He's Doing The Thing Again
wc: 1.2k
warnings: angst, but it's so not serious; fluffy fluff
pronouns: n/a; none used
summary: junhyeon gets jealous when he sees your bp voting certificate
~bp masterlist~ ♡ ~kofi (no pressure at all)~
hi hi hi here's a drama king junhyeon drabble... he's only 5 so i think we can let the behavior slide
"Give me that," Junhyeon says, reaching to take the bottle of ketchup you're struggling with out of your hands.
You pull it back. "I've got it."
He snorts. "You absolutely do not. You're so cute, but your weak little fingers are so useless."
"Okay, rude," you reply with a huff, but you surrender the bottle to Junhyeon anyway. He was right: it was either your pride or ketchup. And you needed ketchup.
Junhyeon screws off the cap with ease, passing it back to you to drown your burger in. But just as you're about to squeeze, a faint alarm starts to sound.
"Is that your phone, babe?" A concerned look crosses Junhyeon's face as he lowers his voice to a whisper. "Do you need to take medicine or something? Are you okay? Did you develop a disease while I was gone and not want to burden me with it?"
You pick up your phone, reading the name of the alarm:
VOTE FOR BOYS PLANET
You hold up your phone so Junhyeon can read the name of the alarm from across the table and then hit 'stop'. He grins back at you and takes a sip of his Coke.
"Way more important than any secret disease honestly. You better get on that immediately."
You nod, giggling. "You're right. I'll do it now so I don't forget."
Opening the Mnet app on your phone, you quickly pull up the voting screen and start scrolling through the various contestants. Your boyfriend stands up from his seat and slides into your side of the booth, gently tugging your phone towards him and placing it flat on the table in between both of you.
"What are you doing?" You ask with a laugh, praying your cheeks don't noticeably redden as he snakes his arm around your waist and pulls you in closer to him.
"This is exciting! I haven't been here to watch you vote for me in person. I need to see it with my own eyes," he explains ecstaticly, his leg bouncing up and down a bit with anticipation.
You bite your lip, suppressing a grin at Junhyeon's entirely contagious energy. "Okay, okay. Watch away."
As you resume your scrolling, you can feel the blush you were dreading spread across your cheeks as Junhyeon stares at the side of your face rather than the screen-- playing sweetly with the hem of your shirt. Not so carefully, you finish selecting the three boys you're voting for today and hit confirm, proving that you're not a robot and turning down the volume of your phone when the annoying ad starts to play.
"Yay, all done!" Your announcement reminds Junhyeon to finally turn his attention away from you and towards the phone screen. You feel your body temperature start to return to normal.
"Look at my love voting for--," Junhyeon starts, absolutely beaming with pride. But he soon cuts himself off, his eyebrows furrowing as he picks up your phone and brings it closer to his face to examine it. After a moment, he continues, "...Gunwook."
You look up at him with confusion. "What?"
"Gunwook," he repeats softly.
You observe him now, the pout forming on his lips and the forlorn look in his eyes. "Baby, why are you saying Gunwook?"
"BECAUSE YOU DON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE!" The exclamation is paired with the sudden folding of his arms on the table and his head thumping down atop them. The dramatic display clamors your silverware loudly and you smile nervously at the onlookers in the booth across from you.
"Hyeonni!" You whisper-shout at him, trying to pry him back upright to no avail. "What are you talking about? Of course I still love you!"
He groans loudly, causing the people at the booth across from you to glance over again. You smile and nod apologetically, now resorting to softly but rapidly hitting your boyfriend's back to get him to stop.
"Junhyeon, please! Stop making a scene, baby."
He sits up at that, sinking back into the booth with his arms folded across his chest. "You never let me make a scene," he says, sulking to the nth degree. Mumbling, he adds, "Bet you'd let Wookie make a scene."
You close your eyes and take a deep breath, trying to maintain your composure at your boyfriend who was always willing to demonstrate his dramatic acting chops no matter the location.
When you open your eyes, you reach for your phone to text your friend the phrase you so often texted her: he's doing the thing again.
You're stopped in your tracks, however, when you see your Boys Planet voting certificate still open on your phone screen. Your eyebrows raise as you see the list of trainees you'd chosen while very clearly distracted by your boyfriend's affection. Listed in order of chosen first to last, the certificate reads:
Park Gunwook. Zhang Hao. Kum Junhyeon.
"Oh my god! Hyeonni... I'm really sorry," you relent, turning towards him and meeting his eyes.
He sighs dejectedly. "It's fine, just invite me to the wedding I guess."
You hit him playfully and laugh, latching onto his arm and cuddling up to him in the restaurant booth. "Baby, of course I was going to choose you first. And I always vote Gunwook third. But you completely sabotaged my voting process with your charm. I haven't seen you in awhile-- you should have know I would be more susceptible to it! When you really examine the whole situation, it does seem to be your fault..."
He sits up abruptly, grabbing both of your shoulders and grinning from ear to ear. "So you DO still love me!?"
"Of course I still love you!" You exclaim, reaching up to pull his cute cheeks closer to you so you can kiss each of them.
You could swear you see a light blush color Junhyeon's face as he smiles affectionately back at you. "Waaaaah! I was really my own downfall there. And to think I was considering making a scene..."
You roll your eyes at the crazy person that is your boyfriend.
Junhyeon is visibly swelling with pride as he affirms, "But your boyfriend's irresistible charm kept you from voting him first like you always do."
You laugh nervously. "Um... Exactly, Hyeonni..."
"Let me see the rest of your voting certificates! I want to see one with me listed first," he says, quickly snatching your phone from your hand to open your photos.
"Junhyeon, wait!" You warn, but your effort is futile. You watch as he scrolls through weeks of your voting certificates and, though you know the upsetting data they contain, his smile doesn't fade.
It's somehow even more concerning than watching it fade.
Finally, Junhyeon puts your phone back down on the table. He stares blankly at your dinner plate for a few moments before he quietly and carefully speaks. "So when you said that I messed up your voting order... what you meant is that I kept you from voting Zhang Hao first."
You wince. "I don't vote him first every day! I vote you first more than half of the time, baby-- you saw that! I have a... very specific rotation."
"OH, COME ON!" Junhyeon cries, his whole upper body collapsing back onto the table with a thud.
You pick up your phone and dial a familiar number, hearing it click and not even waiting for a hello to speak:
"Hi. He's doing the thing again..."
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꒦꒷꒷꒦ PROFILE : 정재원
BASIC INFORMATION ﹙J.JW﹚
JUNG JAEWON﹙정재원﹚known mononymously as jaewon is a south korean singer, dancer, model, and choreographer under AUDERE MEDIA. he is currently a member of the south korean boy group ZEROBASEONE, having made it into the final lineup after placing 3rd in the final episode of mnet survival show BOYS PLANET. along with that, jaewon is also a former member of the south korean boy group X1, having made it into the lineup after placing 6th in the final episode of the mnet survival show PRODUCE X 101.
𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 BASIC INFORMATION !!
STAGE NAME: JAEWON﹙재원﹚ BIRTH NAME: JUNG JAEWON﹙정재원﹚NICKNAMES: WON, WONJI, JAEW, MR. ANGER ISSUES, FIRECRACKER, SLEEPING KOALA
POSITIONS: N/A
DATE OF BIRTH: AUGUST 05, 2001
ZODIAC SIGN: LEO
CHINESE ZODIAC SIGN: SNAKE
PLACE OF BIRTH: GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA
HOMETOWN: GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA
NATIONALITY: SOUTH KOREAN
ETHNICITY: KOREAN
HEIGHT: 180 cm﹙5'11"﹚
WEIGHT: UNDISCLOSED
BLOOD TYPE: AB
LANGUAGES SPOKEN:
𑁍 ࣪˖ 𓂃 KOREAN . . . 100%, JEOLLA DIALECT
𑁍 ࣪˖ 𓂃 ENGLISH . . . 100%, STANDARD DIALECT
𑁍 ࣪˖ 𓂃 DUTCH . . . 75%, UNSPECIFIED DIALECT
𑁍 ࣪˖ 𓂃 MANDARIN . . . 60%, UNSPECIFIED DIALECT
GENDER IDENTITY: CISGENDER MALE
PRONOUNS: HE / HIM / HIS
SEXUALITY: UNDISCLOSED (gay)
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: it's complicated
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: N/A (we all know who)
BODY MODIFICATIONS: 4 piercings (left ear). 4 piercings (right ear). 3 tattoos.
FACE CLAIM: undecided (as of now)
SPEAKING CLAIM: kim sunwoo﹙the boyz﹚
VOCAL CLAIM: lee donghyuck﹙nct﹚
DANCE CLAIM: ji changmin﹙the boyz﹚
RAP CLAIM: kim sunwoo﹙the boyz﹚
𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 CAREER INFORMATION !!
AGENCIES: CUBE ENTERTAINMENT﹙2017 - 2020﹚AUDERE MEDIA﹙2020 - present﹚WAKEONE ENTERTAINMENT﹙2023 - present﹚
TRAINING PERIOD: 2 and a half years﹙X1﹚, 3 years﹙ZB1﹚
OCCUPATION: singer, rapper, model, choreographer.
YEARS ACTIVE: 2019 - present
DEBUT DATE: AUGUST 27, 2019﹙X1﹚, JULY 10, 2023﹙ZB1﹚
REPRESENTATIVE EMOJI:🪿
INDIVIDUAL FANDOM NAME: eunha
𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 PERSONAL INFORMATION !!
PERSONALITY OVERVIEW: jaewon is someone often described as complex, ever changing, a person who, according to everyone, is impulsive. usually, jaewon does things because he wants to, not because they're completely right, he often doesn't think before he does, or says things, and he is honestly super outspoken, having no shame in what he says most of the time.
jaewon is bold, confident, and assertive, all good traits if you ignore his pretty "mild" (not so mild) temper. he, unfortunately, is kind of like a mini version of his father, and he absolutely hates that because he despises him more than anything. he never got the attention needed as a child, often tossed to the side by his parents, who were too busy doing "other important things", and because of that, he feels the need to constantly be reassured by others, and he's often afraid of people leaving him, or not being interested in him anymore.
jaewon often feels undeserving of good things, it had been drilled into his head growing up that he would never be considered the first option, especially to the people who were supposed to consider him their first option, so jaewon never really does tell people how he feels or if he ever wants something, because he feels like he'll be dismissed right away. he's always used to not being someone's first option, that when he is someone's first option, he doesn't really know how to process it.
sometimes, jaewon feels oddly out of place in the group, simply because he can't help but feel like out of everyone in the group, he's honestly the worst member. he sometimes gets irritated too easily, has angry outbursts, and often feels like he doesn't deserve any good things because of his flaws. sometimes he feels like he shouldn't even be apart of zerobaseone, but then they all arrive with their group hugs, those thoughts leave his mind, because they do love him, as much as he loves them.
FAMILY:
⩨͢ father: jung jinyoung (정진영), born 1974, employed as a firefighter, father of 1.
⩨͢ mother: lim sena (임세나) born 1974, employed as a data entry clerk, mother of 1.
𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 FACTS !!
━ jaewon ranked 3rd in the finale of boys planet with 1,791,204 votes.
━ jaewon is a former member of the south korean boy group x1. he previously competed on produce x 101 and ranked 6th in the finale.
━ in 2019 during the mnet vote manipulation investigation, it was revealed that jaewon had actually ranked 2nd during the final episode of produce x 101, meaning his votes had been manipulated by the producers.
━ he is a former cube entertainment trainee.
━ at the beginning of 2020, jaewon left cube entertainment and joined audere media.
━ jaewon can play both the electric and acoustic guitar.
━ he is the closest to hanbin and matthew.
━ his favorite songs are 3.6.5 by exo, and hey ladies by destiny's child.
━ his role model is his former x1 member cho seungyoun.
━ jaewon's ideal type: "a gu— i mean! uh.. person, who i can just feel comfortable around, someone who just.. gets me, you know? i don't really know how to explain it, i just like someone whose— well.. not like me".
. . . this layout was inspired by @junjiie !!
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[ ꜱᴋᴢ ꜱᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ ꜱʜᴏᴡ: ᴇᴘ.ᴏɴᴇ ]
>finding the right path for us; i’m holding out my hand.
The 2017 reality show Stray Kids ( 스트레이 키즈), created by JYP Entertainment and Mnet, follows hopeful trainees on their journey to debut. episode one see a competition between two teams - a female trainees' team named 2team, with members selected by the agency, and a Project Team- created by long-time trainee Bang Chan, as they compete for the chance to debut.
“Who’s my favorite member? Oh that’s an easy one.” Sunhee shifted to sit cross legged on the stool, the cameras blink at her as they record. Maybe she should have been a bit more nervous for her first ever on screen appearance- but whelp, too late for that. “None of them.”
“None of them?” The lady from MNet asked, peaking out from behind the camera.
“They’re all too damn dramatic.”
[ ep. 2 ] [ sunhee’s masterlist ]
( wc; 5.4k) (format; english in italics)
Sunhee’s trainee days were very formative for her. They marked the beginning of independence for her, moving out of home (admittedly in rather dramatic fashion- moving to a whole new country was a bit of a curve ball for her parents), the ending of high school and a realisation of her dream.
Endless memories were formed in the JYP dorms throughout her years there. From friendships formed to scoldings received, Sunhee was ready to embrace the next stage in her life that came with becoming a Kpop idol.
Originally, before the Survival show had been posed and Straykids were on the track for debut, the group was going to be very different- at least on a conceptual level.
See, when Chan was given the opportunity to make his own project team, he of course chose good trainees, but he also chose his friends and people he knew could survive hardships with help from each other.
After seeing the success of SM Entertainment's NCT, the company had requested something more unit based, with thirteen members and the potential for more, Chan had gathered what is considered to be the best, including both female and male trainees.
The case he presented was very compelling and Sunhee could recall late nights spent meticulously planning out how exactly he was going to pitch it and convince the higher-ups that his chosen members could work, writing and memorising refutes for any and all complaints and hesitancies they may have had.
And she remembers the day, waiting nervously in the downstairs cafe, too apprehensive to do anything other than bounce her leg up and down and continuously check the clock. But the board was completely convinced and JYP himself was setting the wheels in motion to have their debut scheduled and start the process of the lot of them becoming idols.
Everything had been great. Until it wasn’t
The survival show had thrown everything into disarray. Apparently, some of the higher up producers had been approached by MNet- who had somehow discovered they were planning to debut a large team. As Sunhee had so kindly described them to Changbin in a rant about the company ruining their dreams “The fucking snakes.”
Changbin: “What does that mean?
Sunhee: “It’s an English thing- don’t worry. I was being really rude.”
Changbin: “Ah, good. They deserve it.”
It was posed as an opportunity for people to get to know the individual members of the group better before debut and make a bit more of a splash and the uniqueness of the concept
But when it came to signing contracts, they ended up losing four members. Two of them were still legal children and their parents weren't happy for them to participate in such an emotionally distressing experience. The two who were adults, however, just didn’t agree with signing away their dream for the sake of reality tv. The already ‘dubbed’ Stray Kids, ended up losing one male and three female trainees.
A memory that would not be easily forgotten was a mere week after the survival show concept had been presented and she’d had read through her contract and signed it, when- in the midst of a vocal session, Sunhee'd been called into JYP’s office.
Despite his iconic yet questionable music publications, Park Jinyoung was a truly kind man who wanted the best for the trainees under his care. His smile was soft and telling of bad news as he welcomed her into his office.
“Ah, Kang Sunhee- please,” He gestured to the chair opposite him at the large wooden desk, “sit, we have a lot to discuss.”
Her nerves palpable, Sunhee had sat and immediately balled her hands up in the fabric of her grey sweatpants, shoulders drawn back in fear of criticism but muscles strung tight in apprehension.
“Regarding the survival show concept, there had been an issue with contracts and I’m afraid only nine members have agreed to sign and participate.”
‘What- no one said-”
“Most of those who haven’t signed have left the company and terminated their trainee contracts, others were asked to refrain from bringing the topic up with other trainees until a solution could be reached.”
Sunhee nodded, unsure what to say, and curious as to why it was her there, not Chan.
“Of the members who chose not to sign contracts, were the three other female trainees.” Sunhee’s mouth ran dry at his words because now she knew why it was bad news. Co-Ed groups weren’t uncommon, but the split was typically 50-50 or something along those lines. If the three other female trainees dropped the contracts, then Sunhee was the only female member, and that just wouldn’t work.
“Ah, I understand. So this is one of those meetings.”
“No, no. Not at all Sunhee.- please don’t be nervous.” He waved her worries off as she shuffled her seat forwards to be more attentive. It certainly seemed like an important conversation. “I would just like to talk to you privately about how you would be comfortable handling this situation moving forwards.”
He laid out the revised concept for the survival show. Since Chan’s project team had gone through such significant change, it was not the only choice for debut, and the female trainee team had been selected to compete for the opportunity as well. The two groups would compete at the upcoming JYPE showcase for the chance to debut and be the focus of MNet’s survival show.
And her first thought was, ‘he wants me to join the female trainees’. Which there was nothing wrong with at all, Sunhee could manage them just fine, and of course, she’d worked with them over the years she’d been at the company, but it was a bit heart-wrenching after she’d spent so much time in Chan’s project team- which although now down four members, were still the people she’d thought her debut would be alongside.
“Now, I’m discussing this with you first because I feel that it is unfair to offer you a dream and rip it away due to the faults of others.” He flicked through the stack of paper on his desk, that with a bit of a lean forward to peek at the title page, Sunhee realised was the contract she’d signed with MNet. “Joining the girls' team at this stage would not have any major setbacks, and overall I believe you could make a huge impact on their stage presence and performance ability.”
And that felt like a compliment, it really did but with how much her heart felt like it was about to be carved out from her chest, Sunhee couldn’t find the strength to focus on it.
“However, I understand that removing you from the project team would have a very negative effect. You are an essential member in terms of morale and performance, and the manner in which you help the other project team members improve has not gone unnoticed by the staff.”
“So I wanted to ask you which team you would prefer to stay with. Keep in mind that you would be the only female member and that is something that would open you up to significantly more criticism than we had earlier discussed with the larger project team.” With folded hands and a resigned expression, he stayed silent, waiting for Sunhee’s response.
She remembered that meeting, with all the other girls, where the four of them had sat down and talked to regarding the heavy criticism that female Kpop idols faced and that being in a Co-Ed group would only increase that. They had all agreed then- that they would push through the possibilities of hardship and struggles they would face as women in a male-heavy group. Sunhee couldn’t figure out what had changed.
“What would… you recommend?” Ever the approval seeker she was, Sunhee wanted to know what their CEO thought. Because while her friends- at least, whichever ones decided to stay, were there, in a team she was at risk of losing, this very conversation was her future and if her presence could torpedo their success, then she would feel more comfortable joining the female trainees, even if it meant she would have to compete against the people she considered friends.
“I think that you are equipped to deal with the challenges that come with the project team and that your presence would benefit Chan’s team more. However, if you do not feel that you can’t handle those challenges, then I recommend joining the female trainees.”
Even then, the choice was obvious. Sunhee may have been young, but she wasn’t stupid, and she knew where she wanted to be.
“I’ll stay with Chan’s project team.”
“I was hoping you would,” And there it was, Park Jinyoung’s famous smile, the one that charmed first generation Kpop and built an empire. And maybe, Sunhee thought, he might just have her best interests at heart.
She couldn’t help but smile back.
And MNet was hesitant, but why agreed to keep Sunhee on the show at JYP’s insistence. It felt nice having someone fight in her corner, after being in Seoul alone for so long, Sunhee felt the comfort that came with people willing to fight for you.
She would recall for years after, a night spent in the cramped studio, sitting on the floor and relishing in the feeling of acceptance as Chan worked away at a track, unknowing of the heavy conversation she’d had that morning providing silent comfort in a way he wasn't even aware of. And once she did tell them, the boys- her boys, were just as thrilled that she had decided to stay with them.
When the showcase was announced to be themed after ‘homecoming’ they had been eager to start, the nine of them that were left at least. Sunhee was learning to deal with the new energy of the group, it was more compressed and concise than before. While she missed the four that had left, Sunhee found the new energy refreshing, thankful that everyone had an opportunity to show what they could offer as opposed to the manner some members used to outshine others.
After the departure of so many members, things had been shuffled around a bit, and each component of the group had been assigned three members. To make up for their main vocalist leaving, Sunhee had been declared one, despite the fact she joined the company as a dancer. Not that she was bad at singing, her tones were stable and her skills as a dancer meant her stamina was good enough to hold notes while performing.
Similarly, Hyunjin was asked to rap rather than sing in their performances as in larger portions his singing was less concise. Chan had been asked to sing more than rap- much to his disappointment, but he was still technically part of the rap team, no amount of micromanaging or board directors could pry that title from him.
They’d decided- under the guide of their instructors, to cover HOT’s Descent of Warriors. Meticulously planned with added parts and an extended playtime to include a Minho-led dance break, everyone had an equal opportunity to showcase what they had to offer.
And sure enough, as the performance date edged closer, camera crews began to sit in on their practices, and individual members were taken aside to film introductions. SUnhee’s was strained, questions loaded about whether she was insecure about being in a group of male trainees or who her favourite was amongst them. It made her want to punch MNet really, but most questions were brushed off with- “Why do you keep asking who the most handsome is- clearly it’s me.”
“Come on Minho- let me flip Felix, really I can!” It had taken a week of whining at him to give her the choreography point opening, he’d been hesitant because Sunhee was their female member and he hadn't really been around that long- she didn’t blame him for not having properly adjusted to their dynamic yet. It didn’t make sense for her not to, otherwise, it would provide further complication in the chorus choreography in terms of member positions.
“Sunhee, I think We'll give you these lines here and this section of the chorus.” Chan held out the highlighted lyric sheet. It’s most of the high notes and stable chorus sections- understandably she does have the highest vocal range and can keep high notes with more ease than the others. She literally has no balls. Makes it a lot easier in her opinion. (Chan had hit her particularly swifty in the shoulder when she tried to explain that English statement to the korean members while Felix died of what may have been laughter or secondhand embarrassment in the corner.)
And the day before their final showcase, when the stage is set up and staff are available to do tech run-throughs and mic-equipped practices it’s a bit of a hiccup in their confidence.
The entire performance for Sunhee is spent screaming-singing into her mic because the volume balance was off and it just wasn’t coming out as loud as the music.
Both Jisung and Changbin drop their mics mid-song, making a mad dash and scramble to pick them back up
Chan absolutely stacked it, grip-less shoes sliding on the smooth stage resulting in him slamming onto the stage- he brushed it of course and kept performing (he would be Chan if he didn’t- ‘stubborn asshole’ Sunhee had cursed after they’d finished and made him sit down for a breather- much to his resistance).
Sunhee frowned at the hand dragging hers down the footpath, the august air stick and hot, the threat of rain dangling over their head. “You know, this would be easier if you asked someone who was already at the company practicing dance.”
“Lix is already asleep. You know that.”
“I wasn’t talking about Felix.”
Jisung scoffed and rolled his eyes. Nudging the door open with his foot. “Why ask that bastard for help with dance when I have a more talented and much nicer option.”
“You can’t keep doing this you know- once we debut .” She scolded, plugging her phone into the speakers as she blinked the tiredness away from her eyes. Sunhee ran a hand down the side of her face, mind lagging with exhaustion. “Shit, I’m tired.”
“I donno- maybe he’ll come to his senses and stop being such an asshole.”
“Maybe you’ll realise that the two of you are far more similar than you think.”
He met her gaze, noting the challenge in there. The two of them had been through this a thousand times. The immature and childish squabbling between Hyunjin and Jisung being the main- if not only, cause of conflict within their group. And Sunhee was getting fucking sick of it- as she had expressed many times to the pair, who often responded with scoffs and bit insults.
This time though, Jisung just sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. “Can you just play the music please?”
And she did. She set up a camera in the corner (because MNet had instructed them to film any and all practices) while Jisung refamiliarises himself with the movements of their choreography.
“So what exactly do you need help with?” Sunhee asked prepared to cover the dance break- it was, objectively, the most difficult section of the performance.
“Not dropping my damn mic.”
“Well, you hardly need me for that.”
“But you never drop your mic- you’re so steady with all your movements and you look so relaxed but I can't even hold my mic without locking it in a death grip.”
“Huh.” Sunhee slumped to the floor, back to the mirror, watching curiously as Jisung stood in the room’s centre, eyes set on her- waiting for something. “Well then here,”
Sunhee threw her water bottle at him- at his head more precisely (if he was going to drag her out of the dorm at 1 am then she would at least be a bit mad about it), he catches it clumsily with two hands right before it crashed into his nose. “There’s your mic. Get practicing.”
The weighted water bottle was plastic, meaning it crumpled under his ‘death grip’ but was heavy enough to slip from his hand if he wasn’t careful enough.
She watched, joined him for a few run-throughs, gently correcting mistakes that she knows he would spit at Hyunjin for even mentioning. But when they come from her mouth he simply nods in determination and fixes the next time round. It’s only after ten run-throughs in a row without dropping the water bottle that Jisung relents and the two of them leave the stuffy basement practice room.
Rain drizzled down outside as they exited the company, caps pulled over their heads and masks pulled up over their noses. Ever since MNet had teased the idea of a JYPE survival show, people had been camping the company, paparazzi trying to get images of trainees and publishing articles about who might be on the show.
And of course, all the showcase posters had all their faces on them, but other than that, Sunheee had gotten pretty lucky and gotten off with very few images of her circling around fansites and entertainment-focused news blogs. There had been a brief stint where a video of her and Felix squabbling about soft drinks in a convince store, with netizens talking about the new Australian JYPE trainees- (disregarding the fact Sunhee had been there for two years longer than Felix at that point).
She and Jisung duck into a tiny little convince store on the corner, its bright LED lights welcoming them from the dripping rain and humid August night. They grab drinks one each- Sunhee stuck with her usual lemon iced tea and Jisung snagged a Fanta. “I’ll never understand how you can drink that crap.”
His challenging smile is there, one that’s indicative of his pleasant mood and joking attitude. “What’s so wrong with Fanta huh?”
“Everything- the colour the taste the stench-”
“Okay okay, I get it. No Fanta for you.” He cut her off, smushing a hand against her face to stop the impending rant. It’s an odd gesture, but it’s them, and sometimes, when Jisung and her have those playful little squabbles and he ends it in a way that the korean public would describe as disrespectful- especially to a noona, it reminds Sunhee of her little brother back home- it made her smile more often them not. Even if she missed him dearly.
There was a pause when they reach the counter, and Jisung gently pried the drink from her hand, placing it on the counter next to his revolting choice of soft drink. “Thank you for your help tonight noona, really. I- I know I can be difficult.”
“We’re all difficult Jisung-ah, that’s part of our charm.” She smiled easily, sliding a KitKat onto the counter with their drinks as Jisung paid with a few crumpled notes.
They split the chocolate on the way home, walking side by side as they gulped down refreshing drinks, soft breeze and gentle rain cooling off their dance-heated skin.
The next day, when Sunhee adorned her stage outfit- designed to mimic Korean school uniforms (custom name badge and all) fitting with the ‘homecoming’ theme, she’d laughed with Felix about how different school uniforms were in Korea than Australia.
Last-minute stylists had tried to change her outfit- namely the black pants, there was an attempt for a skirt but it was quickly dismissed at Chan's insistence. Her black graphic tee that she’d been dragging around since her early underneath the white button up in addition to a pair of beaten-up combat boots she’d liberated from the old JYP fashion storage rooms marked the competition of her outfit.
Boy-Story opened the event, followed by fellow Aussie Lilly (who Sunhee clapped very loudly for and gifted a bone-crushing hug to afterwards).
The girls' dance unit that Sunhee would have led if she’d chosen to leave the project team was next and she gave her dorm mates her sincere congratulations, nerves building as 3RACHA took the stage with their self-produced track ‘Runner’s High’ But they pulled it off without a hitch- as she expected of them, cheek splitting grin welcoming them back off stage.
She watched the girls' team perform in apprehension- it was her competition. They were good, but as someone who spoke fluent English, Sunhee found the song very repetitive- easy to choreograph but something she wasn’t a fan of. Their chair choreography was reminiscent of classroom seating plans with the way they all gravitate back to their original chair and it made her smile.
Yeji’s ease of performance was always something to look out for, her ability to execute sharp movements in such a relaxed manner was always something she’d received praise for. In terms of vocals nothing really stood out, but that again was probably because Sunhee couldn’t push past the repetitive lyrics and focus on the actual tone, as each verse blended together.
The audience loved them- which was warranted because the girls were always a marvel to watch perform, something Sunhee always made a point to compliment them on. Their stage presence was amazing because they looked like they were having fun- because they were having fun.
She smiles at them as they walk off stage, giving Yeji a fist bump and firm nod of congratulations- careful not to talk as there’s a history of Yeji forgetting to switch off her mic- which Sunhee points out with a tap and poked out tongue at the still blinking red light. Yeji was quick to shut it off.
As the project team walks on stage in the darkness, the crowd roars Hyunjin’s name as he is, by this point, a well-known student at Seoul Performing Art. There were a few screams for Seungmin too- fans accumulated after his broadcasted win of the 13th open auditions. It makes Sunhee bite back a smile as their track begins.
She links arms with Felix, whispering a ‘We’ve got this’ to him in their native English, he gives her arms a tug in response.
On the beat, she pulls him forward, and he flips over her back, landing smoothly on the ground, giving her a smile that the audience can’t see. The second beat strikes as the other members who were spread out roll in, Sunhee’s the only one standing- save for Changbin who’s on the raised platform behind them.
He began rapping and then things just sort of went. Sunhee remembered the cheer she received for her high note just before the dance break, and the even louder ones that echoed as she danced in the centre and for the final chorus, ending the performance with a tilted head and eyebrow raised at the audience- maybe not so subtly to Park Jinyoung who‘s glancing up from the paper at his observation desk.
The nerves only built as they waited for the audience to funnel out, sitting in apprehension- scattered through the green room as they contemplate their performance.
Chan bumps his shoulder against Sunhee’s- a familiar gesture at this point. One of those wordless ways they’ve learnt to say, ‘don’t worry. we're both here, aren’t we?’.
And when they did gather onstage and JYP approached from where he’d watched the showcase, Minho slipped his plan into hers where they stayed hidden behind the flared nature of the stage outfits. She gave him a reassuring squeeze. It was his first showcase. Leaning into his side and whispering to him. “Don’t worry Minho-shi, he is more kind than you expect.”
He started out with his obligatory remarks, Sunhee having been to enough showcases by now to know this was how he concluded each one. When he asks who’s been to the most everyone’s head looks to the left, right down to Chan who stands at the end of the long line. He looked sheepishly at the ground from all the attention.
Then JYP moved on to more individualised remarks, complementing specific trainees like Lilly and one of the youngest Boy-Story kids for his dancing. Then came the proper stuff- the comments that had the camera crew zooming in and shooting close-up shots of each debut team.
He gave compliments to Chan on his well-roundedness but mentions that he needs more charisma when performing. Similarly, he called out Changbin for his impressive rapping and individuality on stage.
“Sunhee-ya,” And to her credit, Sunhee managed to stop her heart from leaping into her throat at his words. He’s standing right there in front of her and she meets his eye, posture straightening, hands clasped together like they’d been taught in idol etiquette training. “Your stage presence is unrivalled, and I want you to know this is the right path for you to travel on.”
Maybe to the others, it sounded like a nice compliment and some vague praise, but to those who knew, he was telling her that she’d made the right choice- that it was where she belonged. Sunhee smiled and thanked him with a curt bow, biting her bottom lip to hold in the smile that threatened to split across her face.
The female trainee’s team are given the compliments they deserve, with Yeji and Chareyong getting the compliments they had certainly earnt.
“To those of you who were unaware- today’s showcase was to determine the next debut group.” There had been talk around the company- the word floating around for the past few months, but only those in the running had been given the specifics of it- and of course whoever they complained to. “And after discussing thoroughly with the company staff, we’ve reached a conclusion.”
There was complete silence- Sunhee didn’t think she’d ever seen the stage that quiet over her years at the company. When her hand fell back to pull up the sagging waistline of her plants, Minho’s hand found her’s again.
“The project team.”
Those three words marked the next stage in Sunhee’s life. She claps of course, for her teammates, for the female trainee team, for herself. It’s a big moment, one that’s accompanied by the cheering of others, but can’t be celebrated in the full nature she’d wished- not while they still had to be respectful with their CEO standing in front of them all.
“It feels like the members are moving together- like one organism. It’s amazing to watch and I know you can succeed.” And it made Sunhee want to thank Chan, because it was him that made their team, not a company manager, and he was who they had to thank for bringing them together, for their future together.
Later, when they were back off the stage, it was the first thing she did. Sunhee took a running start and leapt at chan, he catches her of course and the two spun from the momentum before he grounds her feet again. But she doesn't let go, smashing her face against his t-shirt as she drags in heavy breath to hold back tears of happiness. He holds her close. “Thank you Chris- thank you so fucking much.”
They all celebrate with ice cream that most definitely broke their diets- it’s such a momentous occasion that Jisung and Hyunjin even sit next to each other and hold a conversation without insults and bitter jabs. Jeongin convinced Sunhee to give him a piggyback for the walk to the dorm. “You’re so strong noona, debuting in an all-boys team. You should carry me- just to prove how strong you are.’
The next morning was spent- for sunhee at least, karting clothes up a staircase. The JYPE trainee dorms were all one building, split across the levels depending on age and gender. The youngsters were on the bottom floor with the dorm manager- a precaution considering they had nine-year-olds down there. The girls were on the second and third floors and the top two floors had been designated for the male trainees.
All the members who already lived in the dorms were on floor four (CHan, Felix, Jisung and Jeongin). Sunhee would make the trip up to move in with them while the other four who didn’t live in dorms, packed at their homes and made the journey.
Jisung followed her around with the camera as she hauled her belongings up the staircase, not offering to hold anything other than her precious guitar but with the way he was handling it- she began to regret letting him.
She calls Changbin and reminds him sweetly to pack everything- especially underwear. “Yah- Sunhee, don’t talk about my underwear.”
Sunhee: “Why not?”
Changbin: “Why would you in the first place?.”
She would later learn that he’d called Seungmin asking the same question in hopes of embarrassing him.
“Please?” Chan whined, hands gripping on the dark blue hoodie she’d slipped on, flapping her arm around as she moved thought the dorm. Sunhee gave him a raised eyebrow. “You're really insistent on this one aren’t you.”
“Yeah- come on, you’re the cleanest, the only one in the house that will remember to do their own laundry- you don’t even smell!”
“I don’t even smell.” Sunhee quoted back at him, steps paused to look at him properly. “It's hard to tell if that a complement or an insult.”
Chan’s face turned the slightest of red, ears burning up with sudden embarrassment. He had the decency to look sheepish. “A compliment- you smell nice. Like strawberry shampoo.”
He draped himself over her from behind. Shoulders on her as he let his arms hand, slumping all of his weight down on her (which admittedly wasn’t much, strict diets and all). Sunhee groaned despite being completely capable of carrying the man. He laughed and buried his face in the crook of her neck. For a short moment, Sunhee revelled in the close contact, affection she didn’t receive as often in the foreign country than she did back home. Then Chan buried his nose in the puffs of dark hair that sat behind her ears and took the most obnoxious, deep inhale. It made her pause.
“Are you smelling me?”
He hummus in response- taking another inhale and relaxing his weight further onto her. “You smell nice.”
“I smell like kids 3-in-1.”
“Strawberry kids 3-in-1.” Chan corrected, moving his arms to squeeze tight around her mid section. For a moment she was about to make a comment about it being too tight, but then he leans back and lifts her feet of the ground with his leverage. She squealed, hands trying to find a decent grip on his to wrench them away.
“Jeongin-ah! Help me!”
He looked up from where he’d been following Jisung around with a camera like a lost puppy. He smiles in the most innocent way as he shifts the camera angel to capture Chan, as he waddles his way through the dorm, a wiggling Sunhee in his grasp. “Sorry noona- content comes first!”
Their similar heights make it difficult but Chan manages by leaning back as Sunhee instinctively curled her legs up a bit while she squirmed. “Christopher, you better put me down!”
“I will.” He mused, shouldering open a door. “Once we make it to our room.”
It’s a marvelous thing, happiness. But she doesn't think there’s a better way to start her newest chapter and travel down her road to debut.
There’s a lightness to her chest and a bubbliness in her laugh now, one that doesn't go unnoticed by her members, who hug her extra tight for the next week once she explains her choice to stay with them, and that she too believed it was the right path for her in life. With them- with her boys.
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