me.” Kyesang was the head of the advanced class and constantly praised both Jinyoung and I. There was no way that Jinyoung got the offer to move up in levels before I did.

Yugyeom said, “You’re a great dancer, too. I bet you’d be able to join with a little bit more confidence!”

Before, I was rummaging through my backpack to find my second water bottle. My head slowly moved, my eyes raised to meet his. Did he really just say that? I wasn’t sure what exactly that was supposed to mean, but I saw the smile on his face and it seemed like he wasn’t joking at all.

“What, I don’t dance confidently?” Something about my stare seemed to wipe the grins from both of their expressions.

Yugyeom was beginning to stammer, then finally spit out, “No! I mean, yes! You dance fine!”

“Alright, back to your places everyone!”

Shoes began to squeak, signalling that the others were walking back onto the main floor. I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for further explanation, but Jinyoung just dragged him away. That was Kim Yugyeom at age eleven, happy-go-lucky and playful like he was meant to be. Jinyoung lacked the stress placed upon his shoulders because of school. And, for me? I felt on top of the world, actually being able to be good at something.

MARCH 2009 (11)

Tracking down someone like Yugyeom at school proved to be more difficult than expected. For someone who was said to possess an abundance of brainpower, he was not in the library. He wasn’t normally found with the rest of Jinyoung’s dance crew for whatever reason. I didn’t have any classes with him, so that was out of the question. After needing to use Jinyoung as a middle man to get to the younger male, I figured out that Yugyeom came to school extremely early in the morning and that was the only time before the end of the day that he could be found easily.

I tended to be early myself, since I left home whenever Jinyoung did. However, the fact that Kim Yugyeom arrived an hour earlier than that was mind boggling to me. I didn’t even realize that the school gates opened at such an hour.

Jinyoung came with me, claiming that he needed to check up on some things for the upcoming Spring Festival as apart of his student council duties. That was code for ‘I guess I’ll be a good brother and not let you walk alone in the dark morning.’ He also probably felt bad for me, since he was the one who redirected me to Yugyeom in the first place, knowing full well how difficult it was to locate him.

Entering the school’s main foyer, I took notice of how it looked when it was so empty. The main administrative office was darkened and nobody was inside. There were no loud students blocking off the entrance, no nagging teachers—not counting the two first years off to the side playing on their Ninento DSis. They probably got dropped off by their parents on their way to work. Other than that, the floor was absolutely sparkling and the air felt peaceful without so many bodies.

Each time I ran into a teacher and wished them a good morning, they appeared startled at my appearance.

“Oh my goodness, I thought you were a ghost! Nobody is here this early!” My homeroom teacher exclaimed when I bowed to her out of nowhere.

Yugyeom was sitting cross legged on the floor in between blocks of lockers. I could hear the Chris Brown blasting from his headphones and he was bopping along to the rhythm. There was a chemistry textbook opened up in front of him and on his lap was a notebook that he was scrawling information onto. It seemed awkward having to just suddenly appear in front of him and I didn’t want to scare him like I had with the teachers.

I tentatively called out his name at first, but to no avail. I said it louder at least two more times, before his eyes flickered my way. A small, polite smile formed on his face and he took off his headphones promptly.

“Oh, hey there. Jinyoung said that you’d meet me.” Yugyeom gave a wave.

Approaching him, it felt odd having to talk and look down at him, so I leaned against the wall opposite from him and slid down until my bottom hit the ground. “Does that mean that you’re willing to help me out?” I crossed my fingers behind my back; if he rejected me, that meant I’d have to go to Hyoseop and I really did not want to do that.

“Yeah, of course I would!” That allowed for a relieved sigh. “But, uh, when’s this test?”

“. . . Three days.”

He widened his eyes. “Three days? That’s not a lot of time.”

I responded, “Oh, yeah. I totally understand! I’ll just find someone else—” He cut me off and I’d never felt so happy in my entire life.

“—No, no, no! Don’t worry about it. It’s just a little surprising that’s all.” Yugyeom scratched the back of his nape. “I’m just a little busy this week—but, not that busy. I, I mean not busy enough to help you.”

I nodded slowly, watching him flip through his notebook. He stopped on an empty page and ripped out a piece of the paper. I wondered what he was doing, but then he handed the paper to me after scribbling something down on it.

“Are you free today after school? I can help you out then.”

That was what changed everything.

[boo1a4]

11 question tag!

Hey guys so I was tagged by 5 of my fav gals to do the 11 questions tag (THATS 55 QUESTIONS WHY ARE YALL LIKE THIS) but anyway I was tagged by @s-lay-ing @sambashua @achuu-nice @indiepoptime and @yongpal-i (this tag is fucking eternal help me)

Cloud’s Questions!

Do you know a ksong by heart? (bc I don’t :x I can hum a trillion tho)

Blackpink’s As If Its Your Last, Heize’s Star, Day6 I loved you and You Were Beautiful, most of seventeens title tracks and most of their ballads, lastly  Pristin’s Aloha! I'm sure my pronunciation is way off but those are tho the ones that I've taken the time to actually sit down and learn!

When it comes to friendships, are you low or high maintenance? (As in your friends gotta talk everyday with you or you’ll feel like the friendship is dying OR if you can spend days without talking to them yet you still remain close)  

Ummmm I think it depends on the friendship? also I think I can tend to be a bit of both (cause I'm an insecure ass binch), tho I don't ever feel like my friendships are dying lmao

Do you have a secret that you will take to the grave? (Ofc I’m not asking you to reveal it)

not that I can think of?? like I'm sitting here thinking if there is anything and like honestly no????

Recommend me 5 songs (not necessarily kpop songs)

Dracula Teeth - The Last Shadow Puppets(honestly cloud just listen to all of their music is so great) Daydream In Blue - I Monster (this is honestly one of my all time fav songs I love it too much) No Way Down - The Shins (you know I can't go 2 mins without mentioning them, some great lyrics right here tho also give September a listen in beautiful) Beechwood Park - The Zombies (I'm assuming you know the zombies cloud but on the off chance that you don't BINCH THEY ARE MY ACTUAL FAVORITE well beside cream and zeppelin but they are up there) Kimbra - Miracle (kinda of a random one but this song just never seems to leave me!) Big Bird -Hyukoh (oh that was 6 BUT THIS SONG IS SO GREAT also listen to wing wing!!)

What do you prefer?: first, second or third gen kpop songs?

I generally prefer second generation??? I think????? I like a bit of all of them tho. but like there is no definitive answer to when each of the generations start and end so like I don't even know??? but most of my fav groups as far as music goes are older around 2nd gen but a fair amount of them are gen 3, I have a really strong love for kpop that was released between 2009-2014.

What’s the cheeeeeeeeeesiest thing you’ve done? (one time a former friend of mine was telling me about a problem she had and at the end of our convo I kissed her in the forehead bYE)

girl idk just my whole fucking life tbh, but my family members and irl friends will all tell you I do this thing where I yell sing songs and change the lyrics to their names this includes badly sung kpop songs IM SCREAMING THO CLOUD WHO ARE YOU AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

If you were asked to participate in a variety show, which one of the following would you pick and why? (Pick two!): problematic men, master key, hello counselor, weekly idol, one fine day, law of the jungle

um probs ofd?? id say weekly idol also but damn the hosts would literally be like who is this weird binch!

Your top 10 kpop songs of 2017?

In no order but 1. Would U - Red Velvet 2. Let’s Hang Out - SF9 3. Night Rather Than Day - EXID 4. Aloha - Pristin 5. Missing You - BTOB 6. I Loved You - Day6 7. Teenager - Got7 8. Habit - Seventeen 9. As If It’s Your Last - Blackpink 10. You, Clouds, Rain - Heize

Would you rather live in a huge mansion or a compact studio house?  

Im a real messy binch so definitely compact studio

Tell me a fun childhood story (I’ll start! One time an aunt gave me money to buy ‘papas’ (potatoes) at the grocery store so bc I’m obedient af I went and asked the counter lady how many of em could I buy with the money I had so she went ‘uhh, not many tbh’ so i ended up getting like two and when I returned to my aunt’s house she laughed her ass off and said: I meant ‘papas fritas’ (potato chips) Not those! - and uh yeah this is funnier in Spanish but it proves that I’m such an innocent angel I mean wow)

ok so I spent a lot of time at my aunt Lori’s house when I was a kid (like summers, and after school) and my cousin was the BUG queen so she hand made leashes for her pet toads (that she caught) and we walked them around on leashes for like a week but I was always so afraid of them and also hurting them so I WAS NOT ABOUT THAT ahahaha dumb story but it makes me laugh alsoalsoalsdo they had this bench swing in their back yard and my cousin my sister and I would swing on it together for hours at a time and one time we were swinging real hard (REAL HARD) and the links?? or whatever that held it to the ceiling it was hanging from snapped and the three of us of us flew off of it and we all collectively blacked out??? it was so weird but I woke up to my cousin stuggling to get me off of her and then there lays my sister underneath the bench just blacked out chilling (she was fine) then my aunt came running out cause she had just heard the loudest crash ahsdfasdf not long after my uncle put stronger links on it and that bench is still there! From time to time when the three of us get together this story gets brought up its still the most hilarious thing ( ALSO CLOUD YOU ARE SO PURE I LOVE)

If you were offered to start a band, would you accept?

yeah I love music so much why not! not sure I would be able to contribute much  lmao

Mir’s Questions!

If you could travel anywhere, but were completely by yourself, where would you go?

hmmmmm do you mean like I wouldn't be visiting anyone and just traveling alone?? or like going someplace where I know no one?? ok cause for the first I would book it straight to az TO SEE YOU MIR!! AND SISTER!! but for the second I would love to go to Japan (my cousin lives there tho so that also doesn't technically count lmao)

What inspires you?

Music, books, and tv shows! Also really well written characters or just interesting people I guess! but on like a ??spiritual?? level my mom?? she's just that binch you know ( like seriously Ive never met anyone kinder or more driven and hard working in my life she's wild)

How many pets would you have in your ideal future? Any specific names or types in mind?

47 KITS, no realistically I want 2 kittos and they will be named Bellamy and Murphy cause I got too also lowkey want to name a cat rami or Elliot or also kaz or Inej damn all the good names wow. Also the name Calloway is my fav name of all time and I WANT SOMETHING WITH THIS NAME

What are you opinions on fedoras

um eww?? what other opinions are there?? what is this question mir I'm???? but like ngl when worn in a none cringe manner then can look nice!

how many spoons can you balance on your face at once (picture or video proof preferred (i’m trying to get someone to do it pls anyone))

girl I've done my time (lowkey did you put this on her cause I told you about my gravy spoon today???)

What is your favorite type of tree?

I like Birch trees!

If you could convince one person to like kpop who would you convert?

damn MY MOM cause then she might listen to something other than bruno mars once in a while

What are three things you are normally associated with and/or what are three things you want to be associated with?

art, sleeping, reading and um idk?? tbh??? like maybe not being shitty and being funny??? idk??? like I don't know????

If you were in a kpop group what position would you hold (ie. leader, main vocal, moodmaker, etc) feel free to tag your mutuals and who they would be!

um hm im a moody binch bonch so probably moodmaker?? mir is main dancer cause yes duh ivy is leader cause she's the only sane one kennedy I feel would be a great rapper like she got that chic thing going she could do it I feel??? and cloud would be our talent tbh??? nom would be the maknae cause she's small I feel! Jeddy would be my happy virus bud cause she's a fun and funny gal ( I love) Jamie ALSO ONE OF OUR TALENTS wow yes I feel a main vocal here she’d go solo and be singing ballads left and right! JESS WOULD BE THE SWEET MOTHER MEMBER THAT EVERYONE LOVES AND IS JUST THE SOFTEST,,,A SUNSHINE GAL.

If you could have any wild animal as a tame pet what would it be?? (i’m ocelot loyal all the way)

damn idk I'm like horrible at taking care of things (including myself) so like honest id just stick to the kit kats

What is your opinion on mint chocolate chip ice cream? (for maj)

The best ice cream (tho I can't eat it anymore and its very cursed)

Nom’s Questions!

how are you? :D

I’m good Nom thanks for asking!

sad ballads or happy upbeat songs?

Im a ballad ho these days they are honestly all I listen to anymore, but I do love me an good upbeat song I'm just slightly more picky about them!

fave anime movie?

ok tie between Whisper of the Heart and Howl’s Movie Castle, I honestly need to see more that arent Ghibli!

dogs or cats?

Cats! (my dog is practically a cat tbh)

do you keep stuffed animals in your room?

I have one! its a portal companion cube! its not technically an animal BUT I LOVE IT ANYWAY ITS ALL IVE GOT!!!! also if you count tsum tsums I've got a few big hero 6 ones!

someone you miss?

My dad, its been especially hard lately.

describe your phone case?

its like rainbow watercolor! I have a pop socket that matches

favorite lore/myths?

Not technically myth or lore but Beowolf! I've seen the movie at least 40 times and I've read the epic! generally I find northern european mythology/literature to be more interesting than southern. but if we’re going for like ubran myths tbh not really my thing ahahaha.

eardbuds or headphones?

both for different things! but when I first listen to an album I like to listen with my headphones!

can I steal your heart?

you already have ~~~~~~~

favorite thing about your ult bias?

His sensitivity and kind heart! I love a sweet boy! Also I'm really here for Boo’s cheeks!

Jamie’s Questions!

If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life what would it be and why?

ohhh there are a few songs that I really really love, Heize’s Star is a song that I listen to daily and I feel like I could listen to it for the rest of my life! also September by The Shins! Miracle Aligner by The Last Shadow Puppets also. Idk man I just really love songs with a mystical quality to them.

If you were in a kpop group what would your group be called and what would your fandom name be?

BINCH AND OUR FANDOM NAME WOULD BE BONCHES

If you could acquire mastery over ONE skill instantly, what would you pick and why?

Singing!! its just about the only kind of musical talent I think I’d be any good at! Im a vocalist ho I just want to be like my favessssss

First reaction if you spotted your favorite celebrity on the street?

I would literally hide so fast omg

First reaction if your favorite celebrity followed you on your favorite social media site?

SCREAMING ALL THE LOVE FOR BOO SEUNGKWAN 24/7 and literally only doing art of him and nonstop posting it

Snap your fingers and you get to steal your favorite outfit off of a kpop idol. What outfit do you pick, off of whom, and why?

OK literally all of Soonyoungs airport looks cause damn that boy does not get enough credit for his fashion (he's the best dressed in the group fite me)

If you were to get a painless tattoo that you could remove with the press of a button, what would you get and where would you get it?

umm probably something really pretty? and colorful? I'm not sure what put I like  arm tattoos!

What is your most prized possession?

probably my laptop?? also my collection of sketchbooks!

What’s a YouTube/online challenge that you have always wanted to try?

Im always interested to try those youtube art challenges, I've done the three marker challenge before and the draw this again challenge also!

You get a guarantee that your favorite celebrity will see your social media post but you only get 100 characters. What do you say to them?

I would literally just send my art to them! I feel like it says more than 100 characters can!

You wake up in your dream room. What does it look like?

LITERALLY A LIBRARY AND LIKE NICE AND DARK AND WARM BUT NOT TOO WARM LOTS OF BLANKETS

Kennedy’s Questions!

Make a 10-song playlist for your current mood.

it is here

What vine do you quote the most?

what is that?? who you fighting?

What do you value most in a friend?

I like people who are good listeners! but also people can keep a conversation going! But really tho just genuine kindness and openness.

If you could learn any kpop choreography instantly, what would you learn?

DAMN THIS IS HARD, so many great ones that I love a lot but probably Red Flavor?

If you go to your Tumblr activity page, who does it say is your “number one fan?”

damn Idk them so I'm not gonna like tag them or something lol

What is your ideal clothing style?

I like simple dark clothing that is comfortable.

What is your favorite Snapchat filter?

I really like the ugly ones tbh I don't use them enough

What subject would you like to study, but wouldn’t necessarily want to make a career out of? (for example: I really want to learn about botany!)

psychology, I really love learning about how people work.

Would you rather be constantly half an hour early to everything, or constantly 15 minutes late?

early of course, I hate being late

Would you rather have a single day to spend with your top bias or a week to spend with your number 2 bias?

damn neither??? ahahah no a day with boo would be very blessed!

If you could bring back any disbanded OR inactive group, who would you bring back?

F(X) BINCH I NEED MORE MUSIC

My Questions!

if you had to chose one kpop stage outfit to wear for the rest of your life which would you choose?

favorite music video aesthetic?

Group you are most excited for in 2018?

Recommend me some underrated kpop songs/groups?

If you could join any group other than your bias group who would you join and why?

Favorite soloist? and some song recs?

Childhood Story? (thanks Cloud)

Were you in any fandoms before you got into kpop, if so what were they?

Favorite Comeback/debut of 2017?

astrological sign? Myers Briggs type? Hogwarts House (I'm a Gemini, infp, and Gryffindor)

Random question but what are your favorite names?

Tagging : @s-lay-ing @sambashua @achuu-nice @indiepoptime @yongpal-i (y'all can do mine if you feel like it!) @forgetjunnot @babybyuny @kae-popx @kiheehyunie @jeonwoooo @trbldean130 @howcaniwait @joshhjs @maetaamong and if you’ve already done this you don't have to do it again ahahahaha I feel like everyone has done it already lol

ok thats it do it if you want!

[oneweekoneband]

Mamacita (2014)

Today’s “Mamacita” post is brought to you by fellow Singles Jukebox writer and OWOB alumna Jessica! She is also my favorite person to flail about Kpop at in email, so I’m super grateful that she wrote this.

Hi there! Is this your SuJu starting point? Is the sum of your knowledge that there are roughly a dozen guys on screen, and all of them are overacting, and one of them is telling you to shut your tongue? Then I gently suggest you stop, do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars, take a step back and begin at the beginning, because starting here will only leave you confused. Rarely has a pop song acted more like one half of a closed conversation than “Mamacita” does.

Until I started reading Cassy’s blog, and that gesture being more out of affection for her than her subject, I was not a particular Super Junior fan. Most of the impressions I had received were negative: Yesung doing blackface, Shindong being a jerk to various Infinite members on Beatles Code 2, Siwon’s notorious homophobia, et cetera. Not to mention that, for a non-Korean listener, the group’s fandom had an equally off-putting reputation—and that was before K-ELFs seemingly thought getting married a worse crime than drunk driving or not taking proper precautions from stopping your dog from killing someone.

...wait, what? Apologies. I’ve gotten back into the weeds again. Let me back up a bit.

The whole idea of a pop fandom as a united, relatively characterizable group is a relatively new one: New Kids on the Block fans may refer to themselves as Blockheads now, but they didn’t in 1990. In the Korean idol pop case it’s also an idea that hasn’t quite translated as it’s left Korea. From my understanding, if you get devoted enough to follow one particular idol group in Korea, then you join the official fandom and only that official fandom. You have, in effect, declared your allegiance. This may be changing as the industry expands, as older groups retire, and as Korean idol pop becomes more international in its reach. But in general—and this would have been even more true in Super Junior’s heyday of 2009–2010—the more common practice among non-Korean fans of being openly fond of multiple groups would not make sense in Korea.

The other idea that has only partially translated is of the fandom as a quasi-official protector of the group itself. In part this is because of how idol management companies have to some degree outsourced publicity to designated fansites, which take high-resolution photos both at and outside official events, sell merchandise, and organize events. (See Blanca Méndez’s description of interacting with BTS fansites while she was in Seoul.) It’s thus not uncommon for fansite members to learn a great deal about an idol’s schedule, including off-hours hobbies and love life. But it’s not simply a tit-for-tat of receiving access for keeping one’s mouth shut; the fandom, supposedly, has a duty to protect the idol by keeping a lid on potentially damaging information. The idol, in return, has a duty to the fandom by also not letting damaging information leak, since that would make a mockery of fans’ efforts.

If I sound too bewildered and skeptical to be giving a proper overview, it’s because, after five years of following Korean idol pop (and one official Inspirit membership), this whole setup still makes no damn sense to me; specifically, the idea of fans as idols’ protectors. That’s what happens when you learn about the murders of Rebecca Schaeffer and Selena long before you learn about Super Junior and its peers. (There has yet to be a case of an obsessed fan murdering a Korean idol, thank God, although there are occasional reported cases of harassment, and in 2014 a man attacked two members of the Japanese idol group AKB48 with a saw at a fan meeting.) I don’t have the cultural context in which group membership can discipline individual behavior enough to make the fandom-idol relationship mutually productive and respectful. The level of commitment required to enter into such a relationship on the fan’s side, coupled with the fact that the idol is producing and the fan consuming, sets up an expectation of entitlement that looks simply too conducive to dangerous behavior on the fan’s part.

And thus back to Super Junior: ELFs in Korea are rumored to have bought stock in SM Entertainment as a way of having more say in the group’s makeup; more recently, they apparently were so enraged by Sungmin’s handling of his marriage announcement that they clamored for him to sit out the most recent comeback. (Sungmin’s rebuttal.) Who are these ELFs? How many of them are there? What percentage of the Korean Super Junior fans do they actually represent? I don’t know; I don’t know; I don’t know. If you find out, let me know; I’ll be sitting on the #TeamSungmin bench. In the meantime, it’s hard to follow Super Junior from outside Korea without being affected by these half-known, half-translated, less-than-half-understood dialogues.

At first glance “Mamacita” seems completely divorced from any reality, let alone one in which Super Junior is alternatively dependent of their fans’ love and in danger of their wrath. The video is so goofy I find it hard to watch; the coordinated costumes and choreography bear only the faintest resemblance to their referents. And the song itself must be about declaring themselves taken aback by the beauty of the titular mamacita, right?

Hey! Mamacita! I’m a a-ya-ya-ya-ya The cruelly broken dreams are a-ya-ya-ya-ya Something has broken and left Even the tears have dried Those who wear the armor feel its weight You can’t do that!

...okay, maybe not.

The only way the lyrics of “Mamacita” make sense to me is if read as Super Junior’s half-scolding, half-reassuring message to its fans; in fact, as addressed to former fans. Kyuhyun tauntingly asks, Did you think we were Superman? (Yoo Young-jin, the lyricist here, also wrote “Superman.”) Sungmin asks, Can’t you hear me even when I’m yelling? Heechul follows up with, Did you make a promise you can’t keep? (In live performances, he points to his ring finger.) After a couple minutes of anger, coming to a climax with Shindong’s line, Kyuhyun suddenly changes course: I can’t just dream a different dream by myself / I need you here right now.

In other words, ELFs who abandoned Super Junior when it was the trendy thing to do, while worthy of scorn, can still be welcomed back into the fold.

Songs explicitly addressed to fans are pretty common in Korean idol pop (it’s getting hard to find a BTS song that isn’t supposedly about the group and ARMYs) which further perpetrates the idea that a group belongs to its fandom first and the broader public second. With its callbacks and its pleas, “Mamacita” supports this narrative still further. And again: if you’re coming from a largely capitalist, individualist society, rather than a group-based one, this is nonsensical, hypocritical, or both at once. Surely SM and Super Junior want as many fans as possible, Korean or not, devoted or not; why concentrate so hard on such a small segment of the market?

And one can argue that there are dangers aplenty in the individual model of fandom, where the idol is less to be protected and more to be consumed and discarded in favor of whatever else might be on the market. That describing Super Junior as a Korean idol group is still to put Korean first and idol second, and the heavy emphasis on an intense group experience, in which the group’s needs trump the individual’s, may be the group’s way of perpetuating a specific cultural context that can’t be flattened out for global reproduction and consumption. Without K-ELFs, for good or bad, Super Junior wouldn’t be Super Junior.

My own feeling is, regardless of the social model, the fan still bears a certain responsibility to consider how her behavior affects the idol, and other fans. The group shouldn’t be elevated to the point that it demonizes and destroys individual expression; the individual shouldn’t be given such selfish supremacy as to obliterate the ties formed within the group. It’s a tricky balance; I couldn’t point to any example offhand of someone getting it right even if I had the authority to do so. But the ideal is still worth striving for. And en route to that ideal, there’s “Mamacita”: not a fluffy song, despite the packaging; maybe not even a good song; but memorable for its tensions.

[xbaepsae]

kpop tag

tagged by lovely @blumiin <333

Ultimate bias? what is a bias?????

Ultimate Bias Wrecker? ummmmm everyone in bts lmao

Favourite Kpop song(s)? right now, i am obsessed with blackpink’s so hot remix

First Kpop Song? dreams come true // ses

Favourite Kpop Album or Single?

BTS: love yourself: her

BTOB: n/a

G-Dragon: coup d’etat

Topp Dogg: n/a

Monsta X: hero

SHINee: sherlock

Favourite Kpop Ship? the only ship i actually 100% believe in is vmin. their friendship is just so heartwarming and makes me so soft. like, they are friendship goals fr

Hard Stan or Soft Stan? ... both... ???

Favourite Kpop company? back in the day, i told myself that if i were to become a trainee i’d wanna be in yg but idk lol they all suck

Backstory of how you got into Kpop? oh lawddd lol it’s been forever. i first became a fan back in 2009! i had a friend who danced and was really into the korean dance scene. she was also obsessed with eugene, hence why ses’ dreams come true is first kpop song lol. but from there, i discovered se7en and bigbang! and the rest is history :) well. i had a falling out with kpop around 2013ish and didn't come back until april 2016. the song that brought me back was the 7th sense and bts made me stay :’)

Bias in each group

*i don't really have a bias in any group lol most of these are just people who stand out to me bc i don't listen to all these groups on the regular*

BTS: ot7 ftw

EXO: kai

Beast/HIGHLIGHT: junhyung

Blackpink: jennie or rose or lisa or jisoo lol

SNSD: taeyeon

Pentagon: e’dawn

BTOB: sungjae

2ne1: dara

BigBang: taeyang

GOT7: idk lol i like all of them. but bambam’s glo up got me shoooketh

2PM: wooyoung

NCT: johnny

Block-B: taeil

Monsta X: kihyun

LOONA: n/a

Topp Dogg: n/a

B.A.P: zelo

iKON: bobby

Astro: cha eunwoo

tagging: anyone and everyone :)

[organictaeyong]

I was just reading your group tag and I was wondering what the admins first group/person/song/whatever brought you into this lovely world of Kpop hell was ? I love hearing about the group that brought new fans in (I remember discovering dbsk in 2009 still I'm so old 😂😂😂)

HOOO HERE WE GO !!!! ok so I (being admin pear) ended up here because of shinee lmao I was friends with an exchange student and one day we were hangin and she was like one of my friends is obsessed with kpop you ever heard it?? and I was like nah so she put on Lucifer and I swear my entire life changed because of taemins long hair y’all (she also put shock by beast on but I wasn’t invested in it then lol) I couldn’t get Lucifer out of my head for like a week and I kept watching it and eventually I watched Sherlock and I was still shook by taemins long hair so I googled long hair shinee member (for real how iconic) and I found out it was in fact lee taemin I was falling in love with nd danger had just been released and it got recommended to me 24/7 and I was like u kno what I love taemin I will listen and tbh if I hadn’ t listened maybe I wouldn’t b here??? who knows ??? so basically I’m here because danger is the best song ever written and taemin’s hair extensions dragged me into the depths of hell ?? as for admin peach, she’s been my best friend for like seven years so naturally I pestered her until she caved and said she’d watch a link (the link being lucifer of course) and she was like eh its fine and I think I also sent her big bang fantastic baby and she was more into that lowkey but after those when we were skyping she went on the shinee tag on tumblr and we watched this video of them and she thought it was really cute and like three days later she was suddenly stanning key (who she abandoned for gdragon three minutes after tbh) and here we both are from October 2014 to august 2017,,, running a kpop blog,,, been a wild ride

[ludostrait]

The reason why I become a fan of TVXQ

It was back in 2009 when I saw th controversy of TVXQ and the other three that trigger me of the knowledge of TVXQ but it wasn’t my first time seeing them on screen.

I was not a dedicated kpop fans during the late 90s but S.E.S was my first bias at the time and they lead me to the other three major groups at that time (H.O.T and Shinwa - because they were in the same company).

The first time I found out about TVXQ was on SM town summer album but they didn’t steal my attraction at all. Instead, I found CSJH (the later girls group - female TVXQ) more appaealing.

Around 2008 the popularity of TVXQ rose and they became the only Korean singers to sing the OP and Ending theme of One Peace (which was I don’t really like because the original one and the crew version were better). But it was a great accomplishment.

The lawsuit on 2009 was the trigger for me being their fan. I followed the case because every TV and netizens talk about it and it was also after the big break up of Hangeng from Super Junior, so I forced myself to keep my eyes on the case.

Blah, blah, blah…

I instantly became a fan of TVXQ. I support the duo and follow their music and entertainment activities. I brought their albums both Japanese and Korean but had never had chance to be on their concert.

As for the rest of the three, I didn’t follow them much. I did listen to their songs but they’ve never been my favorite because I already used to the genre from the other singers and groups and IMO they’re doing great but just not my style.

The duo, instead, the stole my attention because I aware of their disability (one who can’t dance and one who can’t sing - the way the fans used to call them) and yet they’re doing pretty well in package. The first song I really fancy of the duo was “How Can I” and the single “Maximum”. They’re two different styles but they managed to do them amazingly.

KYHD was not my favorite from the start because it was their tittle song and the lyrics didn’t really get me.

After a these years, I’m still their loyal fan. I’d wait for their comeback (and for Changmin to finish his millitary) and I thank them for not disbanding TVXQ and keep their heads up.

PS: I’m affraid to call myself a Cassiopean because some of the fans still linger on the last decade members of the group. (BigEast - it’s a cool name and I like it).

PS no2: I had an ig account @tvxqduo

PS no3: I’m a boy and was born in the same year with the maknae. (I was one of those 3.25% of the male fans you had ever mention in 2011)

#TVXQ #DBSK #THSK #TOHOSHINKI #MAX #UKNOW #CHOIKANGCHANGMIN #YUNOYUNHO #동방신기 #정윤호 #심창민 #유노윤호 #최강창민 #東方神起 #SMTown #SMEnt

[solecize]

REPLY 2009 ⠀ ⠀⠀.⠀⠀.⠀⠀.⠀(OR: 2009, YEAR OF US) — 003.

now playing: palette by iu ft. g-dragon

summary: ten years ago, we found ourselves at a turning point in pop culture as the decade began to close. this was the year that brought the world obama, the death of michael jackson, and the highest grossing film of all time, avatar. however, in south korea, something big was brewing as well and it started off with infectious lyrics, colourful costumes, and sensational dance moves: kpop. the korean wave that started to build several years ago begins to find its footing in the international limelight in 2009. this was the golden era of kpop. this was the time of sorry, sorry. the debut of quite possibly the most different and groundbreaking girl group in korean entertainment, 2NE1. the rise of shinee, one of the most consistent boy bands of this era and beyond. the throne of bigbang would remain steady with their ventures into japan. and of course. . . snsd's gee that would solidify their place as the nation’s girl group and overtake their male counterparts. nothing can touch this legendary age.meanwhile, in the very city that milled and churned out these stars, eight teenagers were also coming to a certain close in 2009. youth was suddenly running out like grains of a darkened hourglass, as everything and everyone brought tension into their lives. where was the next step on their path? high school is nothing more than a cruel halfway point between childhood and adulthood, but this group of friends made the most out of it. after all, this is the youngest that they'll ever be. this age is the time where hopes rise higher than ever, where love burns the most passionately, and the desire for freedom expands the furthest. in 2009, we follow these teenagers' stories to the background music of the opening chapters of kpop's greatest legacies.but, ten years later at their high school reunion, where do we find them.

or: highschool!got7, dancecrew!got7, coming of age, school reunion angst, reader x ?

PRESENT DAY (06)

As fate would have had it, Bambam arrived shortly after Jinyoung and I spoke of him. The night was still young and the two of us were still exploring the school while the other attendees had yet to arrive. Or so we thought. Jinyoung forgot something in the car and I wanted some fresh air before officially going into the gymnasium for the main event, so we made out way down. At the very same time, Bambam was being dropped off by a mustard taxi. The air was sweet with nostalgia and the darkening sky anticipated something great about to occur.

Neither Jinyoung or I recognized Bambam at first glance. He exited the car wearing a crisp, navy blue suit and Gucci sunglasses, with his middle parted hair dyed a reddish brown. The boy I was knew had grown and wore a great smile that I didn't see the last time I saw him. I didn't give him a second look until he called out our names.

"Wait—Bambam?" Jinyoung's jaw dropped and immediately, embraced the other man in a tight hug without having to think about it.

Bambam's pearly whites continued to shine. "It really is you guys! Come here!" He pulled me into a hug next and I wanted to cry right then and there, as I swayed with him back and forth in the hug.

"Oh my god, I didn't even think that you were, well, you!" I was at a loss for words.

"You guys look amazing, yo, have you been working out?" The Thailand native pinched Jinyoung's biceps, to which he flinched at. His eyes moved to me and it took him a moment. "You cut your hair!" Bambam reached out and my locks, now falling above the shoulders, laced in between his fingers.

"I prefer it short way more." I couldn't stop grinning.

"It suits you way more! You guys look so different," Bambam took in both of our appearances, "but it's as if nothing even changed."

Just the energy from the three of us was overflowing and as Jinyoung began to babble to Bambam about how he saw the latter's last movie in theatres, where the crowd gave a standing ovation, I couldn't imagine what it would be like when everyone was still together. This was just. . .nice having him around. Nobody had truly spent time together as a group since graduation and everyone hadn't been able to even see each other since the funeral.

The funeral.

It'd been pushed to the back of my mind like I so often did with many things, but I came to the reunion knowing that I'd have to talk about it at some point during the night, whether I liked it or not. That was strangely okay with me. I was ready to move on from what happened. However, I was not entirely sure if the others were. I couldn't even tell with Bambam, who was always bright and living his best life.

"Having not heard from you in a while, I would've have thought that you forgot about your loser high school friends," I teased.

Bambam giggled, as he placed his sunglasses on the top of his head. "Are you fucking crazy? If anything, I'm the loser high school friend. I bet that you have guys lining up just to take a look at you." He gestured to me. "I mean, high heels? Short hair? You're not that same girl from GOT at all!"

"My tastes have changed with age, I'm telling you!" I slapped his arm playfully, but Jinyoung cut in.

"Wait, what? Guys?" he said, looking between the two of us. "Holy shit, Bambam, you didn't know?"

I sucked in a sharp breath. Here it comes, I thought. This would be my first of many announcements of the night.

"Know what? Sorry, I'm really busy with work and I haven't talked to you guys in a while. Did I miss something?"

That's when I broke the news to him. All it took was for me to raise my left hand for Bambam to completely lose his mind. He froze for a second and I thought he wasn't going to move at all. Then, out of nowhere, he started to holler and picked me up by the waist.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" Bambam exclaimed, spinning me around. He started to yell words that I couldn't make out, except for 'married' and 'maid of honour.' Meanwhile, to our left, Jinyoung couldn't stop laughing and clapping his hands together at the reaction.

I screamed, giggles bubbling at my throat. "Bambam, put me down! Don't you want to know who he is?" Hysteria was beginning to build and if he didn't stop now, it wasn't going to go away at all.

"Wait, I know him?" The younger male gasped, immediately placing me back on the ground at the revelation.

I whispered the name into Bambam's ear and while I imagined that it would completely set him bouncing off the walls, he stayed right where he was. In fact, he didn't say a word. I was afraid that I'd completely missed something and made him upset, but he then he started to smile and shake his head. Bambam, for probably the first time in my entire life, was calm.

"Uh, Bambam? You okay, man?" Even Jinyoung was concerned, observing our friend's face.

Bambam just pulled me into another hug, but this time, he buried his face into my shoulder softly. "I'm so happy for the two of you. Congratulations."

"Why are you being so calm about this? Please, it's scaring me," I admitted, pulling back and put hands on both of his shoulders.

"Because I knew that it was always going to be the two of you," he replied simply. "You guys are meant for each other. I'm not surprised at all that you're getting married." Looking closely, it looked as though he was about to cry.

It was always going to be the two of you. Those words rang in my ears and gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling at the pit of my stomach. Things finally fell into place, just like puzzle pieces that went missing for a while. My brother seemed to share Bambam's thoughts, as he nodded in agreement.

I pretended to look disgusted. "Ew, Bam, don't get all sentimental with me now."

We both laughed and hugged again. Jinyoung joined us this time, wrapping arms around the both of us. It was probably an odd sight to passerbys, some random idiots who were blocking the main entrance to the school and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I didn't realize these emotions would come so early into the night. When Bambam remained peaceful, it was for important reasons.

"Don't you dare tell anyone yet! I know how your big mouth is and everyone's going to be frolicking to Haerin's most famous alum, so zip it!" I warned the actor, who grinned in response.

"You got it. Let's go in?"

Jinyoung said, "Let me just grab something and I'll met you guys inside." He patted Bambam's back and turned around to return to the car. At the soonest opportunity, Bambam took it upon himself to slap the other male's behind, just as they did when they were teenagers. Jinyoung yelped at the contact and began to swear at the actor, while he and I laughed at the sudden throwback.

He yelled, "You're dead later!"

When he was gone, Bambam looped his arm around mine.

"Shall I escort you before Prince Charming gets here?" His childish nature never changed and that's what I loved the most about him.

I laughed, nodding, and allowed the younger man to lead me into the school. As we entered, Bambam cooed in surprise at the surroundings, looking all around him. I could see the gears turning in his head, rewinding all the times he spent here that he forgot about, just as I did.

The floors were glossier than they were when Jinyoung and I arrived and the decorations were fully set up. Silver and maroon streamers ran up and down the pillars of the foyer with matching balloons spread across the area. The banner was pinned up, a refreshments table appeared beside the sign in area and I could smell the night's courses wafting in the area. The savoury dishes were being brought in by the caterers through the east doors and I watched the student volunteers scramble to help.

"This place looks exactly the same, it's amazing!" Bambam was filled with delight.

As we entered, the music system was being finished setting up. It didn't take long for the familiar phone ringing sound effect to fill my ears, followed by the crooning of the ladies from KARA. I ignored it at first, but the familiarity began to grow on my senses, as I hadn't heard this tune in years, but all it took was for the chorus of my only honey, honey, honey, for me to groan out loud.

Bambam noticed it too, his eyes lighting up and he began to sing along. "I've always wanted you and you only. . .man, this song takes me back. I used to love this song in high school!" He looked at me and chuckled at my reaction. "Oh, yeah. You used to really hate KARA!"

"I didn't hate them—"

"Oh, yeah?" He challenged and I knew exactly what he was going to bring up. "If I recall correctly, there was that one time where you said you'd rather—"

MARCH 2008 (05)

"—gouge my eyes out than listen to KARA's music."

Bambam and Jinyoung looked absolutely disturbed at my statement, even stopping to stare at me in the middle of the sidewalk. I was in the middle of texting Youngjae about details regarding our weekend plans, so I didn't even notice. It was only until I was several feet away that I realized I didn't feel the presence of the other two males at either side.

Looking back, I remained irritated. "What?"

Jinyoung and I walked home together everyday from school, but it wasn't unusual that one of his friends would join us on our route, as a few of them lived in the same area. Bambam, a Thai student on my brother's dance crew, joined us today. He's one of the few people in that group of friends that I was somewhat close with, since he'd been at Haerin in elementary and transferred in and out as his family's business required him to.

"That's a little extreme," he shuddered when he and Jinyoung walked back up to where I was.

The latter smirked knowingly and I just wanted to kick it off his face. "Would it have to do that Mark's been talking to that Hara lookalike in first year?"

"No," I answered a little too quickly.

"Bingo!" Bambam declared, sharing a high five with my brother right in front of my face.

The two of them began to sing Honey by KARA, which only irritated me further. I tried plugging in my earphones connected to my MP3 player, looking for any song that would block out their obnoxious singing. Even after pressing play on a SS501 song, their voices could still be heard.

I ripped the earbuds out and whined, "Just shut up!" I said over and over again that I was over Mark, that it was me who broke up with him, but my jealous tendencies couldn't help themselves.

"Oh baby, honey, honey, honey!" While Jinyoung stopped, the Thai male went on and on and even began to add a skip to his step. If we weren't in public, there were so many things that I wanted to do to him that would make him shut up.

Scrunching my nose, I said, "You really think Suji will date you with that kind of singing voice? Poor girl is going to go deaf." That made Bambam stop immediately.

"Hey, how do you know about that?" he interrogated, visibly distraught. Bambam looked over at Jinyoung, who made an innocent face. "Did you tell her?"

"No! Are you crazy?" Jinyoung raised his hands up in defense. Unlike me, he was quite good at keeping secrets.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. I've seen you guys flirt on each other's Facebook walls, it's nauseating."

Bambam looked like he was about to retort something back, but then he remembered something. "Oh! I almost forgot." He sent a devilish look toward Jinyoung.

"Do I want to know?" he raised a single eyebrow, already knowing that his friend was probably up to no good.

"Suji told me that she wants to audition for the crew!"

Jinyoung and I shared a glance and it didn't take long for the both of us to burst into laughter. Many students at Haerin knew that Suji couldn't dance at all, as the girl was on the cheerleading team and couldn't do a move for shit. It was well known that she only made the squad because the advisor, Mr. Park, favoured her greatly.

However, Bambam looked completely serious.

"You guys are so mean! She's not even that bad, we should let her at least audition," he pointed out. While it was the fair thing to do, it was still hilarious.

"Can someone record her audition and send it to me?" I was still laughing and both boys ignored me.

My brother gave him a pitiful look. "We can't let her do that. It's just going to be embarrassing for her."

The three of us continued walking down our regular route home, while Bambam attempted to reason with Jinyoung all the way there. I had other concerns on my mind, like how Youngjae not-so-discreetly signed up to audition for the dance crew and the basketball situation. I glanced over at my hand, which was still casted up. There really was no way that I could try out.

"But, Jinyoung, she's so pretty! And if we let her on the crew, then I can spend more time with her and—"

"Dude, the crew is not a shortcut to a girlfriend. If you suggested that to Yugyeom or Jaebum, they'd think that you've gone nuts." Jinyoung shook his head. "My sister would be a better addition than her!"

"Excuse me?" I was suddenly pulled back into the conversation. "I'm no dancer anymore, but I can't be a Suji."

"I'm saying the complete opposite of that, stupid."

"Oh, yeah! I forgot you used to dance!" Bambam recalled, tilting his head to the side. "You were actually pretty good. Why don't you dance anymore, like Jinyoung?"

I grumbled; this was the second time within a couple of days that someone's brought the subject of me dancing up. It was still sensitive as hell and talking about it made me feel like shit. "Because I don't like it anymore. Is that so hard for you guys to understand?"

Jinyoung loosed his uniform tie, probably out of aggravation. "Do you like anything anymore? All you do nowadays is watch Super Junior and take naps."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You used to actually have a passion for things!" He sighed aggravatingly, while Bambam watched on. "It's like high school changed you or something. This is our last year, don't you want to do something great? Do something worth remembering about when you look back? This is supposed to be it and as your brother, I can't just let you sit around."

I retorted, "Yes, you can. It's my life, Jinyoung." I didn't see anything wrong with supporting my inspirations and all Jinyoung ever seemed to do was shit on it. "I don't dance anymore and my passion is Super Junior!"

We finally arrived at Bambam's apartment complex. The air was thick and awkward, so the other male simply said goodbye and left as quickly as he could. I watched Bambam leave, as I hastily put my earbuds back in and blasted music. Jinyoung did the same and neither of us talked to the other on the way home. The slate sidewalks were silent with each step.

[bycolleene-blog]

So, I’m starting off my blog with this questionnaire.

(Grabbed from Facebook. CTTO.)

1. What was your first Kpop song?

-Sorry, Sorry-Answer by Super Junior, 2009

2. How did you discover Kpop?

-Through my cousin. She was the first to discover Kpop and has been crushing on Super Junior when she told me about it and showed me the Sorry, Sorry-Answer music video in Myx. That’s when I started pouring efforts in familiarizing the names and faces of those 13 boys (+2).

3. Who was your first female bias?

-I may not like SNSD today, but honestly my first female bias was Yuri. She was really pretty, especially in Oh! And then I started falling in love with Jessica after seeing her on Super Girl music video.

4. Who was your first male bias?

-My first male bias is actually Kyuhyun! He looked so young, and fresh, and handsome on Sorry, Sorry-Answer music video.

5. Who was your first favorite male/female group?

-It’s really Super Junior. (First and forever.) As cheesy as it may sound, Super Junior opened a whole new world for me. They brought me to the Kpop world that really gave spice to my plain, boring life.

6. First choreography you learned?

-Gee is really a phenomenon. It was so catchy and bubbly, my friends and I learned it. Also, IU’s Marshmallow. My friends and I used to dance Gee and Marshmallow in class as ice breakers to our Economics class.

7. Favorite Kpop group right now?

-I have three: Super Junior (forever!!!), BigBang, and 2NE1 (IDC if they disbanded already). But in the new generations of Kpop group, I have two new favorites: GOT7, and IKON. GOT7 has this certain charm that I really can’t get enough, and IKON is just exceptionally *almost* as talented as BigBang.

8. First Kpop reality show?

-I wasn’t really fond of watching reality shows. I was just actually so focused with Super Junior back then. So I think the first reality show with Kpop idols that I watched consistently was We Got Married, specifically KhunToria couple, and YongSeo couple (which are my all time OTP faves).

9. Not counting your bias group, which group has a special place in your heart?

-FT Island and CN Blue. I may not be fond of FT Island’s songs but they’re one of the first Kpop groups I’ve learned about. After their PRAY promotions and after watching Coming Out FT Island, I really thought they’re not just any ordinary Kpop group out there. While CN Blue’s music are literally *Ear Fun* to me. I just love listening to Yong’s voice. (PS: My phone ringtone is Love Light.)

10. What was the first Kpop thing you bought?

-I actually asked my mom to buy it for me, Super Show 2 Concert CD. It made me fall harder for the boys.

11. What was life before Kpop?

-Plainly boring. Got no interest at anything at all.

12. How has Kpop changed your life?

-Stuck branches to me. If I hadn’t known about Kpop, I don’t think I’d discover my interest and skills in any multi-media or digital design. I mean, I started learning Photoshop editing pictures of Super Junior, and such. I learned a lot of stuff, although not directly connected to Kpop but something it has to do with. Also, I think all of the Kpop fans have this, a very big heart and love for the idols we’re not even sure if we can meet someday.

I really think Kpop fans have the biggest heart in the world for loving and supporting people, even though we all know that these people might never know about our individual existence. But still, we love them and truly care for them.

[sehyissi]

Bias questions!

Tagged by @blondshua​! Thank you for this! ♡

1. Who was your first bias and who is your current one?

My first bias was Jeonghan! But now it’s Wonwoo. My bias list looks like:

#1 Wonwoo #1.5 Jeonghan #2 The rest of sebongies hahahaha

2. Why did you get into kpop?

My aunt who worked in SK brought home with her the first mini album of 2NE1 way back 2009 and I got sucked in. I was not consistent though. I had a break from kpop 2011 until February 2016 when I acknowledged my hidden love for Super Junior (because I hated anything not 2NE1 related circa 2009 lol I WAS JUST A CHILD OKAY). Then had another from late May until mid-November where Park Bogum (with Irene’s help) led me to Seventeen ㅋㅋ

3. If you could join any kpop group, who would you choose?

Even though I’m a girl, I would really love to be in Seventeen. They are just so passionate about their work and I feel like joining their team will really make me want to become a better person even more.

4. If all of your biases proposed to you, who would you choose?

Joshua. Because I feel like we will be able to connect in a spiritual level. It’s a Jesus-lover thing. LOL. I’d love to say Wonwoo because I see myself a lot in him but that’s the problem.

5. If you could be in any fanfic, what would it be?

I don’t really read fanfics! It’s bad for my health! I like those short au’s better.

6. What mythical creature would you be if you had the chance?

I would be like a cool fairy godmother or anything that grants wishes! This question seems so random though? LMAO

7. Supernatural! au or mafia! au?

Supernatural. Again, what is the connection? Haha

8. Which kpop idol would you switch bodies with?

I would like to have Mingyu’s please. Girl version though. lolwut

9. If you could have any idol as a pocket size companion, who would you chose?

HOSHI JEBAL HE’S JUST SO FLUFFY AND FUN I CAN ALREADY IMAGINE A POCKET-SIZE VERSION OF HIM DANCING ON MY PALM RIGHT NOW

10. Which idol you would want as a sibling?

I’d like Jeonghan as my oppa just because he is my type of oppa. An oppa who is not really always sweet but genuinely cares for you.

11. If you were only able to say five words to your bias, what would you say to them?

You’re always in my prayer :)

I don’t really know a lot of people here so if you’re my follower and you read this, I tag you! Haha

[solecize]

REPLY 2009 ⠀ ⠀⠀.⠀⠀.⠀⠀.⠀(or: 2009, year of us) — 001.

now playing: forever young by got7

summary: ten years ago, we found ourselves at a turning point in pop culture as the decade began to close. this was the year that brought the world obama, the death of michael jackson, and the highest grossing film of all time, avatar. however, in south korea, something big was brewing as well and it started off with infectious lyrics, colourful costumes, and sensational dance moves: kpop. the korean wave that started to build several years ago begins to find its footing in the international limelight in 2009. this was the golden era of kpop. this was the time of sorry, sorry. the debut of quite possibly the most different and groundbreaking girl group in korean entertainment, 2NE1. the rise of shinee, one of the most consistent boy bands of this era and beyond. the throne of bigbang would remain steady with their ventures into japan. and of course… snsd’s gee that would solidify their place as the nation’s girl group and overtake their male counterparts. nothing can touch this legendary age.meanwhile, in the very city that milled and churned out these stars, eight teenagers were also coming to a certain close in 2009. youth was suddenly running out like grains of a darkened hourglass, as everything and everyone brought tension into their lives. where was the next step on their path? high school is nothing more than a cruel halfway point between childhood and adulthood, but this group of friends made the most out of it. after all, this is the youngest that they’ll ever be. this age is the time where hopes rise higher than ever, where love burns the most passionately, and the desire for freedom expands the furthest. in 2009, we follow these teenagers’ stories to the background music of the opening chapters of kpop’s greatest legacies.but, ten years later at their high school reunion, where do we find them.

or highschool!got7, dancecrew!got7, coming of age, school reunion angst, reader x ?

PRESENT DAY (1)

The familiar smell of textbook induced tears and broken hearts filled my lungs like a smokey, forgotten haze as I remained in an entranced stare towards my old high school building. No other place had such a vile, but hexing scent. Jinyoung tugged me out of his car when I didn’t move, too mesmerized by the scenery that I’d thought I left at the very back of my mind when I threw my cap in the air for the very last time ten years ago. In 2009. However, finding my feet meeting the ugly concrete of the parking lot, I realized that it was always going to be somehow lingering, bothering me like an itch that I cannot reach, when I let out a shocked breath of air.

“So, we meet again,” I mumbled, as if reuniting with an old foe—wasn’t that was high school was for anybody?

Jinyoung’s lips stretched out into a wide grin and I could practically see the memories in his head doing a full flashback reel. “Nothing’s really changed, huh?”

With a glance to my phone screen, I couldn’t help but shoot a glare towards my brother when I noticed the time. “Dude, we’re early. And not like early enough to get to the hors d’oeuvre before anyone else, but as in the parking lot is almost empty early.”

He’d always been the punctual one between the two of us and it was like that since we were born. I usually wouldn’t have a problem with that, unless of course, I would be forced to become punctual as well. Being the less sociable and more restless one, it wasn’t enjoyable at all. Jinyoung only shrugged after taking a glance around us and too, noticed the lack of vehicles in the parking lot. The event was supposed to start at 6:00, but it was only 5:00.

“Who cares? It gives us more time to explore.” He rubbed his hands together in excitement, as he started to walk away. I called out his name in irritation, but he only raised up his arm and with a click and beep, locked the car doors in response.

Since graduating, there was no reason for me to return back to Haerin. Not even alumni events or my fiance’s occasional commitments to the school. If only he was able to make it, I wasn’t even sure of that. I opened my mouth to complain about his lack of presence, but remembered that I’d been doing it the entire car ride to the school, until Jinyoung begged me to “shut up before I do it with my foot” and that “he’ll be here soon, don’t worry.”

Strolling closer to the building, after a half-assed jog to keep up with my brother, it didn’t even feel like I’d left. I’d spent so many years on this campus and went through an entire rollercoaster, especially during my final year. Everything seemed to come flooding back in at once.

There was some muffled chatter coming from inside, indicating that there were indeed people inside. I was met with disappointment when I saw some teenagers at the front, who seemed to be busy with setting up a sign-in table adorned with ribbon. Beside it, there were large balloons that represented the words “CLASS OF 09” in the classic school colours of silver and maroon. They dressed in the usual Haerin attire of polyester uniform and all black shoes, I realized they were current students that were probably volunteers.

One boy with the name tag that read Woojin looked up at Jinyoung and widened his eyes in surprise, nudging his fellow volunteer. “O-Oh! Hello. We weren’t expecting the attendees until six—” I gave an I-told-you-so look to my brother, who pretended not to see it.

“Here’s a button! There isn’t really anyone here yet, though, so. . “ The girl next to him, her name tag indicating that she was called Ryujin. She handed the two of us a little button pin that read “HAERIN CLASS OF 2009 TEN YEAR REUNION.” I smiled and thanked her, as she showed us where to sign in.

As Jinyoung and I did so in silence, I felt as if we were being watched. I looked up and noticed a third volunteer, a boy who was putting up a banner on the front doors and eyeing us at the same time. When our eyes met, he raised his eyebrows.

“U-Um, excuse me. You guys don’t happen to be the Park siblings, do you? Part of the founders of the school dance crew?”

Jinyoung’s head snapped up, clearly surprised by the recognition. “Yeah! Well, this one wasn’t a founder, but that’s us. You know who we are?”

MARCH 2009 (2)

“Well, if you don’t want to join choir, that’s fine. There’s definitely way more options, anyway. Uh, chess club, baseball, the school newspaper—”

Spring rolled around faster than I’d expected and soon enough, I was buttoning up my uniform shirt and putting on my backpack for my final year of high school. I’d always imagined what it’d be like to finally become a senior since I was little, watching the dramas and movies about teenage life. When it finally hit me, I didn’t even feel the blow. The end of my childhood creeped up on me without me even knowing it. Yesterday felt like swing sets and multiplication tables as homework and today was suddenly university applications.

It was the year 2009, the first decade of the 21st century coming to a close. It was the year of blue avatars and Zac Efron, where everyone had A Feeling thanks to the Black Eyed Peas, and everyone was nose deep into the world of Facebook. Every American teen star wanted to have tantrums in front of the whole world. Whether you liked to admit it or not, you definitely over accessorized in 2009 with ugly hats, chunky belts and layered necklaces. Everyone hated Lady Gaga, wanted to be her, or were confused by her. Not to mention, everyone was obsessed with the sparkly vampire kids from Twilight.

Meanwhile in Korea, BIGBANG, DBSK, and Super Junior were the kings of kpop, but it seemed as though Girls Generation were looking to become royalty in their own right, with Gee having just come out. It was all we fucking heard over the school break, that was for sure. Though it may not sound so long ago, looking back, the events of 2009 feel like a lifetime ago. I was closing the chapter on my high school life, but this would be my most eventful one yet.

“Is the dance crew any good?”

I looked at my best friend as if he just grew three heads and a tail. We were walking along the halls and he suddenly stopped to look at one of the flyers that the crew obnoxiously posted on almost every surface in the building. He was looking at the bottom, below the dancer figure that was way too cool to represent the crew, where the auditions were being held.

Youngjae turned to me and when he saw the expression on my face, his smile faltered. “What? Hey, wait up!” I began to walk away, having better things to do than look at the crew’s flyers. “Isn’t your brother on the crew?”

“Yeah, says he needs something to do in his freetime or whatever. I don’t know if you wanna join, though…” I trailed off.

It wasn’t like I had some sort of vendetta against the crew, I just believed that Youngjae could be better off pursuing other things. Reading off the school handbook that held the school teams and clubs, I wanted to help him out. I wouldn’t have imagined that he’d even be interested in dancing after the fiasco that was his stint as an idol trainee, but he managed to prove me wrong. Looking into his eyes, I could see that he was genuinely interested, though.

He asked, “Why, is there something wrong with them?”

“No, it’s not like that. I mean, they’re pretty okay, they’re more like a club since they aren’t really competition people.” I shrugged. “I just don’t know if you’d …fit in with those kind of people.”

I clearly didn’t want Youngjae to join the crew. He had the talent for it and already knew Jinyoung, so there was a good chance that he’d pass auditions. I said that I didn’t have a vendetta, but after breaking up with Mark, I wasn’t sure how I felt about my best friend hanging around him and my brother, considering I used to have to fight for Youngjae’s attention when we were kids.

Youngjae was confused at that. I had to nudge my head towards the front foyer, where some of those very members were gathering. It was four of them, lounging around, probably catching up with each other as if they didn’t spend every waking moment as a unit during the break and playing catch with Jinyoung’s student ID while blasting Chris Brown from one of the three’s boombox. Between the ruckus causing Jackson and Bambam with the wannabe DBSK haircut was their apparent crew leader, Im Jaebum.

Upon watching them for a few moments, he came to a conclusion. “So, they’re delinquents or something?”

I thought of my book smart brother and reserved Mark, even the laidback Yugyeom. “What? No. Individually, they’re quite the personalities and they’re all fine, but as a collective,” I paused looking to string together the appropriate words, “they’re not quite respected around here. Students think their dance crew is a joke and girls just want to throw themselves on the boys because they’re good looking.”

I had my fair share of having to reject the fragile hearts of girls that confessed to Jinyoung on his behalf. It was embarrassing, having to do it. Having seen them dance in action one or two times, I’m sure they weren’t terrible, but I wasn’t sure why anybody would want to join them since all they did 90% of the time was fool around.

“I take it that you’re not auditioning, then.”

Jumping at the voice that seemed to appear out of nowhere, sounds of scribbling granite was heard behind me. I turned around and was met with the face of Jackson Wang, the usual power forward of the school basketball team. He’d made his way here without me noticing. Rumours spread towards the end of the last school year that he was the top candidate to be this year’s captain. He had a bright red mechanical pencil out, writing his name onto the sign-up sheets for basketball tryouts, as if he even had to try out.

Smiling shamelessly, I replied, “I’m no dancer anymore. I was going to do basketball this year again, but—” I raised up my left hand, showing off the cast that adorned the area. It was all thanks to an unfortunate accident when playing basketball with Jinyoung the week prior, the Jinyoung who couldn’t do sports if his life depended on it and ended up hurting me in the process.

The Hong Kong native sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s terrible, man. What’s the team going to do without you?” he teased, which somewhat offended me. I hadn’t been a Jackson-esque star on the girls’ team, but I was a first string player and played a decent amount to be considered important.

“Like I said, you should join volleyball  after basketball season ends! You’re tall and you hit hard, so you’d make the cut for sure,” Youngjae chimed in and it was at this moment that Jackson noticed the other male, searching for familiarity in his face, but found none.

I decided to step in. “Jackson, this is Youngjae. He transferred from Hanlim. And Youngjae,” I watched the two attempt to exchange a handshake, with Jackson going for a fist bump, but failed when the other decided to be a little bit more formal, “this is Jackson. He’s on my brother’s dance crew.”

“Hanlim? The arts school? You’re lucky to have a cutie like her showing you around,” Jackson winked in my direction, but I ignored it. He was naturally a flirtatious guy and I was immune to such mannerisms at this point, even though I’d tease back at some times. It wasn’t one of those times. Just the subject of basketball brought irritation to my senses, as I’d been looking forward to the season as a senior for the longest time.

Youngjae grew uncomfortable at the mention of his old school and chose to ignore it. “How many members is the dance crew looking for?”

“One.”

At that, Youngjae let out a sound of shock and sputter. “O-One? Why only one?”

“We usually only perform as seven and our seventh got into a huge argument with Jaebum. Chairs were thrown.” Jackson whispered the last part into the other’s ear in an ominous manner and looked around as if someone was watching them. “And because Jaebum is our leader, he has final say on everything and he wanted Wooyoung out.”

“So, he threw his usual hissy fit because he didn’t get along with someone?” I said dryly. I didn’t know Jaebum that well, but I knew him well enough to see how exactly he ran the crew.

He chuckled at what I said, not denying it, and turned back to Youngjae. “You got any previous experience?”

“If you could call it that.”

Attempting to cut in, I could see exactly what Jackson was trying to do. He cocked his head to the side, looking at me up and down. I knew well enough that Jackson wasn’t checking me out, it was some unconscious habit that he had. “I didn’t see you hanging around Jinyoung or the house over the break, did I? Where were you?”

“Stop trying to change the subject! I was working and visited my grandparents for a bit without him. Don’t you dare try to recr—”

Youngjae slyly slid Jackson his number on a piece of paper. I’m interested, he mouthed behind my head, which I only noticed when Jackson nodded in response.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Before I knew it, phone numbers were being exchanged and further info and tips were being provided by Jackson to him. After the basketball player left, I gaped at Youngjae, who I’d just spent time warning him about the crew. He only looked at me with the innocence that only Choi Youngjae could successfully feign.

“What? Hey, do you think I should audition with Gee?” He looked genuinely excited and that was something that I couldn’t deny. “It is 2009, after all. A whole new year, new opportunities.”