#minjung packs

[fmdjace]

❝ it's dangerous, a close call, holding on by a thread

solo related jihoon’s reaction to don’t doing well on the charts date: september 4th 2022 song choice: don’t word count: 495 notes: jihoon is not excited about next year at all, but he knows his manager only wants the best

jihoon is sat on one of the make up chairs backstage, getting ready for their los angeles stop. first day as well, which was a bit more stressful if he had to be honest. when you did two days at the same time, there was always something that really scratched his brain with  mild worry. he is just on his phone, scrolling through insta, going on naver, anything to keep himself busy as he gets his hair done. finishing touches or whatever, there wasn’t that long to go before the concert started. 

he is busy, pretends to be busy, but he notices daehyun staring at his intensely through the mirror, he would have ignored it, if it wasn’t for his shit eating grin. it’s enough to make jihoon pay attention to him.

“what did you sell a part of my soul for now?“ the idol asks, getting a chuckle from the hairstylist as she continues to curl specific strands of his hair.

“you make me sound like the devil.“ his manager sighs, but shuffles closer and holds his phone out for jihoon to read. “i was just looking at the charts out of curiousity, you know.“ oh, so he was looking at how don’t was doing… jihoon feels his mood sour almost instantly. it takes a bit of psyching up for jihoon to actually look at the screen, a but reluctant.

catalyst hadn’t been doing great in terms of charting lately. by lately, he means more than a year now, but he couldn’t really do much. so he expects don’t have have plummeted in the depths of the charts as well, already thinking of an apology to send to minjung considering her solo career was doing great.

jace and minjung’s portal collaboration “don’t” debuted at #86 before rising to #2 in its second week. “oh?“ he says, obviously surprised as he reaches to the phone, almost snatching it out of daehyun’s hands. 

“what the fuck..“

“language.“

“you haven’t edited this have you-“

“what type of monster do you think i am-“

“i am asking because it was like in the top 100 last week, what do you mean 2nd place?“

“well, obviously people are listening to your collab, jihoon.“ daehyun hisses out and snatches his phone back. the excitement however, almost dies quicker than jihoon can thrive in it. he knows what’s gonna happen next. he is very much aware of gold stars tactic with him, his manager has been on it since day one if he had to be honest.

“you’re not gonna push me for a solo, are you?“ there is the potential to find dread in his voice.

daehyun’s reaction is crystal clear, a tight lipped smile, a slap on jihoon’s back followed by a shrug “jihoon, you are doing great, okay? i will never fight for you to do something, unless i know you will absolutely ace it.“ the idol can’t help but physically cringe, but his manager laughs and pats his back again.

next year.. was going to be a packed one.

[yeolog]

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ ャ sunshine layouts. 🧸

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[leafz0ne]

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[ibuyhee]

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[thisbeatchachinglikemoney]

Chapter 3

Masterlist | Next Part

AN: Let me know if you like this series and if you want to be added to the taglist :)

Jimin and Yoongi were riding bicycles, with Jimin in the lead. They went along the country road towards the town of Crema and its bank.

 The day was already hot. Jimin’s shirt was sticking to his back and he could feel his shorts getting warmer by the second.

 The countryside shone under the soft sunlight of the Po Valley.

 Their stop at the bank was actually quite quick. Jimin had waited outside while Yoongi had gone in. He could never get used to the sight of Yoongi walking away from him.

 The two were sat at the little café in the town square that had iron chairs and tables, drinking coffee. Yoongi examined the bank application forms, then folded them up and put them in his knapsack. He looked around the almost empty square.

 “What does one do around here?” Yoongi asked.

 Jimin took a sip of his coffee. How Tae did not like this stuff, he did not know. “Nothing.” He replied. “Wait for summer to end.”

 “What do you do in the winter, then?” Yoongi asked. Before Jimin could answer, he continued to speak. “Don’t tell me: wait for summer, right?”

 “We come here only for Christmas and some other vacation…” Jimin trailed off.

 “Christmas?”

 “And Easter too. We are Jewish, Korean, German, Italian… somewhat atypical. Besides my family you are probably the only other Jew who has set foot in this town.”

 “I am from a small town in Daegu. I know what its like to be the odd Jew out.” Yoongi paused. “And what else do you do here in summer, besides this?” Jimin smiled and said nothing. They both laughed. “What do you do?”

 “Transcribe music. Read books. Swim at the river. Go out at night.” Jimin replied.

 Yoongi took this in, his eyes hidden by dark sunglasses as he gathered up his things, cutting their conversation off. They silently reclaimed their bikes.

 Yoongi seemed to be miles away, but as Jimin was getting on his bike, he lost balance for a moment and Yoongi put his arm around his shoulder steadying him.

 He then sped off, saying “Later”, leaving Jimin on his own.

 ❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀

 Jaehyun was attempting to devise a new filing system for his correspondence. His office was a bit of a mess; there were packs of letters lying about and open boxes with more letters.

 Yoongi was helping him and Jimin was with them.

 Minjung entered carrying a little tray with a pitcher of more apricot juice which she poured out into glasses. Everyone had some. Yoongi downed his in a gulp. He smacked his lips, and said “Ah!”

 Minjung looked at him amused. Jimin looked at his father, already knowing what he was about to say.

 “The word apricot comes from the Arabic – it’s like the words ‘algebra’, ‘alchemy’, and ‘alcohol’. It derives from an Arabic noun combined with the Arabic article ‘al-’ before it. The origin of our Italian ‘albicocca’ was ‘albarquq’…” Jaehyun paused to drawn breath, then continued, warming to his subject. “It’s amazing that today in Israel and many Arab countries the fruit is referred to by a totally different name: ‘mishmish’.”

 Through all of this, Yoongi had been listening carefully. Jimin knew what his father was doing and Yoongi was about to fall right into his trap.

 “I beg to differ.” Yoongi inputted.

 “Ah?” Jaehyun seemed to have his interest piqued.

 “The word is not actually an Arabic word.”

 “How so?”

 Jimin and Minjung listened carefully. They had seen all this happening in the past.

 “It’s a long story, so bear with me, Pro.” Yoongi began. “Many Latin words are derived from the Greek. In the case of ‘apricot’, however, it’s the other way around.” He threw a quick, amused look at Jimin. “Here the Greek takes over from Latin. The Latin word was praecoquum, from pre-coquere, pre-cook, to ripen early, as in precocious, meaning premature. The Byzantines – to go on – borrowed praecox, and it became prekokkia or berikokki, which is finally how the Arabs must have inherited it as al-barquq.” There was a moment of silence. Jimin and Minjung looked at Jaehyun. Yoongi continued. “Courtesy Philology 101.”

 Jaehyun was bemused. “Passes with flying colours.”

 Minjung, unable to resist, started laughin.

 Jimin turned to Yoongi. “He does this every year…”

 Yoongi smiled, shaking his head.

 ❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀

 Jimin took Yoongi into the local town later in the day just to get out of the house and to also spend some time alone with him. Yes, he obviously had ulterior motives. Who wouldn’t with someone who looked the way Yoongi did?

 They were walking down the street when Yoongi stepped into a small bar. Some men were sitting at two of the tables with playing cards. The place was lively with waiters bringing coffee and other drinks to the customers.

 Some of the men looked up and nodded at Yoongi, seeming to know him. Jimin was taken by surprise. How did they know him? A small curl of jealousy flared inside him, making Jimin shake his head and scold himself internally. Not yet. It was way too early to be acting like this. Yoongi sat down at one of the tables where a game was starting.

 “How do you know this place?” Jimin asked.

 Yoongi winked, causing Jimin’s heart to skip a beat as he pulled up a chair and sat, spectating the game.

 The cards were dealt. Yoongi, accepted at once, treated his fellow players as equals, which Jimin found admirable. Despite being a rich intellectual, a guest at the villa of one of the area’s richest men, he was still down to earth and humbled. Jimin internally sighed feeling himself beginning to fall.

[minjungfmd]

famed verification — don’t

summary — a toss in of a random song she said she’d take part in. doesn’t expect it turn into hours of replaying old memories. warnings — none wc — 638 (not including lyrics)

recordings take a break, she just loses herself in the process. loses any semblance of creative liberation, along with any melody that comes from her two hands. three hours into staring at the screen, and she’s left still with a tabula rosa canvas — the only direction: try again.

right timings occur when the rap on the door pries herself away from the minutes of self-agonizing frustration, her eyes peek past to the visitor. 

an old friend, she welcomes with open arms. motions to the empty sofa lying in the studio (as if it’s her own, this is no home. this is a makeshift prison).

“what brings you to my side of town?”

“a proposition — a song, your song actually. with the catalyst member.”

“so, i’ve heard.”

meeting rooms, and exploitation of a fundamental friendship as a storyline for cheap tv. it sells, makes her into another product, tacking on another reminder of things to do when her response is low, and she’s thwarted hours in creating anything of substance. 

yet, one toss of a usb, and one wry smile yanked from a producer friend. she knows, it’s a proposition for another game. 

“instructions and rough base of the song is there. make use of time, and maybe — i’ll stop by with a coffee when you’re not forced to be here.”

-

read.txt

song about dwindling lovers, alcohol — courage? or the start to the downfall? rap written as a base to frame, see what you make do with it. if not, guess i’ll have to write the rest. but i’m lazy, so good luck seo minjung 

ps: know i’ll charge a dior fee if i have to write the rest

-

lovers and alcohol, two things she fails at. a dwindling time bomb for when the alcohol laces her veins, and suddenly she wears a false sense of confidence, inside a chasm where the past mistakes become re-written with the truth that speaks tonight.

alcohol’s a dangerous weapon, handled with care. (she’s careless, always has been when falling into temptation leads to the five seconds of euphoria). it’s not her fault, no. she refuses (knows it’s her fault anyway) when memories always begin with the echoes of footsteps coming closer to her one by one, her heart loosely caught in the palm of her hand. hands raised, she falls with the devilish touch of alcohol.

it’s dangerous, a close call holding on by a thread

i can only see it as temptation

don’t come to me, don’t

because it always starts at the same story. her muse, a solo silhouette of the skeleton that doesn’t give despite how many times she’s locked it deep in her head. her head says don’t, her heart says, yes. and you know the dangerous aftermath of what comes with the asynchrony of the heart and head. the heart wins out. doesn’t matter how many times the words she utters fall into a don’t, her eyes speak differently.

don’t cross the line, please don’t give me the alcohol, don’t i might try to make it work with you if drunk

 the aftermath already follows suit before it all starts. the cataclysmic mash-up of too many drinks and the courage that doesn’t fade despite how many more drinks she tries to upkeep the false sense of security in the moment. faux bravado — it’s a dangerous thing. wrapping her up underneath its finger when her head tells her once more, it’s only temporary as with most things. her heart says something else: regrets or not, she’s already decided.

alcohol no longer feels good. impulse no longer feels smart.

creative liberation or not, she’s still stuck writing the same lines over and over for someone who’s only an illusion of the past.

she types up the note document into one. hours staged in flashbacks she ought to forget — never forget, it always resurfaces in the studio. types it into a document, attaches the vocal guide before packing it all into an email to press send.

figures, it’s a day that’s already bled into the next.

[famedbase]

base tv: crowned, round 3

project type: competition show

project duration: june to august (airing july to august)

limitations: none

participation: all muses in the roleplay

deadline: august 27, 2022, at 11:59pm edt / august 28, 2022, at 12:59pm kst *

for the final round of the show, all of the groups will have one final chance to show why they deserve to leave the show crowned winner above the others.

in-’verse info

filming for the second round will take place from august 8 to august 28.

the mission for the final episode is “original song". each group will have to rehearse and perform an entirely original release for this round.

the groups will have from august 8 to prepare their stage for filming of the final stages, which will be broadcast live on august 28.

groups choose and prepare all elements of their song by the time of their final performance. this is likely to be the most intense rounds for the groups, as they have to learn a new song, record it in the studio, learn the choreography, attend fittings and conceptual meetings, rehearse their stage, and more, in the span of three weeks.

on august 11, a few days into rehearsals for the final round and after voting for the second round closes, groups are informed of the final ranking for round two as follows:

1. polaris 2. calypso 3. catalyst 4. selene 5. candy 6. arcadia 7. equinox 8. cloud 9. lily 10. platinum 11. ultraviolet 12. titan 13. quantum/phase

the unit ranking results were as follows:

vocal units:

1. equinox’s suji & candy’s yerin 2. titan’s duri & lily’s yuri 3. equinox’s minjung & selene’s hyojung 4. titan’s haru, polaris’s min, & catalyst’s rioh

dance unit:

1. equinox’s kiana 2. platinum’s haon

rap unit:

1. calypso’s lux 2. selene’s kami

in addition to the rankings, everyone is informed that calypso won the most votes from other groups as the strongest performance while titan earned the most votes from other groups as the weakest performance. 

no benefits or penalties are doled out at this time, but everyone is told that all thirteen groups will be going on a two-night, one-day trip from august 26 to august 28, to have “a vacation to reflect on the memories made during crowned”. off-camera, information is given to managers to pass onto the idols about exact times of the trip and what they should pack, but idols are kept mostly in the dark about whether anything will happen on the trip other than a filmed vacation.

the original songs each group will end up performing are as follows:

titan: "checkmate” lily: “you think” cloud: “hit” candy: “so bad” calypso: “whistle” polaris: “basquiat” [line distribution here] quantum/phase: “the real” (including mingi’s verses) arcadia: "pose” selene: “destiny” platinum: “finale (show and prove)” equinox: “dazzle dazzle” catalyst: “wolfgang” ultraviolet: “me”

** several of the management teams have decided to release music videos this round, in hopes of improving their chances. lily, cloud, candy, equinox, and ultraviolet will film music videos for their songs in addition to the rest of preparations. polaris will film and release a performance video.

each group’s song will be digitally released onto streaming platforms on august 22.

on august 26, the groups will travel (by separate van) to a small lakefront community of four vacation houses that have been rented out for the filming. the groups will arrive that evening in the order of their ranking from last round and when they arrive, they’ll be told which house they’re staying in, based on ranking.

note: the general vibe of the area would be something like this, with all of the houses lined up around a central yard. houses vary in size based on ranking, but all are considered luxury vacation homes. examples of what they might look like are this, this, this, and the houseboats being something like this.

each house is given a status-signifying ‘name’ they are referred to as to the idols.

polaris and calypso will be staying in the ‘house of diamonds’. this house is the largest one, housing five total bedrooms. they will stay two to a room (with each room having two beds) and only members of the same group can room together. they will have meals prepared for them by a private chef during the whole trip and will have a cleaning service come in every morning to clean the house. they’ll be able to practice at any time of day they wish and may kick another group out of a practice room if they’re all full.

catalyst, selene, and candy will stay in the ‘house of gold’. this house also has five rooms. they will stay three to a room except for the master bedroom, where four members of either candy or selene will stay. each room will have two bunk beds. selene and candy members may stay with their own group members or members of the other group, but catalyst members must share rooms within their group. they will have a cleaning service come in every morning, but will have to cook their own meals. they’ll be able to practice any time from 9am-3pm.

equinox, arcadia, and cloud will stay in the ‘house of silver’. this house also has five rooms. cloud members will stay in two rooms of three members and must stay with their own group members. equinox and arcadia members will stay in either one room of three roommates or one of two other rooms of four members. they may stay with their own members or members of the other group. they’ll only be able to practice at any time from 3pm-9pm.

lily, platinum, and ultraviolet will stay in the ‘house of bronze’. this house has three rooms and each group will stay in one room together with four sleeping bags. they will be expected to keep their house clean as well as prepare their own meals. they’ll only be able to practice at any time from 9pm-3am.

quantum/phase and titan will each be ‘exiled’, which means they each stay in one of two much smaller two-room houseboats on the lake during their stay. all members of each group will share the two rooms of their respective houseboat (one intended to be a bedroom and one intended to be a social area) sleeping in sleeping bags. they will be expected to keep their houseboat clean as well as prepare their own meals. each houseboat has only a microwave, no stove or oven. they’ll only be able to practice at any time from 3am-9am.

as the mvp winner of the first round, @fmdduri is informed that he will trading in his oversized prop key for a key to a house he will stay in dubbed the ‘house of rubies’: a one-bedroom cottage complete with all the amenities he could need, including a fully-stocked kitchen, a bathroom with a jacuzzi bath, and a private garden area. like the ‘house of diamonds’, he will have access to a private chef and personal cleaning services during his stay. he also gets a ‘pass’ allowing his group one time to practice outside of their designated practice hours. they may kick out any currently practicing group to use this if they have to.

cameras will be set up in each room inside of each house except for the bathrooms. cameras will also be affixed outside of the houses. additionally, camera operators will be present to film anything of particular note. there is a warehouse nearby set up for groups to practice their performance, which the groups can be driven to by their managers (with times decided by house / previous round’s ranking). idols may visit houses they are not staying in, but they may not spend the night there or use their benefits (ex. the private chef). if they don’t have it at their own residence.

on the night of august 26, there will be filming of a bbq party where each house (diamond, gold, silver, bronze, quantum/phase’s houseboat, and titan’s houseboat) will be expected to bring a dish (or multiple). the ‘house of diamonds’ may choose to have their private chef cook the dish they bring, but the rest will have to cook the dish themselves from what is in their kitchen. duri may not use his personal private chef to cook to represent titan.

on the afternoon of august 27, the groups will compete in a competition on the lawn connecting the houses. they’ll compete in their groups to guess songs by the other competing groups based on song lyrics. (groups cannot try to guess their own songs or they’ll be penalized.) the winning group will switch places with the losing group for the final day. (note: this means the losing group could move into a better house while the winning group moves into a worse one, not just the other way around, so trying to lose could be as much a strategy as trying to win.) in the end, ultraviolet wins and polaris loses. for that night, polaris will move into the ‘house of bronze’ and ultraviolet will move into the ‘house of diamonds’.

the live broadcast of the finale will be held on august 28. the groups will leave around 10am that day (after all houses without a personal cleaning team clean up to leave their houses in top shape). they will drive back to the broadcast station. this performance will be live on a slight delay (~5 minutes).  the groups will perform in order from last place last round to first place last round. they will perform in front of a live audience of fans of all groups and a group of ‘special judges’’. the ‘special judges’ for round three will be a group of production crew who have worked on various mnet idol productions, such as mcountdown, the mnet asian music awards, and crowned itself. they’ll evaluate the performances as well as their personal experiences with the idols.

performances will be scored for this round through a combination of live votes from the audience and viewers at home, performance on digital charts, and the special judges’ votes. 

mun info

participation in final song

muses may be involved in the production, choreography, and styling for their original song. starting at midnight edt on tuesday, august 9, (24 hours after this post goes up) muses with specialties in music production, dance & choreography, or fashion & modeling may make claims in these areas respectively. beginning at midnight edt on thursday, august 11, any muses, regardless of specialty may make claims in these areas.

muses may only work on the production, choreography, or styling for their own group’s song, since this is a competition.

note that due to the timeframe, production and choreography would have needed to have been completed before the round began and styling would have to be completed early in the round.

8/9 update: final song participation claims can be submitted here.

claims made:

titan’s checkmate: lyrics & melody by duri (closed) candy’s so bad: partial choreography by sun (closed) calypso’s whistle: partial styling by yenny (closed) polaris’s basquiat: partial lyrics, partial melody, & partial arrangement by taeyong (closed) selene’s destiny: lyrics, partial melody, and arrangement by kami (closed)

pre-made plot points

muns may reserve pre-made plot points for crowned round 3. these plot points can be found here. a muse can only have one claimable plot point for the duration of the show, but no muse is required to claim any. there will be claimable plot points for each round of the show. if pre-made plot points went unclaimed, they may have been carried over to the this round or removed.

claimable plots can be applied for here on a first-come, first-served basis and are entirely optional. if someone gets to your muse’s desired plot before you, you may resubmit for a different plot.

rankings

please note that rankings and special awards that will take place during crowned will be decided through a mix of randomization, influence through muses’ own development, and pre-planned plot points/moments. there are no pre-determined final rankings for any round or for the winner of the show, but randomization will play the biggest role in them. muns should not be focusing on trying to make their muses’ group win, as this is not something that is entirely within any muns’ control and is not the focus of this event. muses may be driven by the desire to win, of course, but that isn’t what should be important out-of-character! please turn your focus to development of your muse through this instead.

initial rankings for the second round was randomly generated and then a rank rise up or down was randomly generated for each taken pre-made plot. additionally, one one spot rise bonus was randomly generated from all groups that had at least one member compete in a unit stage to reflect extra earned fan votes. all groups who had a member or members participate in the unit stage got only a spot rise, regardless of how many members participated. the group named the most as the strongest performance in interviews (calypso) earned a one spot rise to reflect the portion of voting that is allotted to ‘other groups’. due to the set plot point from the last round, arcadia was also brought up one spot to place within the top half of groups. for units, results were entirely randomly generated with no outside effects.

for the song-guessing competition, both the winner and the loser were randomly generated. 

screenshots of this random generation and data can be provided if requested, but as it would be quite complicated/long and image-heavy and ranking is not supposed to be the OOC-focus, it won’t be linked unless requested for transparency!

airing schedule

the airing schedule of episodes using footage from first round filming will be as follows:

episode 7: august 14 (round two rankings, rehearsals) episode 8: august 21 (special episode recapping the season) episode 9 & episode 10: august 28 (’bonding’ trip, live final performances, final ranking reveal and announcement of season winner)

any further questions should be directed to the main’s ask box!

points roundup

total available points for muses involved: 34 points (none of the prompts count toward monthly limits.)

+3 points each: a thread revolving around filming for this filming block of at least eight posts (four for each muse) by the deadline (up to twenty-four points / eight threads maximum).

+2 points: completion of in-character interview #1

+2 point: completion of in-character interview #2

+3 points: up to two self-paras of at least 400 words revolving around filming for this filming block (up to six points total)

please specify whether an interaction or solo is on or off camera and an exact date (or as exact as possible, ex. ‘first week of rehearsals’) at the top of the first post in the thread / the post of the solo. content that does not explicitly state it is on-camera will not be used for episodes to avoid unintentionally overstepping mun intentions.

please remember to tag with #famedcrowned3.

[timextoxhajima]

Grounded: Level 5

Level 4 | Level 6

Member: Minho (Lee Know)

Genre: idol minho x idol trainee reader

Taglist: @jaehyvnsvalentine @licorice526​ @lolwhatameme @felixn-recs @yunapixie​​​

[D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9]

Your hands fly up to your face when you can hear the first few beats of the song they were supposed to perform at the KBS Song Festival. Of all songs to choose, they had to choose just one of the most iconic debut songs of all time?

As usual, Beomgyu was fitted right into the centre, because where else would he fit better? And Taehyun was given the opening line and then Kai pops out from nowhere looking like a toy poodle with that hairdo of his. Then our favourite bunny leader finally shows up-

And of course, Yeonjun gets the chorus, as he does the dance break where he winks into the camera. The tiny, version of you is struggling to pick up the million pieces your heart had just shattered into in your chest. 

“Yah, Yeonjun is so cool-” Minjung coos about it to So Eun. 

“How in the world did he manage to maintain his top trainee ranks?” Another trainee, Gahyun, leans back in the sofa you were previously sitting on, fiddling with the string from her hoodie. “We take turn to kiss the top before sliding back down.”

The group of female trainees laugh boisterously, but you are caught up in the likes of Yeonjun, and Yeonjun only. How lucky did you have to be to get into this company, the one only made popular recently because of BTS, and became known as ‘Yeonjun’s favourite female trainee’? 

“y/n, would you sit down?” Gahyun gets up just to tug on your shirt, pulling you back to the couch. 

“Why’d you interrupt her? Couldn’t you see she was whipped?” Minjung snickers, interlocking her arm with yours and leaning her head on your shoulder. “As much as I ship you and Yeonjun together, aren’t you afraid BigHit’s going to screw with you for being so close to his new money-making machine?”

“What?” You look down at Minjung, the maknae of the group you debut in. She’s three years younger and she’s nothing but a baby. "Whoever said anything’s gonna happen?”

Gahyun scoffs from the side, raising a teasing brow at you. “Maybe not now but in the future? Please.”

“But didn’t y/n have something going on with Lee Know from Stray Kids?” So Eun peels open a salad box and shoves a fork of salad and chicken into her mouth. 

Min Jung gasps, eyes widening and mouth open. “You had something with Lee Know? Like- the main dancer of Stray Kids?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Gahyun raises a brow. 

“No, I had something for Lee Know, and I’m through with it.”

Minjung pouts and leans her head against your shoulder again. Ju Rin (who would be your leader) walks into the room before anybody else can say anything. 

“Why’d you stop?” She lays some packs of drinks on the table. “I heard something about Lee Know.”

“Am I the only person who doesn’t know anything about this-” Minjung frowns and nudges you, arm still linked in yours. 

“Yes,” So Eun mumbles through a full mouth of salad and chicken. 

“What? Why?” The maknae whines, and Gahyun pulls you over for her to note one of your group practices.

“Fewer people knowing equals less risk,” Ju Rin sucks in a deep breath. There’s a gentle wheeze because one of her nostrils is blocked from the air-conditioning in the room. “I don’t think it’ll be wise if people know of their relationship before we even debut.”

“But what was it like? Why does it sound like... you fell out with him?” Minjung’s soft voice tugs on all the heartstrings in your chest. 

Gahyun, Ju Rin and So Eun fall silent, with Gahyun looking up from the screen to you. 

Ju Rin shoves her hands into her pockets. “You don’t need to tell her if you don’t want to.”

Minjung pouts, earning your attention despite Ju Rin’s defense. 

“That’s because we did. After he debuted, we no longer texted or hung out as much. I was mad and said some stuff... and since then we haven’t really had a proper conversation.”

“What?” Minjung finally sits up and pulls away from you. “Wait a minute, didn’t you visit Stray Kids with Yeonjun in August?”

“We did but... It was still kind of awkward. Not much was done besides us giving them a fruit basket.”

“I hate to butt in and say this but...” Gahyun locks her phone and leans back into the couch, turning her head to you. “It might’ve been for the best. He’s debuted and you’re set to debut soon. The last thing you would want is to get into a scandal with him.”

“I know,” Your eyes travel down to your hands. You’ve peeled a piece of skin too far up the cuticle of your finger, and the blood’s smudged a little, enticing you to shove it into your mouth to get rid of the redness. The metallic taste of your own blood stings your taste buds, but not as much as the truth is stinging your gut. “That’s why I’m not doing anything.”

There is a hair-raising silence in the air that’s packed with awkwardness - nobody knows what to say. So, thank God TXT bursts through the room after their performance, sweat in their hair and their microphones being peeled off their cheeks. 

“Well, well, well, looks who’s back!” Gahyun lifts a hand and does one of those bro handshakes with Taehyun. “High notes for days, man.”

“There’s a reason why I scored an A for vocals, you know,” Taehyun rolls the microphone wire around the pack and hands it to the staff. 

“Subtle flex but alright,” Gahyun snickers. Yeonjun hands his microphone pack to one of the staff members, and he turns to you, shaking his head and again showing his disapproval of his own performance.

“Why? You did well.”

“Nah,” He shakes his head and pats Minjung’s head. “Could’ve been better.”

“Whaaaat?” Someone should start counting how many times Minjung says ‘what’ today. “Who are you kidding?”

“Who are you kidding?” Soobin finally chimes in after pulling his jacket off. “Improvement’s great but there’s no reason to harp over a performance that’s already done.”

“I’d correct you there, but I’m too tired to get engaged in a discussion with you.” 

Soobin grins in response. Minjung starts swooning about their performance while you listen to Ju Rin, Gahyun and So Eun fight with Beom about something stupid.

“Hey, um,” He calls out to you after some time, Yeonjun making sure that nobody was really eyeing the two of you. “Could I have some time?”

Chicken. That’s what your heart is now. A headless chicken running around in your chest and if it were possible, screaming. 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” A gentle frown is bestowed upon the space between your brows. Yeonjun turns on his heels as you get up from the couch, eyes scanning the room and only one person meets eyes with you. 

Ju Rin eyes are gentle, but full of caution. Do not do anything stupid, her eyes say. 

By the time Yeonjun’s gotten you to a corner of the floor where there was nobody around and no camera in sight, you’ve already run into half the groups that were performing today. You even ran into Hyunjin on the way, who does nothing but politely greet Yeonjun and squint at you instead. 

But there was no doubt - your heart is racing and ramming so hard against the inner walls of your ribcage that would’ve been enough to fracture a rib. Sweaty palms and a damp back calls for an uneasy flapping of your top around your neck, absentmindedly wiping your hands against the pockets of your shorts. 

“What is it?” Shoving your hands into your pockets, you can only hope he doesn’t notice you’re shaking. 

Yeonjun peers over your shoulder to look behind you, though he doesnt’t really need to put in any effort to do so. After making sure nobody was around, he looks down at you, only because his eyes are easily a palm’s worth taller than you, probably more.

“Look, I just... I just wanted you to know that I am so grateful to have you in my life... I don’t think I could’ve done it so easily without you.”

What is this? A confession? No, it can’t be. Yeonjun’s not the type to risk his career for love - or is he? What’s he going to say? Hell, what am I going to say? I’m not prepared for this.

“I just wanted to tell you in person, in private that-”

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

“You’re one of my best friends; you’re like a sister to me and I just... there’s nothing I could do to show you how much I appreciate you...”

His words have faded out. Your heart has stopped, simply from the exhilarating pot of emotions that’s completely died. 

This wasn’t the plan. He wasn’t supposed to friendzone me like this - no, sis-zone me.

“Uh, yeah.” The words. They are automatic. You are not processing them because they just slip off your tongue like a natural reaction. Your breathing’s shallow, but Yeonjun’s so far up in his cloud-nine that he doesn’t see it. “Of course. Anything for you. You’ve helped me through my training. It’ll be shit of me if I didn’t give back.”

You’re about to hurl, but he’s about to give you a hug he thinks would be healing, but you might just punch through a wall for being so foolish.

"Alright, I've said whatever I wanted to say. Man, it sure feels great to get these things off your chest."

Sure is.

Why didn't you see this? Why did you think he was going to confess? I am an absolute dumb piece of- low-life son of a-

"Hey," He calls out to you. He's already about a few metres from you, toes pointing to where you both came from. "You following or what?”

"Uh, I think I gotta use the washroom for abit."

"Oh," Yeonjun's shoulders sink a tiny bit. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm..." Your eyes wander off him, unable to maintain your gaze on him. It's unbearable, to know that you've played yourself so hard. "I'm fine. I just need to do a... number two."

Yeonjun winces, then cringes, then waves you off teasingly while half-jogging back to his own rehearsal room.

The walls of the corridor feel extra empty now, though they already are. The sunlight from behind you is heating up your back, because now you're feeling the cold, harsh reality of being the stupid on in all your dynamics. Grey streaks on white marbled floors reflect the fluorescent ceiling lights as you struggle to take a few steps to the washroom - not because you didn't want to go, but because you knew that once you were within the safety of 4 walls, nothing will stop the tears from running.

Stupid, wishful, hopeful dreaming.

The plastic toilet seat clanks against the ceramic bowl when you sit down, and leaning your forearms on your thighs, you force some breaths in before the tears seep out. You have to be quiet though, lest you want half the K-Pop industry to realise you've officially clowned yourself.

The tears finally kiss the floor. One drop, then two and three and four and your palm is over your mouth to stop the sobs from escaping your lips. But a creak of the toilet door shuts you up even more, though the hiccups from the sobbing's still making you emit more noise, against your wish.

The footsteps are light and careful, and you can hear the person push the doors of the other cubicles open. The unknown person tries your door and falters, feet remaining right outside the cubicle you are in. Tear stained hands of yours quickly wipe your face and cover your mouth before you can let another squeaky sob out, but nothing will prepare you for when you hear that voice.

"y/n?"

It’s a split second before you surge for the door and unlock it, eyes flooded with tears threatening to dribble over your lower lids. There’s a slight surprise in his face as his eyes widen an almost-unnoticeable amount. Then it’s replaced with empathy, which is strange because Minho’s been so caught up in chasing his dreams that you don’t think he’s felt this kind of heartbreak before, falling in love with someone who doesn’t know you’re in love with them. 

He doesn’t say anything before he drags you into his arms, palm resting on the back of your head, patting the space between your shoulder blades.

It echoes through the washroom, the sobs, drowning you more in your sorrows than you’re already providing yourself. The vicious cycle is only dampened as your tears no longer hit the floor, and instead creates a darker shade of material on his shoulder where your head was resting. 

“It’s okay,” For the first time in almost two years, Minho isn’t upset or unpleasantly surprised at your presence. 

It’s not the comfort his voice provides, it’s the comfort his voice brings that makes you erupt even more.

“I’m here.”

[J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0]

The uncle that mans the honey-glazed apple store of the night market back home couldn’t be happier to see the two of you. It’s a surprise he could still make out who you were under the snow-covered caps and masks and haphazardly-thrown-together winter clothes. (Which deemed your disguise horrible.)

You could tell Minho was smiling because his eyes creased under the shade of the cap as the elderly man leans over the stand. He hands you the apples and cups the side of his mouth with his palm, whispering, “You have no idea how many people have come by asking if this is the stall Stray Kids Lee Know buys his honey-glazed apples from.”

“How do people even sieve out this information?” Minho chortles, taking the apples.

“Beats me, the younger generation is scary nowadays,” He pulls away and pulls more apples out from the ice box under the stand. “Especially with their gadgets and all.”

“It was nice seeing you again,” The words are slightly muffled by the mask, but you manage to get your point across. “We’ll come back soon.”

“Come back when you’ve debuted! It’s been so long, why haven’t I seen you on TV?” He frowns, and the lines on his face become accentuated. You can’t tell if the creases highlighted his wrinkles or it was the other way round. 

“I’ve just been training, ahjusshi, I still have a long way to go.”

“What’s your role gonna be?” He points to you, and his finger is trembling because that’s how old he is. “This rascal’s like- a dancer or something, right?”

“‘A dancer or something’, ha!” You snort, nudging Minho in his side, who grunts upon the physical contact. “I’ll be listed as a main dancer too. I thought I’d be the leader because I’m pretty old to debut compared to the kids nowadays but there’s someone else older and more mature.”

“You? Leader?” Minho sneers with a full mouth. “Please.”

The store holder smiles, only to be jolted out of his dream of his two self-proclaimed children when someone else comes by. 

“You two better beat it,” He squints at the two of you, helping you leave quietly without unwanted suspicion. “I’ll see you soon.”

Minho waves at him, and you happily sing out a “Bye!” since nobody would recognise your voice. 

You could swear that there were people who took a double take at your company, but Minho was so pre-occupied with his dessert that it doesn’t give the passerbys enough time to process who he was.

“So, what’s next?” You pull your mask down to munch on the apple, as Minho quickly pulls his mask back up when he notices more people taking second glances.

“Well, we are releasing English versions of Levanter and Double Knot later this month...” A pause as he struggles to remember his own schedule. “And then a Japanese release of the same songs in March.”

Laughing the last few words off, he knows how absurd it sounds, though he knows its for the benefit of the group. 

“Damn,” You snort through your nose and the vapour through the mask still manages to forms a cloud that you walk through. “Y’all turning into Mr. Worldwide now.”

Minho chuckles under his breath, gently shaking his head. 

There’s an overwhelming taste of nostalgia on your tongue when you notice the snow getting heavier as you walk to the bus stop, the crowd finally tailing off. The cap manages to protect your eyes from the falling snow, but some still manage to get onto Minho’s lashes as he frantically blinks and groans adorably, rubbing his eyes to get them out. 

You smile ever so slightly under the mask, though he can’t see it. The snow looks like gold flakes as it drizzles in the distance; around the amber-lit lamp across the road. Cars, vans, trucks drive past and time feels like it doesn’t exist for a split second. Minho stays still next to you, head gently turning to take in the view around him. 

“February 2016,” Loud enough to get through the mask, he manages. “And it’s already January 2020.”

“Wow, thanks for reminding me that I’ve put up with your shit for so long,” Shoving your gloved hands into the pockets of your coat, you roll your eyes to look at him. 

The chuckle he emits sounds like bells during Christmas. “Do you remember what happened that day?”

“Mhm,” Your eyes fall to the floor, snow already thinly coating your boots. “How could I not?”

“You know... I auditioned for Cube, and got rejected that day,” A pause. Looking at him from the corner of your eyes, you don’t tell him you saw the email. “If you weren’t there with me, I don’t think I could’ve held myself together. I thought that was it. I thought... I had no other chance.”

A car whirs past, the mixture of crunch of snow and slush of water when it drives past cues him to pause again. Maybe he was telling himself not to cry.

“But then you were there with me, and I don’t think anything else could’ve held me together as well. I just thought I couldn’t break down infront of you. You and the rest of the crew needed me, and I couldn’t stop then.”

The twitch in your forehead tells you that you are complete shit at holding yourself together. You had to blink the tears out from your eyes before they threatened to fall over and dampen the rim of your mask. There’s that silence in the air again, but it’s warm and cozy despite the snow. It’s like the time you’ve spent away from him has been compensated in these two months. It’s like nothing has changed, even though the world around you has.

“Thank you. For being there when you didn’t need to...”

A pause. You’re terrified to look at him because you know he’s looking at you.

“And I’m sorry for treating you like you meant nothing to me, because you mean alot.”

[yioh]

show us your list of wlw kdrama couples that can never be

ok off of the top of my head

danoh / juda from extraordinary you, i Know it could never happen but with the cardigan scene and danoh continuously protecting juda instead of her assigned love interest ... they were so cute the potential they had continously makes me die inside ok (also fight me on this bur danoh's love interest was dry as fuck i dont even remember his name lol)

yuri / minjung from hi bye mama, i havent even watched this drama LMAO bUt im pretty sure i have seen every single fan edit of them that exists and omfg THE TENSION of falling in love with the ghost of ur husbands ex wife .... them taking care of the kid and falling in love and being soft and loving and the hurt and pain when they find out their identities ... i totally didnt cry over this

mijoo / danah from run on . first of all danah is bi second of all THE AMOUNT OF FLIRTING THAT HAPPENS DKSBDKXBSNJDKSNS please let them kiss

yina / ye eun from age of youth ... the build up they had the chemistry they had the way yina constantly called ye eun her gf the way she cared for her The WAY she looked at her when she was drunk they were LITERALLY DATING . i still cant believe they weren't canonically in love to this day its insane

ju kyung / soo jin ok once again i have not seen this drama all i know is the vague storyline but all the gifs ive seen of them is so freaking cute and i think they should date very much so

hye jung / seo woo from doctors . i am a huge sucker for enemies to lovers so whenever kdramas make the 2 girls love rivals my immediate reaction is just . they should kiss lol , but yeah these 2 have the history they have the chemistry they have it ALL !! every scene of them was packed with emotion and hye jung is 100% a lesbian . also im mad salty that instead of this they made hye jung end up with that creep ( HE GOT WITH HIS OWN STUDENT WHAT THE FUCK) she deserved so much better

cha hyeon / ta mi from search www. i have one visceral reaction to this couple : (SCREAMS) they were meant to fucking be they were the literal definition of enemies to ride or die friends to LOVERS IM SO ANGRY its the WAY they look at eachother and cha hyeon always being there for tami and holding the umbrella up for her . also cha hyeon is the biggest lesbian in town HER ENTIRE PAST WITH THE OTHER LADY LIKE THAT SHIT WAS GAY THERE IS LITERALLY NO OTHER EXPLANATION FULSSJSKSN

im pretty sure there's more but this is all for now kshsksbwksbana

[404fmdminjung]

10 things i can’t live without — self para

summary: minjung does a video, explaining her ten things she can’t live without. in retrospect, many of them are sponsored items, but she’s shameless. warnings: none wc: 948

there are ten things she can’t live without.

most of them range upon things not tangible, nor seen to the naked eye. it’s feelings that surmise the status quo of life, keeping her afloat on the day by day — sadness, anger, happiness. three superficialities, but without them — she’d only be relegated to an amorphous blob, feeling nothing. doing nothing, sensing nothing.

yet, when the camera stands fixed in front of her and she holds her head high as her fingers go to press record — she stands in a matter of superficiality with the pile of things on the side, a running dog in the background and her lips stretched thin to that stereotypical ‘idol’ smile the world expects. 

“hi, this is minjung from fuse. and you’re here to watch ten things i can’t live without.” it takes all but the flip of her hair before she reels back to the position she’s forced in — back perfectly one-eighty degrees straight, and hands placed in her lap, centered. her eyes flit from the pile and then back to the camera — one heavy sigh (the producers are bound to cut that aspect out when all they ever worry about is a picture perfect packaged finish), and she settles down to her comfort lines.

“the first item i can’t live without — you can’t consider it an item, but it’s my best friend in the whole entire world. a human if you ask me, with real feelings and ones that go really haywire depending on the time of the day. she’s pickle the pug, loved by many and getting all the praise in the world.” her tongue clicks against the roof of her mouth, her palms patting away the empty space next to her, a signal to motion her dog forth. 

pickle rests on her nap, nuzzles her nose into the nape of minjung’s elbow — it’s a scene for rest, a nap-time for the dog without boundaries, and minjung plays along holding the dog still. “now with pickle in my arms, we can begin. the next thing i’d say i couldn’t live without is my dior saddlebag — it’s a statement piece for any fashionista of the world. an iconic design with many different textures and colors, there’s a style for everyone. i’d suggest anyone wanting to splurge on a handbag to pick dior, they’re the best.” one ostentatious wink — it’s a given for the near-ppl setting of it all. “because in it, you can fit a lot of the other things i can’t live without. miss dior perfume in case you’ve forgotten to shower — spray it on your hair and the world would never know your hair’s been unwashed for two days. and if you really want to make a statement like i do, you pack in a red lip from dior beauty’s addict collection. with a red lip and nice smelling hair, nobody would know you just rolled out from home.” 

she feigns a laugh, one that brims so shallow from her chest. when the weight of acting fake rests against her shoulders — seo minjung chooses to ignore.

“now, that’s four. there are a few things i can’t really show you because they’re so big, but one of them would be a nice old trusty kimchi refrigerator — many people don’t know, but i still make my kimchi with my grandmother when it’s kimchi picking season. you need to store it because who lives without eating kimchi? it’s a lot more practical than you would think, and highly recommended. half-way there, and we have five more to go. we have my phone because i rarely know the time of day, nor do i know what day of the week it is — you always have my manager calling me. so, i couldn’t live without it.” 

one jostle of pickle’s body, and she moves and snores into the silence of minjung’s pause. it’s enough to pull out a chuckle, eyes warm when she stares at her pride and joy, topping it all off with a peck of the dog’s fur. “now as for the last four — i’m going to group it together. it’d be my sketchpad, my journal, a set of graphite pencils and a ball-point pen. the sketchpad is good on the go, killing boredom when i need. the pencils might be my favorite medium at the moment, happy to blend blend blend when i want to blend in with the crowd. it’s easiest to transport rather than taking a set of oil paints or pastels along with me. plus, between you and me — sketching is just underrated.” one more wink in tandem with the click of her tongue against the roof, she holds herself with the last piece of the video.

“as for the journal and ball point pen, it’s nice to jot down thoughts you feel at the moment or memories you don’t want to remember. even if it might be burdensome at the moment, you’ll find yourself being thankful when you re-read your memories from past years — it’s a hobby of mine, and how a lot of songs have come out from my mind. words do a lot — it heals, and creates. so, i like making use of it.”

like on cue, pickle wakes up, and minjung sets the dog down on the floor far from her lap. later goes the close-ups of the items, but for now, she just stares straight into the camera — “and right there was seo minjung’s ten things i can’t live without. hope you learned something new.”

one, two, three. and cut goes the end of the video.

[gyujeongfmd]

restructuring task 1 / changes *+10 ecp

1. assuming your muse has changed in some way, be it internally or as a result of a change of the external factors around them, how is your muse different? these can be as small as an opinion on a song they hadn’t released previously or as big as a major change in their background. (wc / 297)

if the spectrum lies in minjung not changing at all, and taejin doing a 180. then, gyu’s right in the middle. there are a few changes — one being that now he dances, and he’s no longer a main rapper. but the dancing portion isn’t something he trained on or necessarily has a passion about, but instead something that comes instinctively to him? he’s the opposite of a 몸치 aka he is the opposite of not having any sense of rhythm. that kind of stuff comes natural to him, and even when he was underground inside his hyung’s apartment — his dancing was above average for someone who’s never had a dancing skill. however, that becomes polished once he enters gold star.

another change is that he’s at gold star now — it came about when he tried to audition for show me the money as a young child, but instead got recruited (all thanks to his looks. but turns out he’s more than a pretty face). this meant he trained under gold star and they promised him a bunch of things? he believed it because he was still naive, and under the thought that he’d find some freedom by debuting as an idol (he had no idea what idols did prior to this, or a bad general understanding).

i’d say his general change is his attitude towards his group? knight was more focused on him not liking his group at all, but with platinum he feels in a way sorry though he doesn’t outwardly show it. there’s some sense of brotherly bond but not enough to tether him, but also not far off that it brings him to completely leave. as a result, he’s in limbo about how he is — still grappling with that one day at a time.

2. what does your muse think of their company and their group? (wc / 259)

compared to bc, gyujeong likes gold star. at least, enough that he doesn’t outwardly want to start a smear campaign about bang sunyoung like he did with kim byungchul. that being said, he doesn’t really like the company either — the noonas that recruited him promised everything and for a while, when he was a trainee he did get good treatment compared to the half basements he was living in with his hyungs. however, he debuted and he realized that this was all bullshit — everything they promised was gone and done especially when the songs he releases are complete shit and they rarely let him take a hand on it. (well, that’s because of his punishment).he realizes now that there’s no freedom in debuting, and a bit too late. it’s hardened him to the point where he blames gold star for his big downfall of being this new persona he wasn’t when he was a child.

as for his group? he doesn’t hate his group nor does he love his group either. the music they release, he thinks is corny for the most part — especially the ballady nature. however, he feels somewhat sorry for dragging them down in a way? he feels the shit they get is mainly because of him, and he feels some loyalty to his group especially because they’ve picked up on where he’s fucked up in the past. he’s still not letting them be all blood brothers, hugging and saying ilysm! lylas! but he’s learn to grow with them, and just take it as is.

3. is your muse on their first contract or their second? if they’ve renewed, what were their feelings around that at the time and what were their hopes for their second contract? if they haven’t renewed, what are their current thoughts on the end of their eventual first contract? (wc: 303)

gyujeong renewed his contract with gold star in 2018. honestly, he knows why he did it. but he regrets it to a degree — half of it, i’d like to say is the gold star pressure. they pressured him, basically giving him the lines of ‘what are you gonna do now? you have no career outside of platinum.’ which was true considering he had 0 solo opportunities back then. he was 26 at the time, so he was aged so even if he wanted to make his debut as a rapper, it’d be hard since he was getting so much shit for selling out to be an idol to begin with. plus, public hate surrounding him at that point was a high, and gold star basically made it like they were the only option to save him — his 26 year old ass was scared on the inside, as much as he hates to admit. as a result, he signed on for another year thinking he didn’t want to retire because what skills did he have to offer? he didn’t graduate high school, he didn’t go to college. he makes music, but if gold star decided to black list him then he’d be fucked with a 0 person fan base.

another reason he chose to sign on was because of his group. this is unknown but deep down he felt sorry for the shit he caused within his group — and seeing as how his group all signed on, he felt some sense of responsibility to carry on, especially because they’re a four person team. one person lost is 25%, and that’s a lot when you have more groups in the horizon waiting to take over whatever niche platinum is in. 

so, all in all, he signed on bc he had no choice / kinda felt guilty.

4. what are your muse’s goals and motivations? (wc / 324)

gyujeong doesn’t have many goals at all — at this point, he’s given up having any goals within gold star because he feels he’s been fucked over by them one too many times. he got a solo? which was great, and oddly well received by the public — but he also thinks those were pity listens, and not worth much. doubts it transfers over if he came back (he kinda cares). but realistically, his goals might be to release another album in the future? 

right now, his attention’s on fashion though. he’d like to get more global recognition for his line, far from the asia target market. he’d want to be known with the greats (that’s just wishful thinking lmao). but it’d be nice to house a fashion week set, or go at least. he’d want to carry on his relations with chanel because he truly loves the brand and everything it stands for.

motivations? he has none. he doesn’t know what love is, has basically no friends and a cat. he’s living life day by day and seeing what becomes of it — ideally, what he’d want to really have as a goal is to find happiness. corny, i know. but the happiness he once had as a child (void of any parental figures).

i’d suppose his goal right now is to stop writing music based on what his company wants. they know the tracks he touches usually are generally better received than the public, and because his ‘ban’ aka punishment for getting into scandals is over (ala a solo debut), gold star seems to want to make him use his creativity for platinum’s tracks. however, he doesn’t want to be a pack mule and wants to start creating music for the sake of him — basically, he’s exhausted from his solo debut doesn’t know if he wants to make a comeback at all or wait another ten years or just retire completely.

5. what is one conflict, internal or external, that your muse is currently dealing with, has recently dealt with, or will need to deal with in the future? (wc / 329)

he’s at a low — he has no real friends, minus hidden figures here and there. he has no music left on the table that gold star seems to want (they always tell him last minute and pick the songs he doesn’t want to release). he basically got told off by someone he loved to get over it — he has nothing left. he’s a dramatic little bitch, but what can i do? 

he’s dealing with how to handle these things one by one. 

career wise — he’s doing a lot in fashion? and that becomes a piece of confusion when he neglects music for fashion and gold star wants something released, and they can’t because gyu hasn’t touched logic or ableton in near months prepping for the next line of his work. he does it when inspiration hits and works at his own pace. then again, he can’t? because he has the guilt of having to carry the burdens of his past he doesn’t let show. it’s a recipe for disaster when it all brews internally and he doesn’t let it out and instead runs to different avenues for escape. 

he doesn’t know what he wants. he just wants to live life like kanye, but knows that he can’t because he’s not kanye.

he’s also dealing with the conflict of being pigeon holed into one genre. his earlier works focused more on being true to himself, and his core — into the new world, empty. etc. the more sentimental ballad-esque pop songs were when he was more carefree / optimistic about the world. however now, he’s been more hardened? and the scandals have left him more contained as to what gold star would let him do — aka, keep up the bad boy image the public seems to know him for. as a result, he’s not able to venture out or get back in touch in fear of what others may think / his underground buddies may think

6. if your muse has established career claims, what are their thoughts on their career so far? if they do not, how do they feel about not having individual activities yet? what would they like to do in the future, if anything? if they don’t have ambitions for individual activities, explain why. (wc / 384)

gyu’s established career claims fall under three categories — variety, modeling / fashion, and music. musically is the easiest as he’s released his solo album after ten years, lmao. i like that he hasn’t touched music in ten years just because gold star hasn’t let him release it — they finally let him off the leash after so much despite letting him work behind the scenes. behind the scenes, they let him work on a lot of things. his overall mood / 감성  when it comes to music is just that it’s soft and sensitive — hence why his first piece is into the new world. you’d never expect it to come from someone like him, but it’s really just the soft gentleness that’s part of his core hence why it’s one of the melodies closest to him as an individual. aside from that, he works on a lot of darker equinox tracks because that’s what his vibe is lately, and it’s that house clubby r&b funk that works with him, and gold star likes that enough to keep asking him for it. he’s worked more in-house than out-house, and not really looking to branch out into any territory. he just wants to make music for him : )

modeling / fashion wise — chanel picks him, and he picks chanel. a matchmade in heaven when he sports their bags and their tweed jackets like no other. it’s enough that chanel inspires him to create his own line otakgyu which he’s heavily involved with. that’s his focus for now, creating new pieces to appeal to his own fashion sense. he wants to create more pieces that are “edgier’ but also fall more into the androgyny of fashion. 

lastly, variety. he doesn’t even know how he ended up in this — yet, each time he appears on variety, more fans fall in love. i like to think of it like song mino and how stupid he comes across on variety which basically shatters his stage image of being more ‘hardcore’. aka, the public likes how goofy and silly gyujeong gets (unplanned and completely candid) on variety. it’s why he shows up and why gold star signs him up. gyujeong, on the otherhand, finds it more of a nuisance and an invasion of privacy as that’s one side he’d not want to reveal. 

[starmakerdotcom]

summary : after their fight, min and leda just want things to go back the way they used to be. part two of this !

characters : kang minjung , na jaemin (nct) , son yongmi , jung yeonwoo , cho minjae

genre : i think angst but honestly idk anymore hsjsb

warnings : more swearing , slightly less arguing , uhhh crying ? i guess ? they’re less mean this time around which is always nice

words : 2.0k

[ july 2019, 4:15 pm, solar dorms ]

minjung really needed to stop dressing up so nice on rainy days.

she stood on the sidewalk next to the dorm building, wringing out her soaked sweater under an awning that protected her from the pouring rain inches away from where she stood. jaemin wasn’t there to walk her home that day, he had to do something... somewhere. she wasn’t too sure, she didn’t really pay attention to what he said, but she didn’t mind walking by herself anyway.

she’d told jaemin about the fight, and jaemin was more civilized about it than both minjung and yongmi (and elizabeth) had been. he suggested apologizing to yongmi, which minjung was (obviously) planning on doing at some point, she kind of had to eventually anyway. the only problem was that she wasn’t the best at apologizing, and she’d spent a good two days trying to think of a way to apologizing without sounding passive aggressive and blaming it on something other than her own actions. and knowing yongmi she’d go on some spiel about how minjung was only apologizing to make herself feel better and not for the sake of yongmi and trying to better their friendship, as it always went. either that or she’d put all the blame on herself instead, which minjung didn’t want to happen in this scenario.

surprisingly, the last few days had been pretty uneventful since her and yongmi had gotten into that fight. they hadn’t talked, they hadn’t even spared each other so much as a look, and when they did accidentally make eye contact they would both look away as quickly as one would retract their hand from a burning hot surface. this proved to be difficult due to their schedules, but they managed somehow, or so minjung thought.

she felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and when she pulled it out, she’d gotten two texts from jaemin.

[ new message from : jaemin <3 ]

[ jaemin : have you seen this? ]

[ jaemin : https://www.soompi.com/article ]

well fuck. turns out people knew a lot more than minjung thought.

she took a loud clap of thunder that made her flinch as her queue to go inside and dry off. reaching up and flattening her frizzy hair, she sighed, knowing her luck she’d probably have streaks of purple running down the back of her neck from the mix of sweat and rainwater from walking a few streets by herself, and the recent dye job she’d done a few days prior. once she was inside and in the elevator headed up to her dorm’s floor, minjung leaned against the wall of the elevator, huffing. she wondered where yongmi was, if she was maybe in the dorm, sitting on the couch watching tv, or maybe she’d retreated to the cafe in the company building across the street, sipping a hot chocolate and reading a book, away from the rain and any of her worries.

once she’d gotten into the dorm, yongmi wasn’t anywhere that she could see, her room, minjung assumed. that’s really the only place in the dorm where anyone could have the slightest bit of privacy, just kick your roommates out and tell them to go into the living room or the spare room (that wasn’t used as a spare room and was more than often used as a gaming room). instead, in the living room was yeonwoo at one end of the couch, and minjae at the other, watching some show on the tv.

minjae turned to glance at the door when minjung walked in. “did you get the good noodles?” he asked, to which she started digging into the small shopping bag she was holding. “oh heck yeah!” he exclaimed when she grabbed two packs of instant noodles out of the shopping bag.

“have you guys seen yongmi anywhere?” minjung asked as she took off her shoes and walked towards the kitchen to put her bag on the counter.

yeonwoo shrugged, “her room probably, why? you finally gonna apologize?”

minjung paused for a beat, “most likely,” she replied, avoiding yeonwoo’s eye while she unloaded the snacks she’d picked up from her bag and into the cupboards.

“did you talk about it with jaemin?” yeonwoo asked.

minjung nodded, laughing out of nervousness and awkwardness more than anything, “he handled it better than either of us did. that boy is a saint, i don’t know what i did to deserve him.”

“me neither,” yeonwoo snorted, causing minjung to turn around and shoot her a death glare.

yongmi, like minjung had assumed, was in her room, curled up on her bed. she didn’t even notice minjung slowly open the door and inch her way inside until she cleared her throat in an attempt to make her presence known. when yongmi looked up at her, minjung’s chest tightened uncomfortably.

“can i come in?” minjung asked quietly, to which yongmi nodded, and patted a spot next to her on the bed. minjung instead sat at the end of the bed, and yongmi straightened, sitting up better to look at her.

“so...” minjung started, “how are-“

“what’s actually the reason you’re in here?” yongmi blurted, “are you here to apologize? because i don’t think i want that unless it’s an actual apology.”

“i... i actually am here to apologize,” minjung stuttered, pulling at a loose thread on the bedsheets.

“are you apologizing to make yourself feel better, or is it gonna be a genuine apology? did jaemin put you up to this?”

“i mean- yeah, kind of, but i really do- i do actually wanna apologize for the way i’ve been... talking to you,” minjung kept her head down the whole time she spoke, either too ashamed or uncomfortable to look yongmi in the eye.

after a few beats of silence, yongmi sighed. “i shouldn’t have called you a bitch, that wasn’t justified. i was just frustrated with the way you’d been talking to me, and i hadn’t said anything about it.”

minjung nodded, “i shouldn’t have been acting like a bitch. did you see the article?”

“what article?”

“oh, this one, jaemin sent it to me earlier,” minjung held out her phone and clicked on the article. she could see yongmi’s eyes quickly scan the short article from behind the light that minjung’s phone casted on her glasses.

“did you look at the comments?” yongmi asked quietly after a minute.

minjung shook her head, “i don’t like looking at comments.”

“why not?”

“it’s just what i’ve always been told. people always tell me not to look.”

despite minjung’s words, yongmi scrolled down to the comments anyway, “look here... i think fans are overreacting, if you live in a dorm with someone you see everyday you’re bound to not get along with them 24/7. that’s a good point... i’m sure everything’s fine! okay... min ruins their image for me anyway, and leda doesn’t stand out much, she’s always at the- okay, that one is just plain mean.”

“and that’s why,” minjung said.

“is this why you want to apologize? to get the media off our backs?” yongmi asked, pushing minjung’s phone back in her direction.

“no! i-“ minjung stopped herself when she began to raise her voice, and groaned. “i actually want to apologize and say i’m sorry, why is this so difficult?”

“because you’re not used to apologizing to people,” yongmi replied knowingly, “you never hold yourself accountable.” minjung had almost forgotten how long they’d known each other, and just how much they knew about each other. it sucked, it fucking sucked that they felt like they didn’t know each other anymore despite their closeness just a year prior.

minjung stared down, unmoving, eyes burning holes in the bedsheets, she didn’t want to admit it, but yongmi was right. and to the former’s surprise, yongmi spoke again.

“i just...” the redhead bit her lip, trying her best to not let the tears in her eyes spill pitifully down her cheeks and into her lap, “i just wanna know what happened. between debut and now... why we grew apart so much.”

the shakiness in yongmi’s voice struck a deep chord in minjung’s heart, one that she hadn’t been aware of since she was maybe seventeen, when she and yongmi were young trainees with empty promises of a near debut, without another care in the world. to be honest, she had no clue why the two of them had grown apart. was it jaemin? was he taking up too much of minjung’s time? she shouldn’t be blaming that on him, he had nothing to do with it. for all minjung knew, it could be entirely her fault.

“i wish i knew,” minjung replied quietly as yongmi let a tear slip down her cheek.

she quickly wiped her cheek before laughing nervously, “oh god, i don’t want this to turn into a pity party. i just wanna make sure we’re apologizing for the right reasons.”

minjung paused, “...we? no, i should be the one apologizing-“

“no, i overreacted,” yongmi sighed, “i shouldn’t have called you a bitch, i shouldn’t have talked about your parents like that, and you were right. i need to get over myself and be more assertive.”

“wh-“ minjung stopped, she’d almost forgotten how forgiving yongmi was, too forgiving, definitely, she wouldn’t even let minjung apologize without apologizing herself first- even though minjung had a lot more of a reason to than yongmi did.

“you don’t- don’t apologize for that, that’s something you can’t help. i can help acting like a bitch, i can work on that.”

yongmi stuck out her bottom lip in a sad pout, she looked like a kicked puppy as she tried to argue, “but i wanna apologize-“

“you don’t need to!” minjung stopped herself again so when she realized she was beginning to raise her voice again. she immediately slowed down and her voice softened, “you didn’t do anything wrong, i just want you to know that. can i apologize for myself for once?” she laughed awkwardly in a flimsy attempt to ease the once again growing tension.

“i’ve already accepted your apology, but all i really want, is-” minjung watched helplessly as tears began forming in yongmi’s eyes again as she continued, “i just want things to go back to the way they were before, i guess?”

“i do too,” minjung replied quietly, looking up at yongmi and seeing just the raw sadness behind her eyes. she finally let the tears fall, and minjung watched as tears began to stream down her cheeks, not the same frustrated tears from a few days prior, but tears just filled with complete exhaustion and mourning. mourning for all the minutes spent sweaty and exhaustingly laughing at stupid stories when they had a break from training, the hours spent talking on the grassy hill across the street from the company building, the days spent sneaking out and laughing down the streets of downtown seoul, the nights spent staring up at the sky and mindlessly spilling their biggest desires. yongmi missed it, minjung missed it, they missed the sense of complete comfort associated with those days that felt like decades ago.

it made minjung want to cry too, and although a thin layer of tears brimmed her eyes, she didn’t let them fall. she never cried, she’d only ever cried once in front of her other members, and then another on camera, she hated it, never again, she vowed.

as much as she hated physical affection (unless it was from her boyfriend obviously), minjung felt the overwhelming urge to pull yongmi into a heartfelt hug. the former wrapped her arms tightly around the redhead, letting her silently cry into her shoulder without a word, and they stayed like that. they stayed like that for what felt like an hour but probably wasn’t more than five minutes.

“i’m sorry,” minjung whispered, her voice cracking at the end of her sentiment, and although quiet, yongmi could tell that she absolutely meant it, and that maybe, things could start to go back to the way they were before.

[famedexclusivearchive]

W Korea has released their March issue, starring Fuse’s Minjung as this month’s cover star.

Coming off the tail of winter into early spring, this month’s W Korea offers three different covers showcasing the Fuse member in an ethereal and dreamy daze. The concept of this month’s W Korea focuses around the strange, yet vivid sensation that comes from the end of winter, and the sudden arrival of spring.

The photoshoot captures the contrasting points of strength and gentleness, showing off the Fuse member’s mysterious charms through the cool-tone photoshoot. In the spread, Minjung is clad head to toe in Dior’s S/S 2021, sponsored by her long-standing partnership with the brand. The outfits hone in on the current inspirations of the brand — from the lively floral markets and influences of flowers on the knits and the small details of their popularized bags, to the fresh minimalism depicted in all white. The wavy hair paired with the emphasis on cheek makeup packs in the final touches, giving the pictorial a more art exhibition touch.

W Korea has also released a short video, ranging from close-ups to full body shots of the singer behind the scenes of the photoshoot where she emits her whimsical charms and a video interview where she discusses the concept of today’s photoshoot and answers regarding the floral theme.

Inside the interview, W Korea asks Minjung a series of questions ranging from her partnership with Dior and her personal fashion choices, all the way to how she views herself differently when she promotes solo versus when she promotes inside her group. When asked about what she considers her most positive strongpoint, she replied: “I don’t connect the points of my past to the future — the present, right here. right now, that’s when I put in the most effort, and in the end, that’s what makes me stronger.” The interview then dives deeper asking the idol what she would choose as her perfect version of happiness, where she replied, “When I was little, I thought when I was happy. I was the happiest. (laughs) However, right now — I think I find more satisfaction in seeing the people around me happier. It elevates my sense of happiness — so the moments where the close people around me are happy, and I’m happy, that sense of shared happiness is my definition of pure happiness.”

Minjung has recently released “Let Me Go” with Dimensions soloist Alex, and an OST for tvN’s It’s Okay To Not Be Okay. Alongside Dior, the rising star also is the face of Dior Beauty, Panthère de Cartier, and one of Socar’s faces. This will be her third magazine cover.

More of the interview, and the rest of the pictorial can be found in this month’s W Korea.

COMMENTS

1. she’s a walking mannequin… the clothes and the hair, only her visuals could pull it off ㅠㅠ

2. i’ve never seen anyone fit more perfect for a magazine concept — this feels like minjung as a person, not minjung the idol.

3. minjung has this incomprehensible charm.. like there’s something deep and heavy in her soul.. once you fall into her charm, it’s so hard to get out

4. what a natural beauty — so beautiful, elegant and sophisticated even in her answers for the interview.

5. of course magazines want her as the cover star.. that’s the only thing she’s good at ㅋ

[soontofustew]

about now

summary: your touring husband is finally home. 

pairing: park jaehyung x reader

word count: 2.5k ish

a/n:  hey hey @nara1509​!! this is written for you for the myday christmas fic exchange ~ (organised by the lovely @7abshy​) you didn't really specify anything except husband jae so i took the creative liberties!! truthfully, this was really difficult to write (figuring out marriage dynamics and thinking about life after marriage) but i tried my best!! my writing here is lowkey weird too?? feels kinda different from my normal style but sorry for the long wait >< anyway i really hope you enjoy this and have a great 2020!! 

-

“ y/n, aren’t you heading home yet?” 

the sound of your typing slows to a halt as you finally look up from your computer screen after staring at it the whole day, blinking furiously in an attempt to drive the tiredness away.  sohye’s head pops out from behind the door of your office, concern briefly flickering across her face as she takes in the mess of your usually organised surroundings. papers were scattered across your table, you knew there were at least three different files lying open on the couch and a multitude of post it notes were pasted across the department whiteboard that you had (with much effort) managed to roll into the room. 

you attempt a reassuring smile at your closest friend and colleague in the department, although at this point you’re sure it looks more like a grimace. 

“well, i’m hoping to be done with this by 7?” you catch the clock ticking to 6.45 out of the corner of your eye and inwardly sigh, “scratch that. maybe 8?” 

sohye frowns for a moment, before stepping into your office. “i could come in early tomorrow to finish up the rest of the pitch and presentation? especially since you’re supposed to be on leave. minjung said she would be in early as well!” 

“i’ll finish up what i can and email the rest to the department to finish. don’t worry so much and go home, shoo shoo.” you wave a hand at her and she nods somewhat reluctantly, turning around to leave. 

“you better make sure you leave at 8.” she calls out as she turns to exit your office, not before fixing you with a stern glare that you know from past experience meant that she wasn’t playing around.

“yes mom.” you drone, waving your hands quickly at her in a shooing motion. “please leave safely.” 

“i swear i’ll swap all the pen caps on your coloured pens-”, you tune out the rest of her exasperated shouts as she heads to the elevators, staring at your computer screen for a second before running a hand down your face in frustration. 

today was not your day. 

when you had woken up, you were more than prepared to have a week of well-deserved rest and relaxation. what you discovered was an urgent email from your boss telling you that you had to come into work for an emergency (leave or no leave), you had managed to fall and bruise your arm before even leaving the house and spilled coffee on your favourite blouse. upon reaching work, you realised an incredibly dumb tech intern had managed to wipe out all the files pertaining to the upcoming pitch your company had prepared for a major client (hence the emergency) and that your department had to redo it all by the weekend. 

“and of course, all this just has to happen the one time i decide to clear the leave i have backlogged. and when he’s finally back home.” you grumble to yourself as you grudgingly continue typing. a chime sounds and you reach over to grab your phone, unlocking it to see messages from said person you were talking about.

6.54pm

[goat husbando]: hey hey i landed already. how u doing? .o. 

[goat husbando]: also its raining did you pack an umbrella?

[you]: i’m ok 

[you]: i think so? 

[you]: should have a spare one in my office anyway 

[goat husbando]: ok see u soon :”)

a smile creeps onto your face, as it sinks in that your husband is finally back in the country after what seemed like an eternity (admittedly only six months) on tour in europe and america. taking a moment to stretch your sore muscles from sitting all day, you think back to how you even met him and wonder how you managed to survive it all. 

- 24th july, 9.32pm. -

you take a sip of your chai latte, taking in the skyline of seoul before you. "being up here really puts my worries into perspective." you mutter to yourself. 

all of a sudden, a body crashes into you and you yelp in surprise, hands instinctively grabbing onto the railing to support your weight. your chai latte, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky and you stare mournfully as it falls from your grip. 

"oh my god, i am so so sorry! are you okay? ok i guess you're not, i just made you lose your drink. damn it younghyun, look at what you did-" 

turning to look at the situation after making sure your limbs were all intact, you meet a tall boy, his blonde hair tousled by the wind, wire rimmed glasses perched on his nose. he was clad in an oversized flannel, a simple black shirt and blue denim jeans completing the outfit. 

"um-" you make an effort to get this attention, seeing him arguing with another boy, his hair dyed with purple hues. 

he spins around, hands flailing in desperation, eyes large from worry. "i am so sorry! aH what can i do to make it up to you??" 

you can't help it. at the sight of him panicking immensely over your spilt latte, you burst into laughter, hands wrapping around your middle. "you.. you look like... like an octopus." you manage to get out in between breaths. 

the boy ceased all movement abruptly, moving to lean against the railing next to you. "i guess i kind of do huh?" he chuckles to himself.  extending a hand towards you, he smiles - a grin so bright and disarming that it takes your breath away for a split second. 

"park jaehyung. how about i buy another drink for you?" 

you guessed that the rest, like people said was history. 

but the past six months truly felt like the longest six months of your life. it was his first tour after the both of you got married and you convinced yourself that things would be fine. life without jaehyung seemed to function normally at first, you still woke up in the mornings and went to work, just that the bed seemed a little larger now, blankets a little colder when you wrapped yourself in them. skype sessions were irregular given the time differences, but you both tried your best and you would be lying if you said you weren’t happy that you had a folder of pictures dedicated to one park jaehyung falling asleep in the midst of conversation. by the third month of the tour, you were in “peak withdrawal mode” as sohye had termed, with every small thing reminding you of the tall idiot who occupied your heart.

grocery shopping and having to stretch for items that he would normally reach easily for. subconsciously cooking for two instead of one. turning around excitedly to show him a meme and realising he wasn't around. missing his warmth as the weather turned colder and you dug out old sweaters to compensate. 

the fourth month was when you started wearing his shirts to bed. somehow they still smelled like him, a comforting mix of sandalwood and grapefruit. the video calls lessened as the weeks went by, what with how tired he was from the consecutive shows. still, you pushed on - burying yourself in work and department meetings, refusing to allow yourself time to dwell on the missing presence of park jaehyung. 

and then you re-watched the proposal video. 

it was a random evening on the weekend and you decided to clear out some random bits and bobs you collected in your drawers over the years, when you saw the disc. once the video started, you immediately knew what it was. the video was shaky and badly lit, but watching it, you could see every moment that happened in your mind as clear as day. 

- 23rd july 2018, 11.54pm -

“isn’t the view nice?” the camera lens veers into your face as you lean against a metal railing, making you flinch and jump back slightly. 

"not so close, alex!" you laugh and push the camera backwards, turning back to the open view in front of you. you take a deep breath of the cool night air and stretch your arms out, feeling the wind rush between your fingertips. 

"hey hey of course i'm excited! i haven't visited you in ages and to get to tour seoul with you? have some sympathy for your best friend ok." the voice behind the camera rises in pitch and the screen fumbles for a second before readjusting and a blonde appears next to you, holding up a peace sign. 

the video ends up focusing on you again, back to leaning against the railing, eyes drinking in the night scenery - watching the city lights of seoul twinkle beneath you. 

"you really like this place huh?" alex asks again. 

you nod, smiling into the distance. "i met jaehyung here. about seven years ago? and we came here a lot for dates, it's quiet and hardly anyone can be bothered to walk up here since it's only footpaths up to this peak. we just sat around, ate take-out and talked together. i remember he asked me out here too. he brought his acoustic guitar and sang 'best part' before asking me to be his girlfriend."  

you turn around to look at her, eyes narrowing slightly before you spot jaehyung behind her, carrying his well-worn acoustic guitar. 

he slowly walks towards you, a grin on his face as he strums the guitar. 

"if you love me, i can love you till the end. so stay with me don't go anywhere. you will be without a doubt, my last love story. so please be my finale." 

he reaches you, taking off his guitar and leans down to give you a quick kiss on the forehead. kneeling in front of you, he grasps your hands and takes a breath.

"hey y/n. wow ok, i'm totally more nervous than i thought i was going to be. ok ok. we met here on this day-", he quickly looks down at his watch, "on this day seven years ago. meeting you has changed my life, as cliche as it sounds. during these seven years, you've supported me through all the good times and the bad, even when i might have been out of the country and not able to do the same for you. i once asked you to be my girlfriend here. but now, i want to ask another question. is that ok?" 

you can only nod in response, tears already gathering in the corners of your eyes. 

"y/n, would you do be the honour of being my wife?" 

"yes, yes! park jaehyung, i would love to be your wife." 

you paused the video then, curling into a ball on the couch. the apartment had never seemed emptier than at that moment, jaehyung’s missing larger than life presence causing an absence that left a gaping hole in your life. even the dish towels looked sadder, you laughed while blinking back tears as you made your nightly cup of tea. a few minutes later, you were seated by your bedside, staring at the cup of hot honey lemon you had somehow subconsciously made. it was jaehyung’s favourite drink before bed and as the scent of honey flooded your nose, you broke down. that night, you cried yourself to sleep listening to his albums, missing the feeling of his arms around you. 

a loud knock on the door breaks you out of your reminiscing and you look up, mouth dropping open in surprise. 

"someone requested for a delivery of one tall handsome man?" 

park jaehyung leans languidly against the door of your office, a cheeky smirk on his face. his hair messily ruffled from the plane ride, one hand in his jacket pocket and the other holding a multitude of plastic bags. 

"what-" you begin, when he shuffles over immediately, index finger out and shushing you. 

when did he get here from the airport? how?  

you were stunned, mind torn between wanting to run over to hug him and struck by how well he knew you.

"i figured i would pick my lovely wife up from work today. and i bought some takeout along the way too - it's your favourite - sushi and some strawberry shortcake from that small bakery you like. i got the car parked downstairs and i know you're definitely tired." 

he places the food down on the office table, leaning down to peck your forehead as he somehow manages to simultaneously save the work on your laptop and shut it down. "so, how about say we head home hm?" 

he cocks his head at you, and as you stare into his eyes, you know there's only one correct answer. you can never refuse park jaehyung. so you shut your eyes briefly, savouring the weight of his hand as he strokes your hair before getting up to pack your belongings. 

"ah, i forgot. younghyun invited us to dinner tomorrow. wanna go?" he asks without looking at you, hands tapping away on his phone. 

and you suddenly realise that he's always asking the questions. always making sure you're comfortable. always being there to catch you before you fall. you set your half-packed bag down on the table and reach out, tugging the edge of his coat. 

"hey." you lick your lips, watch as his eyes trace the edges of your face. "park jaehyung, can i kiss you?" 

his eyes imperceptibly widen, hand reaching up to run his fingers through his hair as he grins teasingly. "how can i say no when you're asking me like that y/n?", he whispers, voice catching slightly on your name.

so, you reach a hand out, cupping his face and pull him down towards you as you tiptoe to reach him. the warmth of his lips on yours grounds you, releasing a tension you didn't even know you had and you snake your other hand around his waist, drawing him closer. his hands settle around your lower back, tongue slipping into your mouth as you him kiss deeper. 

when you finally break away, face slightly flushed and lips redder than before, you catch a glimpse of jaehyung's smirk and refuse to look him in the eye. "you really missed me, didn't you?" he traces a finger down the side of your cheekbones. 

your response is to bury your face into his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of sandalwood. "i did. i really did miss you." 

"mm. i would love to stand here and hug you all day but the food's gonna get cold babe. besides, you got me to yourself all night." he slowly untangles himself from your embrace, and you proceed to gather up your things. fingers firmly intertwined with his as you leave the office, your heart skips a beat as you look up at jaehyung. 

your husband is finally home. 

[kpoptimeout]

My Top 10 K-Dramas of 2018 - What’s Yours?

2018 is ending soon and K-Dramaland has once again brought us so many goodies this year. As per our blog’s tradition [For 2017 faves click here], below are my Top 10 favs of the year (my faves in alphabetical order so it might not be yours so please don’t judge)

My only specific criteria this year is that the show must have had started in 2018 to be considered a 2018 series (Hence, Hwayugi and I’m Not A Robot were in last year’s list and honourable mentions)

Lawless Lawyer (tvN)

Every year we have a few stellar Korean legal dramas and Lawless Lawyer is one of them. Starring veterans Lee Joongi and Son Yeji, the drama details a gangster turned lawyer who used unorthodox techniques to win cases and a lawyer-childhood friend-love interest who got into trouble for attacking a judge. After his return from the military, Lee Joongi has acted in many internationally well-received dramas but “Lawless Lawyer” is the first since his return to gain massive commercial success within South Korea and becoming one of the highest viewed dramas on Korean cable channel history. Son Yeji was also able to show her acting chops and shed her pretty girl image through this drama. It is understandable why this drama did well - it was action-packed, had a well-plotted storyline and also the right laughs at the right moments. If you love an amazing legal drama, go watch Lawless Lawyer already!

Memories Of The Alhambra (tvN/Netflix)

You know it’s nearing the year’s end when tvN drops another high budget and experimental drama with a star-studded cast to steal you and the critics’ hearts. This year it is Memories Of The Alhambra, which is an ambitious project jointly produced by tvN and Netflix. Following the success of jointly produced Mr. Sunshine which also made the list, the two studios teamed up for an even crazier project - instead of the guaranteed tear-jerking historical drama they went for a sci-fi/fantasy thriller exploring virtual and augmented reality and business in the digital age. You know they are taking this project seriously when they got the writer for “W” (the Lee Jongsuk and Han Hyojoo hit about the collapse of a comic book world into reality) Song Jaejung to write this screenplay. The show with top cast featuring Hallyu stars and veterans Hyun Bin, Park Shin Hye, and EXO’s Chanyeol with exhilarating graphics and filming in Grenada has been topping online and domestic Korean viewership since its broadcast on December 1st. If you enjoy creative sci-fi adventures with Asian leads, this is the drama for you!

Mr. Sunshine (tvN/Netflix)

One of the first tvN and Netflix collaborations, Mr. Sunshine was an unsurprising hit starring world-famous Korean actor Lee Byung Hoon and South Korea’s favourite young actress Kim Taeri. Other main cast include skilled and popular actors like Yoo Yeonseok, Byung Yohan and Kim Minjung. Throw in the historical Joseon setting and the imminent colonisation by foreign powers, you have a recipe for an awards-sweeper and crowd-pleaser! Besides a plot that easily draws in audiences, the set designs, colour grading, music, and costumes are all phenomenal and is a feast for the senses. My only knit-picking critique is it seems unrealistic that a Korean man can rise to as high a rank as Lee Byung Hoon’s Eugene Choi character in the racist 1800s United States no matter how brilliant Eugene Choi was. But besides that, if you love a historical epic with romance and war, this is the drama you would enjoy!

Ms. Hammurabi (JTBC)

This drama sees Go Ara and Song Dong Il reuniting in their father-daughter/mentor-mentee like dynamic following hit dramas Reply 1994 and Hwarang, with Go Ara being an idealistic former music student who dropped out and self-studied to become a judge, and Song Dong Il being the old geezer and life mentor who only managed to become a judge later in life. They are joined by INFINITE’s L being a by the books judge who likes Go Ara’s wholesome character. The drama is exceptionally touching, not only for its realistic depiction of life as judges in civilian law countries but also as a reflection of people chasing their dreams in different stages of their life. The drama also expertly deals with real-world issues like gender discrimination in the workplace, prejudice to marginalised groups and the issues that come with an inflexible hierarchical structure in South Korea. While there is romance between the leads, this is shown subtly and naturally, without it becoming a distraction to the engaging storyline. If you enjoy a thoughtful drama about society with great acting, this is a drama you would enjoy.

My ID is Gangnam Beauty (JTBC)

Maybe I am slightly biased because I loved the webtoon but I think My ID is Gangnam Beauty is one of the best Korean rom-coms of the year. First I thought the casting was spot-on - ASTRO’s Cha Eunwoo perfectly encapsulated the cold and awkward Do Kyungseok and Im Soohyang was able to display the insecurities of Kang Mirae even after plastic surgery well. The drama does a good job of touching on Korean society’s toxic beauty visual standards - it still makes the female lead insecure even after she gets plastic surgery and she gets ridiculed before and after plastic surgery. Meanwhile second female lead Hyun Soo Ah, played by Jo Woori, also struggles as a natural beauty due to fears of people no longer liking her should she ever fall below their expectations in any way. This is a thoughtful drama that does not just demonise characters for the sake of drama but gives us lots of food for thought about why people act the way they do regarding appearances. If you like a drama that is fun and cute but also has a good message, you should check out this drama!

My Mister (tvN)

There are dramas where you skip some scenes because you want to get to the main point. There are some dramas where you want every second of it. My Mister was one of those dramas you watch every second of. It was that good. While many Kdramas still having idealistic female leads who slowly get jaded and turn badass only near the end/are always protected by men and never turn badass, My Mister finally does the move of making the female poor but super resourceful, brilliant and cynical, and already super jaded to begin with. Played by top singer and actress IU, the female lead Lee Jian reverses the usual female lead tropes by slowly learning to see some good in the world and learn to dream following a life of extreme poverty and hardship. The other highlight of the drama is the male lead played by talented actor Lee Sunkyun, whose relationship with his brothers and mother, as well as his crumbling marriage with his wife provide a lot of food for thought on the meaning of family and life. By acting as a mentor of IU’s character while also being saved by IU from lots of drama unknowingly, we see two broken souls learn from each other to be better people. The drama also showcased how romance is not the only meaningful love that exists between communities. If you love an insightful slice-of-life drama with realistic intrigues, betrayals, and character development, you would love My Mister.

Radio Romance (KBS2)

Honestly at this point HIGHLIGHT’s Dojoon is just nation’s drama boyfriend and he continues to pick the good scripts as we can see in Radio Romance. The drama is simple - the assistant writer played by Kim Sohyun’s radio show might get cancelled and she manages to somehow get the top radio star played by Dojoon to host her show. Shenanigans happen and romance blossoms. It is stereotypical but done well, with the right amount of twists and just knowing when it should bounce back from the laughs and side stories. If dramas are all dishes, Radio Romance is like that cheesecake that tastes sweet and light, not so filling that it will you sick. It is the dessert you would always go for to feel good. If you like to watch something that makes you feel warm inside, this is the drama for you!

Something in the Rain (JTBC)

I am usually not super into “the younger dongsaeng has a romance with noona who he knows growing up all of a sudden” stories but there was something special about Something in the Rain. When I first began watching this drama, it did not feel like watching a regular Kdrama at all and more like an indie film from the West. There is a feeling of emptiness at the beginning, possibly to signify the resident noona and veteran actress Son Yejin’s unsuccessful love life. There was a lot of dialogue and cuts and it felt like watching a documentary about the lives of the characters. But it was this formatting of Something in the Rain that makes it feel so genuine. The pace of the leads building up their romance was steady and natural. Hence, it made issues they faced feel all the more real too. If you enjoy a realistic slice-of-life portrayal of romance, you would love this drama!

The Guest (OCN)

When I saw the trailer I already knew this was some scary shit. Following its many successful thrillers last year, OCN decided to dive in the more horror side of a thriller in The Guest. To fit this aesthetic, the drama was broadcasted only at 11pm instead of primetime but still had massive success and rightly so. The acting by the three leads Kim Dong Wook (man who can see ghosts and the future), Kim Jaewook (the cold, exorcist priest), and Jung Eunchae (a detective who does not believe in the supernatural) is phenomenal, making their team up to catch criminal possessed by ghosts all the more exhilarating. The actors who play the possessed are also amazing, making for most of the scares in this drama. If you enjoy a mystery and the horror genre, this is the Kdrama for you!

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? (tvN)

Being the most searched Kdrama on Google in South Korea this year, it would not make sense for What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? not to make this list. The drama revolves around the successful but extremely narcissistic company vice chairman played by Park Seojoon and his capable no-nonsense secretary played by Park Minyoung, with the latter quitting after paying off family debts and not being in the mood to work for her annoying boss anymore. The whole process where Park Seojoon tries to retain his secretary of course blossoms into romance etc. etc. One of the reasons this drama did so well was that not only did it have a strong and capable female lead but Park Seojoon defied expectations in his role. As another Kdrama based on a webtoon, original webtoon readers felt like he was not similar to the male lead and were not sure how he would handle the role. But Park Seojoon did a fantastic job, to the point I wanted to bang my head on the table or slap his character whenever he did narcissistic shit. If you want a high-quality rom-com with some unorthodox twists, this is the drama to watch!

Honourable Mentions:

100 Days My Prince (tvN): The fourth highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history starring EXO’s D.O and Nam Jihyun, the drama details the marriage between a noblewoman on the run and a crown prince who lost his memory during a failed assassination attempt.

Are You Human? (KBS2): With the actual development of AI in recent years, more Kdramas have embraced the topic of robot-human romances. Seo Kang Joon and Gong Seungyeon star in this story involving a bodyguard and the AI of a chaebol masquerading as the real chaebol who is in a coma.

Still 17 (SBS): A drama involving a 30-year-old man who doesn’t want to grow up due to trauma (Yang Sejong) and a woman who wakes up after a 13-year coma so acts like a 17-year-old even though she is 30 (Shin Hyesun).

Welcome to Waikiki (JTBC): A comedy-drama starring rising actors Kim Junghyun, Lee Yikyung, and Son Seungwon who run a failing guesthouse called Waikiki. Oh, and there’s a single mother and a baby in this crazy mix!

What’s your Top 10 K-Dramas of the Year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and may the drama sharing begin (and the road to more excuse for holiday procrastination!)

Also, if you want to check out underrated K-Pop songs of 2018, here are the lists for idol songs, artist songs, and OSTs!

[clevernewdimension]

Polaris Part Eight

Parts: Preview, Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine (Coming soon!)

Genre: Action, drama, romance, sci-fi, etc.

Paring: Jongin x Character

Word count: 5.8K

A/N: So... yeah...

It was hard to sleep after what Yixing told me. It was even harder to try and pretend like everything is alright. I found myself, when not working in the shop helping fix Fighters, in the city or getting lost in the woods for a while. Yixing was a ghost. Only showing his face when people were around in a group and then disappearing. I was trying to avoid all the Kims, Baekhyun and Chanyeol, trying to keep this secret, but it was hard.

The only people I really knew here and I couldn’t really see any of them. It was incredibly lonely, surprisingly. Between that and having most people approach me trying to get close to Jongin made me want to pull my hair out. Part of me wanted to blow up and tell them how insignificant their worries are. How little that matters given the fact that the Syndicate was doing a ton of shady shit. So, for the most part, I just shrugged and said that he did what he wanted and if he was interested in them, they’d know.

It was hard saying no to Chanyeol too. We’re friend and he’s so nice but I felt like I was going to explode from lying to him. He’s very good at telling something is wrong, and if he looks at me with that sad look like I kicked a puppy I would spill the beans immediately. Park Chanyeol is more powerful than he things in that regard.

The only person I saw was Sehun. Ever since we learned the truth, he was training me in fighting in order to keep myself on my toes. I was not the best fighter, I’ll admit. My punches not even leaving a mark on him since I would hold back so much. I can’t help it. I don’t like hurting someone who is my friend. What was alarming was Minjung would pass by and watch for a bit here and there. Her eyes glancing at Sehun and I, covered in sweat. She looked like she was trying to understand why the sudden change. When she finally asked, I alluded to what happened a few week prior, from the Kryton attack. That seemed to satisfy, but who knows with her.

I pout, finishing the weld I was doing before looking it over. I smile at the person beside me, though it doesn’t really reach my eyes. “Sand this. It’ll be good practice for you,” I say, handing it over to a thin, tall man with long black hair that he had into a long braid.

“You sure,” He asks, blushing and looking at me. He was shy, quiet kind who was pretty good at what he does. Very meticulous, but kind of slow. He needed to learn to speed it up or else he won’t be able to keep up with the number of jobs that come from working on a base.

“Yeah,” I say, taking the helmet off and getting the welder back in its proper place a few feet away. “I’ll check over it tomorrow. Don’t overthink it, it’s just sanding and polishing.” He nods, blushing and looking like I asked him to defuse a bomb. I wash my hands, getting them clean before leaving my coverall in my small, designated locker in the small changing room.

I pull my bun down so it was just a normal ponytail quickly. I stretch, a bit sore from the fighting Sehun and I did earlier that day. I planned to walk along the beach until I was alone and could just lay on the sand, so I had a bag all packed for that. I learned earlier on from watching people at the beach that no one used sunscreen. When I asked someone, they told me it was because of the force field dome makes it so no one burned and none of the harmful UV light get’s thought. Pretty sweet.

I stretched, slipping on my open toed shoes, I take a glance at the mirror just to see if I didn’t look completely like a mess. Black shorts, and a stomach baring shirt. I smile, seeing the strap of my newly bought swimsuit. It was the first time I was going to actually go into the sea, which I am excited about. Something nice to do in order to take my mind off things for a while. I look at my face, frowning when I see a smudge of black across my cheek. I wipe it away with a rag that was in my locker, until it was barely noticeable, but if you look close, it’s there. I smile, placing all the work related things in there and locking it.

I opened the door, leaving the hanger into the entrance that leads to a hallway instead of going outside just yet. I wanted to get some water before I left when I suddenly feel an arm grab me. I turn, about to punch them in the face when I see Jongin. He was frowning, clearly upset as he starts to drag me along with him. People all around the hanger were staring, whispering their mindless gossip about the two of us as I just rolled my eyes.

He opens a random room, pulling me inside of it and shutting the door behind him, looking at me as he crossed his arms. His black hair slicked back as he looks over me. I see the small scar he got over his eye, and see the one on his arm too. It feels like a lifetime ago that we defended Ysimir. A low cut V neck tank top made me look away and turn around, my feelings over him going haywire. Usually he wore this when he would practice hand to hand or work out. I pushed the images of that from my head, trying to feel my face from turning red. It was all confusing lately, knowing that this whole ‘playboy’ thing he’s been faking for some dumb reason.

He takes my arm, turning me back to him. “You’re avoiding me. You’re avoiding pretty much everyone,” He says, frowning. He looks me in the eyes and I can see him look concerned. “Is this because of what we know now? About your past?”

“I just… need some space,” I mutter, nodding. It’s better if he believes it’s because of that. It perfectly explains it from his perspective.

He sighs, looking sad. He seemed worried about me, which was… strange.  “You know we don’t judge you, right? You’re still the same to us.”

I bit my lips as I turned. It was sweet, what he was saying, but it was hard not to let it all lose. Everything we’ve been doing, everything we’ve been fighting for was all for nothing. Besides the Krytons, all the Syndicate does is step in between waring planets and taking out the few space pirates there are. We’ve prided ourselves on helping the whole of space from the Krytons, when really the Syndicate was the cause of it all.

“Lyra,” Jongin mutters, as I look and see him wipe a hand to my face. I feel the tears finally, as I just look away.

“I’m sorry,” I mutter, “I… don’t know…” I try to make up an excuse, but it all just fell away.

“We understand,” Jongin says, nodding. “But pushing us away isn’t going to solve anything. I understand wanting to be alone, but isolating yourself in times like this won’t help.”

I nod, “I… I understand.” I shrug, trying to think on my toes to make him believe that I wasn’t hiding something. “I’m just use to dealing with things alone.”

“You don’t have to,” He says with a sign, “I know you and I are not exactly the… most friendly towards one another, but I’m sure Sehun or, better yet, Yixing, would like you to speak and not hold it all back. But if you do want to talk, my doors always open.”

“Thank you,” I say, with a small smile. I meant it, because even if what he thinks isn’t exactly true, he noticed that there was something wrong. He’s very perceptive of people, I’ve come to find while forced together. He’s not as bad as he makes himself be. “You’re a lot nicer than you let on,” I say, “Perhaps the whole asshole act… you should finally let go of it.”

Jongin nods, “I will. After we leave.” He frowns, glaring at the ground, “It’s best to have it when I’m around my father and sister, though.” He smiles, looking at me, “Where are you going?”

“To the beach,” I say, “I wanted some time to just… listen to the waves, I guess.”

“Sounds like fun,” He says, smiling. “I hope you have fun relaxing. Seems like you need it after these last few days.”

I nod, “Yeah… what about you? What are you doing?”

“Physical exam,” He says, shrugging. He stretches his arms, making my eyes follow. His arms are strong, which is a given. You have to be if you’re a pilot. I look back at him as he just keeps stretching, “Strength, stamina, fighting. Pilots have to take them at least once a year and I’ve been pushing it off.”

“Perks of being a mechanic,” I say, smirking. “You don’t have to take physical exams every year. Just every two. Did mine last year.”

“I’d wager that most mechanics don’t see battle, so it makes sense,” He nods, before opening the door. It rushed open, a small woman stumbling inside.

She was a little shorter than me, and dressed in a Syndicate uniform. Her shirt a bit wrinkled, but not enough to really make a difference. She had black hair and yellow eyes as she blushed, pushing her glasses back up her nose, “Oh, um… sorry. You see this room is kind of… my office. I was coming back when I saw you two go in and I just got a little curious. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry about overtaking your office,” I say, feeling immensely awkward.

“It’s fine,” She mutters, looking at me with a small smile, “I was just… well, worried about what two people could be getting off to and well… anyways, I’m sure you both are busy and I need to get back to work!”

“Sorry,” Jongin mutters, looking embarrassed, “Next time I’ll find like… a supplies closet or something. I didn’t mean to interrupt your work!”

Her face goes beet red before she nods. We go out, letting the door close behind us. I smile, “I think she likes you.”

“Most people find me at least somewhat enjoyable to be around,” He says, smirking, “Only my sister, father and you seem not to.”

I roll my eyes, “You’re ok. Not as bad as you were before. You’re not acting like an asshole anymore, which is nice. Why would you even do that?”

Jongin shrugs, “It’s… a defensive thing. A wall I can put up when I’m nervous.”

I laugh, “What about me makes you nervous?”

“I…,” He starts, before frowning and crossing his arms, “Well, I just remember you, and how you saved me. I didn’t want you to think I was just some dumbass you save and I wasn’t worth it.”

I smile, shaking my head. I glance over, seeing him looking down at the floor, face a bit pink. “I never would think that, even if you weren’t good at being a pilot. Every life is worth saving, even if they act like immature asshole after.”

He looks over, smiling as he looked in my eyes. I roll my eyes, “Besides, if you did live, we all would have been dead. We couldn’t have lasted.”

Jongin just shrugs, “No, I doubt it. Back up was about to get there.”

“Jongin, you are the best fucking pilot, learn to take a damn compliment about it,” I say, poking his arm. He laughs, the sound making me smile as he just grins. I felt my stomach flutter, a weird feeling when I see him laughing. I just look away, before shoving his arm, “Go back to your tests, they’re probably waiting for you, idiot.”

“I’ll make you proud, My little Lang,” He says, before waving and taking off in a jog. I wave, feeling my face getting hot from his last sentence. I sign, watching him weave his way through people, his hair blowing back as he runs. It didn’t take me long to get water and go out to the beach. I walk past, seeing families having fun and playing in the water. I move past, going to a more quiet and private part of the beach. Hammocks on the beach covered by umbrellas, as I set my things by one. I take a deep breath, trying to will myself to relax.

I take a moment to look over my reader, seeing the news pop up. Apparently, people are mourning the loss of Iscar Rhys and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Another about how Ysimir is recovering from the attack a while ago, and how thankful people are to the Syndicate. Before I would feel proud, but now it just makes me angry.

I shut the reader off, tossing it into my bag. I just couldn’t deal with that right now. I pull my shirt over my head, getting down into my bathing suit and going into the water, dipping my head below the clear water. The cold envelops me as I just close my eyes, before I float back above the water and let my mind wander. The Eternal Seed. Clipped Wings. Everything going on makes me feel so uneasy. I was worried for Yixing, knowing he was being hunted. People with all the power going after people who know the truth.

The Syndicate… the thing that saved me, is all a lie. And I was the only one with the truth in my possession. Every day I check after I come back for the night to see if it’s still there. No one has seen anything. Yixing messaged me in Tribian, telling me he left me a gift. A message hidden in some flowers about how someone was seen coming out of my room. They suspect us. What’s worse is that they know about the marks. I look up, seeing the sun in the sky and some birds flying over head. I was finally on Earth, something I’ve dreamed about, only to hate it here.

Is this what I get for wanting to make a difference?

I get out the water, wrapping a towel around my body as I wring the water out of my hair. I look out, seeing the sun starting to set. It was beautiful, but hard to really appreciate right now. I can see Fighters blowing passed in the air, out of the dome as I close my eyes. I imagine I was back on EXO Prime. Back before everything was so complicated. That we came and helped what we needed and went back.

I feel something grab my head, placing a cloth over my nose and mouth. I try to yell, thrashing as I rack my nails on their arm. The smell of the rag making my eyes start to close and my body feel weak, before I finally fall limp and unconscious.

~~~

Jongin takes a deep breath, smiling after showering. His physically exam went perfectly, showing him at his peak in terms of fighting and fitness. He stretches, feeling a little sore but it was the good kind. He tightens his belt, smiling before walking out of the gym. An arm grabs him as he turns, seeing Minseok who looks very pale.

“We need to talk,” He mutters. “Things are bad. I can’t find Jongdae and Junmyeon was sent to Singapore to oversee something. We need privacy, now. Baekhyun told me the ship was a nice quiet place.”

Jongin was scared, worried and just silently followed his brother. It didn’t take long until they were in there, and the second the door closed, his eldest brother turned to him and just started talking.

“The Syndicate makes Krytons. Krytons are humans who have been experimented on because all the commanding officers in Syndicate headquarters wanted to be immortal. They’ve been, for decades, keeping a balance between Krytons and Syndicate officers,” Minseok says, taking a reader that didn’t look like his and showing it to Jongin. Jongin glanced down, his eyes meeting hundreds of documentation about it. Pictures of the experiments, the people screaming in agony in videos only to show their body morph into Krytons. The key I got while you were distracting the two at the desk? It let me see this. Father knows. I have no doubt that Minjung knows.” He shakes his head turning and looking scared and frustrated, “There’s also a message going between all the higher ups. About someone stealing this information and putting it on an infochip. There’s only one person on this planet skilled enough to do it.”

“Yixing,” Jongin mutters, his eyes wide as he looks at the reader. He felt sick to his stomach reading this. Everything he’s ever done has just been for nothing, really. All the Krytons he’s killed has been because of this? He’s killed humans… people who were tortured and tested on. He looks up, “Yixing has been sparse… makes sense now.”

Minseok frowns, ‘that’s not even the least of our concerns.” He takes the reader, moving and opening a new file. “The balance between Krytons made and kill has been getting out of control. We’re killing more than ever, and the Syndicate leaders have started killing people who are the biggest threats. Yixing is on that list,” He hands it back, “And so are you. You know as well as I that Father and Minjung would kill you if it meant this stayed under wraps. There is a star by your name, and messages between Father, Minjung and someone named Yser Tridon. They are planning on taking you out while you’re here. Make it looks like something it’s not. They don’t say specifics.” Minseok glanced at him, “Whatever you do, keep a weapon on you at all times. Have a cloaker and if you need to tell me something, best to find a way to do so discreetly.” He glared, “Like hell are they killing my baby brother,” He muttered, before taking the reader and hitting the button. The doors open, leaving Jongin there feeling confused and angry. After all he’s given, the cause wasn’t even real.

What made him feel worse is that they can’t even be changed back. They have to be killed, or they will kill others and eat them.

Jongin has never been this angry in his life, and it took him everything to hold back. He glared forward, walking and hoping he didn’t run into someone he didn’t want to see or else they would face his wrath.

~~

I feel a sharp pain in my arm, making me wince as my eyes flutter open. The light was blinding, making me want to cover them. My arms wouldn’t move, as I finally take a moment to get my barring and glance around. I see a man, human, injecting something in my arm. Right into the tattoo. I felt like vomiting. There’s only one thing that would be injected anywhere near there. I see my arms tied down. One locked into the metal table in front of the man, the other tied to the arm of the chair, along with my feet to the legs and my waist to the back.

“I think it looks good, don’t you Darling,” I hear a voice say, before I turn, seeing Minjung there, her arm towards a mirror. My eyes widen, seeing the tattoo on her arm as she was smirking at me through the mirror.

“Power looks wonderful on you,” He mutters, leaning back. I see his eyes stare at her for a moment, a small smile on his face. “It’s ready, try it out.”

Minjung turns, smirking as she rolled the sleeve of her button up blouse down. She moves a chair, smirking before looking me in the eyes. “Tell me your biggest fear,” She mumbles, looking at me with a sick satisfaction.

I feel the words stumble out of my mouth, no matter how much, I wanted to stop. “I don’t want people to get to close to me out of fear of being tricked like I was back on Tribil,” I mumble, “I don’t want to be used like a puppet, so I keep people away out of fear for being hurt.”

She laughs, clapping her hands together. She sits down, looking at me like a panther stalking her prey, lacing her fingers together in her lap, “Excellent! Now, what do you think of my brother?”

“I use to think he was an asshole,” I say, feeling tears come from my eyes as I desperately tried to stop myself from talking. “But now I see he’s actually kind and works hard to protect everyone, especially those he cares about. He’s the best Fighter pilot I know.”

Minjung crosses her arms, grinning with mirth. It was the happiest I’ve ever seen her. “Do you think he’s handsome?”

“He’s the best looking man I’ve ever seen,” I feel myself say as I feel humiliated. Spilling things even I didn’t realize about myself. My own agency taken from me.

She leans in, staring into my eyes, “Do you love him?”

“I’m starting to,” I admit, tears slipping down my neck as my throat feels tight with emotion. Of course now is when I’d realize something like this, when forced to come face to face with it. All this time he’s been growing on me as his facade faded. The more I got to know the real him, the more I cared. He got under my skin with his act and when he finally shows his true self, it was like an immediate reaction.

The grin she had couldn’t have been bigger if she tried, “Good, because my baby brother has been head over heels in love with you since he saw you the first time training on Fighter mechanics.” She looks at me, “I’ve been spying on them for years, seeing his messages to Sehun about how beautiful you are, how talented, how amazing.” She leans back, “It’s nauseating. It’s just so funny that he could have anyone he wanted but the one he loved most. Jongin’s story is forever meant to be a tragedy.”

She looked at me, “So, now I’d going to lay down some things I want you to do. First of all, you can’t tell anyone that Yser or I had anything to do with this. Discretion is key and we’d like secrets to remain secrets, understood?”

“Yes,” I feel my body whimper out. Everything felt wrong. It was like another person was moving my body like a puppet. My mind was still there, but it didn’t matter.

“Yes Ma’am,” She says, “Refer to me as Ma’am.”

“Yes Ma’am,” I say, wanting to bite my tongue. I tried everything to fight it but I couldn’t.

“Second, if you fail at your task, you are to kill yourself,” She says, her eyes cold. “It’s best to make sure we have all bases covered. You got them out of your arm before, you could do it again and then rat us out.”

“Yes Ma’am,” I say, glaring at her as my arms shook with anger.

“A quick learner,” She says, nodding. “Now, your task is to go to Jongin. Don’t talk to anyone else except for a few words. Make it looks like you’re busy and have somewhere to be. No small talk. He’s in his room. You knock on his door. When he opens it, you push your way inside, shut the door behind you,” Minjung laughs, “This is be best part. I want you to kiss him. Kiss him like you’ve always desired to. Make it seem like all his dreams are coming true, it’ll be more fun that way.” She laughs, smirking at me. I couldn’t believe how… evil this woman was. This was her brother and she was ordering him to be killed. “Then, I want you to look in his eyes, tell him you love him. The moment he smiles or says anything, you take this,” She says, pulling something out from a pocket on her pants. It was a thin knife, the blade a purple metal with a sun etched onto it. “And stab him. If you can’t kill him, then do what I’ve told you and kill yourself.”

My heart ripped into two hearing that. Kill Jongin… I wanted to scream, call her a bitch and rip away from this chair. Instead, I looked away, and said, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Don’t attack us,” She says, “You go immediately. If Jongin asks if why, you say nothing.” I see her sigh, “I just wish I could be there to watch him fall apart as the woman he loves is the one to betray him.”

The man moved, starting to release me. I feel my hand take the blade from her, before I finally stand. My feet moving briskly, hiding the blade in the belt of the I was forced into, I realize. Blue cargo pants and a black tank top, both items belonging to me. They must have gotten it from my room earlier.

No one really stopped me as I felt myself dreading what was to come. When I finally got at his door, I feel myself knock.I wanted nothing more to just run away or to tell Jongin what’s going on. Now it was too late.

The door open and I see him. The pajama pants he wore were on his hips, chest bare as he looked at me. He looked tired, but surprised at seeing me. “Lyra,” He asks, looking at me like he was confused.

I push him back as everything in my mind wanted to scream at him to run. I felt myself kick the door closed as I tried to break away from the power over me. I get closer, standing on my tiptoes before pulling him down to me, pressing our lips together. It wasn’t sweet, but full of everything I wanted to convey. Even if I was forced to do this, part of me is still reacting like I wasn’t being controlled. I could feel how shocked Jongin was, before feeling him kiss me back and I just wanted to scream at him to get away.

It was sad, because there is a part of me greatly enjoying this kiss. His lips were so soft and his hands on my waist, holding me close as he kissed back with an equal amount of passion, biting my lip and letting his feeling flow freely. His tongue met mine and I wanted to cry because I’ve secretly wanted this, but not like this. I felt guilty, as I clinged to him and hoped this kiss never ended for his safety. I wanted to just get lost in this feeling, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to enjoy this when it was going to just hurt him in the end.

But he pulled away, gasping for breath before looking at me, still shocked. I feel my mouth moving, muttering the words that were so buried deep in my heart that I didn’t even know they were there until now. “I love you, Jongin,” I whisper, seeing his eyes go wide, as he smiles.

I reach into my pocket, grabbing the knife, and push it forward, interrupting him. Jongin noticed something was wrong in that moment. He was quick. Quicker than I was, as he moved out the way, seeing the knife in my hand. “What the fuck,” He asks, looking at me, eyes confused and hurt. “Lyra, why?”

“I can’t tell you,” I mutter, tears falling from my face as I moved, pushing the knife towards him, catching him on the chest but it was just barely a scratch. I felt awful hurting him. He didn’t deserve to die. All he’s done was for the safety of people. All he’s ever done was to help people. He doesn't deserve to be hurt like this. To be played with before killed.

“Why can’t you tell me,” He asks, moving out of the way of my next slash. He was so quick it was astonishing. He was tall, very strong but somehow light on his toes at the same time. I suppose training with a master fighter like Yixing would do that to someone.

I think, not feeling something stopping me. I smile, she forgot. She forgot to tell me not to say anything about the mark other than who was involved. “That tattoo,” I practically yell, smiling, finally cracking the mask I was being forced to wear. “They restored it! They control me!”

I see Jongin seem to understand. He looked relieved, smiling like he isn’t being attacked right now. “And they wanted you to kill me? Like this?!”

“I can’t say,” I mutter, feeling the block again. I tried to stab again only for him to move. This is it. It won’t work. I feel myself turn away, tears falling down my eyes. This is better. It’s better if I die than him. He can actually do something about everything. I’m just a useless mechanic. I hold the knife in front of me, about to stab it into my throat. I close my eyes, bringing it towards me. I feel something hold me around my waist, before looking at seeing the blade of the knife in Jongin’s palm, blood running down it. I try to fight back, only for him, take his other arm, around my neck. I feel myself gasp of air, struggling to breath.

“I’m sorry,” I hear him say, before my eyes fall closed a second time today.

~~~

Kyungsoo didn’t know what to expect when he got that emergency message from Jongin, but seeing Lyra tied to a bed unconscious while Jongin held a rag to a cut hand was certainly not it. He looked up at the young pilot, waiting to hear answers as he set his bag down, getting a pair of gloves. The small wound on his hand went clean through, as Kyungsoo cursed. “I’ve got some of the internal healing goo,” He mumbles.

“You know,” Jongin mutters,  looking at him. “The truth?”

“Yixing let me know,” He mutters quietly, getting a small thin white tube, getting some on his hand and running a finger thought it. He made sure to get it on both sides of the wound, massaging it into the cut. “What happened?”

“They tried to have me killed,” Jongin says quietly, making sure the music he started to play drowned them out so long as they didn’t speak too loudly. “They got Lyra’s mark working again and had her come and try to kill me. After, she tried to kill herself. A contingency plan.”

“Sounds like Minjung,” Kyungsoo mutters, “We have to get her to the ship to take them out again… but we can’t exactly sneak a unconscious woman all the way to our ship… unless…”

Jongin frowns, “What are you thinking?”

“If one of us get the tattoo… the other one, we could command her to follow our order, to go to the ship and have it removed again,” Kyungsoo mutters, looking up at Jongin.

“Is there a huge magnet in the hanger here,” Jongin asked, “It’s literally about only one hundred feet away.”

“We’ll have to see-” Jongin starts, hearing the door open. He moves Kyungsoo away form the bedroom door, knife that was just used in an attempt for his life. The door opened, and in peaked in Baekhyun. He glanced over, seeing Jongin before looking around. “I’ve been monitoring. They hid them putting the nano tech in her but I managed to find the real security footage, but that is the least of our concerns.”

It was then that Jongin saw how panicked Baekhyun was. “What’s going on,” He asks, looking and seeing Baekhyun shaking.

“Krytons are coming. They know the attempts to kill you didn’t work. They think Lyra is dead. Now they want to make it seem like you die honorably in battle. They’ll be here in five minutes, max. We need you out there. Kyungsoo and I will take Lyra to the hanger. We’ll pretend she was hurt and looking for safety and we’ll take that shit out of her,” He explains quickly, “Go! Now!”

Jongin looks back at the unconscious body of Lyra, before turning and walking out there door. He burst into a sprint, heading for his Fighter. It didn’t take long to get the suit on. He glanced up, seeing ships break into the Earth’s atmosphere. He kicks the blocks away, opening up Aryl.

“Alright, he mutters to himself before he put the helmet on, “That could have been a lie. But I’ll never know if she meant it if I die today.” He puts the helmet on, “Mission Command, I’m checking in. This is Captain Kim, officer number 0307KJI88, what’s the status, over.”

“They’re coming with the largest force I’ve ever seen,” He hears his older brother, Junmyeon’s voice, say. “We have to stop them or else all the innocent people here will become their food.”

Jongin nods to himself, “Is Minjung there?”

“Yes,” He mutters, before he could hear a voice chime in.

“Hello, Captain Kim,” she says smoothly. “We expect your best out there.”

“When this is over, you’re going to pay,” He says, not caring that this was being recorded. “I know it was you. Our conversation-”

“I thought you didn’t care for her, brother-” She starts, trying to talk herself away from speaking to him.

“I lied. You know I did,” He growls, “I love her. More than anything. What I didn’t like about was making sure you felt double of the pain she did. When this is over, sister,” He sneers, “I’m coming for you, and no amount of soldiers standing in my way will stop me. Nothing in this, or any galaxy will stop me from making you pay for what you did, I promise you, Minjung. If you were smart, you’d get the fuck out of here while you still have the chance. I will not rest until I make you suffer worse than she did.”

He could hear a whimper over the comms before the headset she wore was thrown away, he assumed. A faint door slamming shut could be heard as he heard Junmyeon, “I’ve… I haven’t seen her that scared ever. Jongin, what happened?”

“I’ll tell you after,” He says, firing up his engines, “Until then, we have people to protect. You’re with me?”

“You know I am,” Junmyeon says, quietly.

Jongin smiles, before hitting the speed and racing up into the sky, trying to drag some of the forces away from the island. He looks, seeing in his Fighter a small paper that slipped down to the ground. Yixing’s handwriting, saying he got the information from where it was hidden and he exposed the higher officers of their crimes. Now, all he had to to was win, live, and get ready to make them pay.

The grin on his face couldn’t be wider.