lgckiyong

[lgckiyong]

° CHAPTER 04

-ˋˏ ★ 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝟬𝟯 ⸻ memory

Kiyong stands in his crooked way in the middle of the room, lithe fingers fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "I don't know... Do you really think this could be right for me? It's just...—"

The coach turns her head on a swivel, giving him a scrutinizing once over with that piercing gaze of hers. The charcoal cat-like eyeliner that surrounded it made her all that more intimidating. It was not like the sort his fashion-forward grandmother would line on her when she felt especially peppy. The woman who stood before him, arms folded, was every image of a modeling coach that he dreamt up in his head.

She purses her glossy pink lips before speaking. "A lot of people go through that phase of self-doubt that first few times. Though, your posture does need a lot of work and..." she narrows her eyes while she analyzes his wrist. "Maybe work on reducing your sodium intake, too, but that is just my opinion."

Kiyong checks himself, rolling his shoulders back and pointing his chin and hips forward to form a straight line; just had been instructed of him during those first few lessons.

"I guess that means I shouldn't have so much ramyeon...?" A pout steadies itself firm across his lips at the thought, true as it were that he needed a substantially more well-rounded diet — even if the idea of having a lot more vegetables thrown in made him sigh with displeasure.

"Be honest with me. What are you looking to accomplish by going down this path, Kiyong? Each meeting, you mention how unsure you are more and more. I want to make sure you're one-hundred percent certain before you move forward."

"Hm..." he reaches up to scratch at the base of his neck. "I'll be honest. It's not something I wanted to do... or thought I would be going for. I finally told my parents and they didn't seem too happy about it. My mom even said I was throwing away my degree and my dream—" he pauses, making a mental note that this was a coach, not a therapist nor one of his friends. His eyes drift to the side, feeling a sting building behind them. "I am a little scared, actually. Is this the right thing to do...? What if... what if it doesn't work out and I just wasted time?"

The coach silently treks across the room to grab for a box of tissues and hand it to him — all without directly acknowledging the tearful way the young man laments over his future.

"Everything not in the present is uncertain, Kiyong. Push forward... and, if you find yourself stuck or that it isn't right for you, then that's just fine. Your dreams are still obtainable."

[lgckiyong]

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

omg what a cutie!! i'm definitely gonna remember this one. he's so silly, i think i'm gonna use the ending as a meme for a long time hehe

Geez, studying at a prestigious university and throwing it all away to be a model? I just don't get it... At least he's pretty and endearing.

yet another model with no redeeming qualities other than his looks. we yawned.

training to be a model while going to university must be hard work... i'm rooting for you kiyong~!

woah, if he can make speed-peeling tangerines look handsome, he must be able to make anything look handsome. i'm sure he'll make a great model.

▷ 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

[lgckiyong]

-ˋˏ ★ SCREEN TIME / @shxlgc

Alright, maybe… perhaps… Soo Kiyong was a tad too excited for his very first project as an official, website listed ( !! ) LGC Agency model. Ever since the meeting ended, he has not been able to stop grinning from ear to ear, scribbling things down in the notebook he carried with him everywhere when the thoughts come to him, daydreaming here and there. He had his idea perfectly mapped out by the time a week in rolled around. He would go for the watch, map out a plot sketch of the day in the life of an athlete or someone with an especially active lifestyle. There was no better way to incorporate his own strengths than with this idea.

Another point of excitement happened to be contained within the man he dragged along with him to the gym — a location the other model surely would never step foot in otherwise if not for Kiyong's insistence. ( And, of course, he asked for permission from the staff to film ahead of time. ) Seunghyun always had a discerning eye for what shots and poses would be the most appealing to the eye. He held the man's opinion in quite the high regard. One might even refer to it as a starry eyed admiration. In fact, he looks upon him with that very same expression when he moves in front of him — seemingly to line up what could be the next shot for some b-roll.

"What do you think of my idea?" he asks, settling his forearms on the handles of the elliptical, his chin resting on them next. His large eyes glance up at him with a playful glint within them, as they usually do. He purses his lips to fight back a smile. He should look cool and focused, shouldn't he? "Did you think of anything yet? I saw you thinking really, really hard the other day. That must mean that you've got something in mind! Anyway… whatever you come up with, I think it'll be really brilliant. Oh… Do you need help though!? Since you're helping me… I mean, I planned to help you, anyways, but—"

[lgckiyong]

-ˋˏ ★ STUCK WITH YOU / @lgcian

"So, what do you think? Think you'll have enough of me by the end of the trip?" Kiyong turns to his friend with a wide smile — lips curled back to put his pearly whites on full display. Ever since their arrival to Daejeon for the workshop, he's done his best to not overwhelm Sangwon with his presence. He knew how overbearing he could be. ( He heard enough of that from his older sister who had to sit him down to calm him more than once in the past. ) It served him well to at least have some form of self-awareness when it came to socializing with others. However, he couldn't help himself. Sangwon's stone-y expression and calm demeanor was magnetic to a naturally curious extrovert.

"Oh. I was gonna ask. Do you wanna practice our delivery and facial expressions while we eat? I feel like every time I try to look cool, I look constipated or too disinterested. Unless… that's what they want? I mean, I've watched those Top Model shows and they do some really, really weird stuff on there," he pauses, eyes widening a bit. "Don't tell me… Do you think that they're gonna make me do stuff like that!? That can't be right, right? ..."

Despite his rambling, he manages to focus long enough to finish up preparing his ramyeon — albeit with hunched shoulders while stuffed into the tiny kitchenette. It was definitely better than the trainee dorm, but less accommodating than the spacious model dorms. He slides one of the bowls toward Sangwon, then busies himself with peeling the soft boiled eggs he managed to haul along with him on the bus. ( Among other snacks that are current stuffed in his overnight bag. ) The process was a careful one, he wanted to wow Sangwon with his 'famous' preparation skills he hadn't yet shown him at their new place.

[lgckiyong]

LGC AGENCY is proud to announce that we are now representing SOO KIYONG.

[lgckiyong]

@ sea2sky just posted a photo !

Is there any better way to start the new year on a new path? I will walk down it well. Please take care of me ~ ~

#sookiyong #수기용 #lgcagency

[lgckiyong]

Kiyong may be something of a klutz, but his profession with the matter makes it easier for him to untangle himself from situations he's inevitably gotten himself into. He miraculously manages to set the bicycle upright, keeping its tires straight enough to push along the walkway without impeding his stride too much — nor Eunwoo's. He offers the other a weary grin, his eyes constantly darting downward to prevent any further entanglements from happening. He mutters a quick 'thanks' under his breath when he's shot the quippy compliment, quickly moving on to answer the other questions.

"Well... My mom always said that I had a way of making myself known! Whatever that means... I would have to assume that it's a good thing? Like I command the room or something!" Although, he doubts it, given his tendency to ramble. It was more so that he sure knew how to stumble into the scene. While his mind reels, his gaze follows the soccer ball Eunwoo occupies his time with, nearly losing his train of thought trying to predict where it will bounce next.

"Oh, right... Me? I was just riding around and seeing where my whims will take me! Have you ever done that before? Just... left the house and thought to yourself... 'today, I'm gonna go wherever I feel like' and it's kinda like a mini adventure."

He reaches up and scratches the side of his neck — a habit of his that he had yet to get over. "What about you? Where are you going...?" he reaches over and gently pokes his pointer finger against the soccer ball. "Playing soccer? Or did you just finish having a game?" he pauses, leaning away, then leaning forward again to huff out a bashful laugh. "Sorry. Asking a lot of questions! I can't help it. My mom also always said that I'm naturally curious. But... I think that's a good thing, don't you?"

Another short pause. "Do you wanna come with me? On my adventure to nowhere?"

everybody around eunwoo always asks him what the secret to his fair skin is. he'd been an active, albeit shy, child, but that never stopped him from running around the garden, playing soccer with his friends, and so on, which meant catching some uv rays. and there's his whole secret; after becoming a trainee—especially when he was still in university—he could go weeks without seeing the sun. even worse, there were times when he didn't even know the temperature outside for several days in a row. that's how punishing the trainees' schedule could be at times.

now that he's signed with the agency and has a little more time to himself, he's been trying to dispel the vampire allegations and spend as much time under the sun as possible. and being the loner that he is, it's no surprise to find him dribbling with his soccer ball on his own by the han river. in moments like these, time flies.

maybe it's his sixth sense or something that makes him stop and look up at some point. he scans around him, unsure what he's looking for or what prompted that feeling. and the, he sees him. kiyong is all his 6 foot something glory coming his way. "oh lord..." eunwoo whispers. not because of kiyong's arrival per se, but because the same sense that alerted him to the trainee's arrival, is now predicting that a disaster is about to happen. to be fair, he wouldn't put it past kiyong to manage to get a concussion inside a padded room. so the crowd, the excitement and the bike combination is just calling for trouble.

he's about to greet the giant back when it finally happens. it's like watching a car crash about to happen, and all he can do is stare and grimace, too far away to get to the other in time to help him. thankfully, kiyong manages to avoid the grass himself or get a cut from his bicycle (he knows what he's talking about here and won't elaborate on it).

the same eyes that had been ignoring him before are now square on the two of them. "nice save on this one." eunwoo comments, "do you always have to make grand entrances like these, though?" he asks playfully. with the tip of his shoe, the rookie actor kicks the soccer ball up and catches it. "where you heading somewhere?"

[lgckiyong]

Kiyong follows behind Yujin like a lost duckling, his hands plucking at the ends of his sleeves. It isn't so rare for him to explore new territories, particularly when there was something of special interest waiting at the end. Admittedly, he has not been in the habit of picking up new hobbies with whimsy and no second thought. Certain ones required a certain level of planning and seeking guidance from those more skilled in it — especially when it came to the crafts.

It's this way he eventually sought out Kim Yujin, the knowledge of her propensity for knitting not entirely unknown to others within the company. He was more than gracious that she agreed, eager when she suggested they go to a specialized cafe where other craft enthusiasts stopped by.

"New student... Ah," he grins, wide enough to show his teeth. "I don't mind where we sit. You've been here before, right? So whatever place you think is the best. And... thank you, really. I appreciate you agreeing to help me out, and even treat me. There has to be something I can do to pay you back later!"

He takes a seat after pulling a chair out, allowing Yujin to take the more comfortable booth seat by the wall. His fingers pluck up the small laminated menu, but his eyes drift over the wooden shelf with skeins of yarn tucked inside them. "Do they... happen to have any maroon yarn? And it can't be burgundy or wine red." He would be able to tell. "It has to be maroon! But if not, silver works, too."

Now playing ᐢ. .ᐢ˖ ࣪ . yes i'm changing for @lgckiyong

"it's not every day someone asks me to teach them how to crochet!"

to be honest, yujin was hoping someone would use her skills to help them out one day. of course, she does a few things on her scrapbooking segment but there's only so much she can teach without straying from the plot. "it's smarter to start with crocheting first before you take up an interest in knitting since the stitch work can be more complicated."

she was grateful to have been introduced to the knitting cafe where they could peacefully pick out their yarn and tools, along with tasty snacks. closing the door behind them, they are greeted by the workers with excitement. the neutral-colored walls worked best with the brightest color options they could pick from, along with the small cafe tucked in the corner.

it was like crotchet heaven.

"it's on me today. since you are my student." she smiled up at her new friend, rushing to pay for their session today before he could protest. "did you want to sit in the corner? i feel like that's always the best seat in the house. i can get the tools we'll need today and pick out the yarn you want to try."

[lgckiyong]

It wasn't entirely uncommon for Kiyong to find himself spacing out. Daydreaming, his mother would often call it. About what was often a mystery, but he was always more than willing to share it with any who might ask. Today's reverie happened to pertain fantastical ideas about what it would be like to be able to float around off pure will alone, then his brain tumbles into the recreation of some regency romance novel and what it would be like if he was—

Well, he will not go there. Not when another voice is calling his name and he's unconsciously placing a strip of tape over Seyeon's hand holding the banner instead of the thing itself. ( And he would like the apologize additionally later in case of any pulled out hair follicles when he tears the tape off to put it on its proper place. ) "Huh? Oh! Oh, shit, I'm sorry, hyung!"

Kiyong frantically pats down the sign underneath the adhesive strips, adding another for extra measure so it won't come tumbling down as soon as Seyeon pulls his hand away. "Here, here. So you can get the other end!" He presents him with several pieces of tape stuck to his fingertips and holds it out to the older man. "Is this the last thing we have to hang up? Or should we put more holly pieces on... Or... more streamers? I also think that there's still tinsel in the box—"

showtime.

charity concert, with @lgckiyong

now, seyeon wasn't the most creative person with things like these, but there was something about the holiday and christmas season that brought out a fun, playful and enjoyable side in him. personally, he had already watched the nightmare before christmas twice so far this year. once on halloween and then once a few days prior, because of course, why wouldn't he? it was a movie you could watch during both times.

but when seyeon realised what they were decorating, he felt slightly defeated. perhaps he wanted to help decorate the tree, but he was too late, and the only other options were decorating the interior or decorating presents. and while he does enjoy wrapping presents, majority of the toys donated were oddly shaped and seyeon wasn't up for fighting with the wrapping paper, so he opted to help decorate the interior.

"kiyong," seyeon says, head moving to the side to try and grab his attention. his arms were currently crossed, his right arm holding up the sign he was attempting to stick on the wall and his left arm across his right, holding out in attempt to grab the tape. "ki!" he calls again, this time his voice more urgent and desperate. wow, his arms were starting to ache. "please tell me there's some tape somewhere on the table.. if i move my hand, the whole thing will fall down and it took me 5 minutes to get it cantered."

[lgckiyong]

"Huh?" Kiyong partially mirrors Yutai's little expression of surprise, along with his tone. It is an unintentional action, considering he begins to space out a bit, himself, on the in between.

Now that it is mentioned, the man always has been stuck in his own head more often than not. He recalls his coworker back at the aquarium ( during those days ) saying something about his sign being the one of dreamers— whatever that meant. He could only recall that it was two fish dancing among the stars and how ironically fitting it happened to be.

Kiyong blinks up, focusing on the top of the tree. He hardly notices that his arms are still wrapped around it when he takes a quick step back to admire their handiwork so far. At least that is every intention of his. However, anyone knows by now that the burgeoning model did not have full control of his limbs. At some point, Kiyong, too, fails to be surprised when a spark of bad luck in the form of clumsiness befalls him.

"Ah?" is the only thing he manages to squeak out before he finds himself teetering backwards onto the floor with the tree still in his arms. And then, "ow..."

yutai could be doing worse things right now, like performing in front of little kids who could point their fingers and laugh at his lack of talent. they were mean like that. of course, not the ones he met, if anything, they'd be excited to see him up on stage making a fool of himself. he could bring joy somewhere else, like decorating a café in Santa's workshop (or that's what he's trying to do).

the amount of peace that washed over the trainee's body, had relaxed him as he listened to the holly Christmas music that filled the warm air. the café smelled like cinnamon, right on brand for the type of holiday they were all so close to celebrating. this could be his new favorite season, minus the cold weather that yutai could never get used to.

ribbons and garland were draped over yutai's shoulders as he placed another ornament on the tree. his silence, for once, had only meant that he was concentrated enough on the task at hand. he knew it didn't have to be perfect, but that wasn't really the case for him. he already made ribbons for one hour after watching a tutorial that morning.

the dedication was real.

"what?" he blinked, looking at kiyong with furrowed eyebrows. "sorry i spaced out." yutai gave him a sheepish smile. "sometimes i get a little too stuck in my head... should you be holding the tree like that?"

[lgckiyong]

sori ,

sori is not a clumsy person, she’s not one to run inside, especially when there’s a lot of people around. she feels stupid sitting here on the floor after running into someone. it wouldn't have been a surprise if someone ran into sori, but sori running into someone else? that wasn’t something you didn't see often. there’s not really anyone to blame but herself, she decided to run, so she deserved what came her way, now she just feels bad for the person she ran into, it was one thing she fell, it was another she made him drop his food. “ah i think i’m to blame here, i was the one running after at all” she stands up, dusts some of the food off of her, “i uh, i really am sorry”. she looks down at her food, there went that lunch. “i got some food on me, nothing too hot though” she looks down at her outfit “hopefully it’ll come off in the washing machine” she mumbles to herself. “yeah, we should go get a janitor before someone falls in our mess”.

Everyone knows it by now: Soo Kiyong has the disposition of a reckless puppy and all the clumsy gangly limbs of a newborn baby deer. This would be far from his final incident within the company; he only hoped it would not have to be every day.

"It's honestly alright. We both could have watched where we were going better. It's a lot easier to get lost in your own little world, right? At least... that's the case for me. I was thinking about the final paper I'm supposed to write and—" He clears his throat and holds his hand up dismissively at his own rambling before gets carried away like he usually does.

Kiyong doesn't seem particularly concerned about the stains on his own clothing, but his smile drops immediately when he notices she's not coming out of this unscathed. He nervously rubs the back of his neck. "If you soak it in cold water and use some baking soda, it should come right out once you put it in the wash. Trust me!" But his confident statements don't stop him from nervously looking around.

"Do you know where the janitor is? Sometimes I talk to him while he's working but I dunno where his, er, office might be..."

[lgckiyong]

[lgckiyong]

It did not take much for Kiyong to get the impression that the other trainee wasn't particularly inclined toward socializing much. It comes out clear as day in her soft cadence, the slight stutter, the way she avoids making eye contact. Kiyong makes sure to take a step back, placing his hands behind his back as she went about her business and quietly allowing her to become more comfortable with the interaction.

"Oh! I like to do crafts, too! What sorts do you do?" There it is — a great place for an ice breaker. He decides it to be best that he chat while following her instructions and allow her to place any new ones in between. In the meantime, he unwraps his disgrace of a wrapping job and discards the old one into a trash bin set by their tables. ( He swears much of the mistake crumples are from him. )

"So, what should I do next? Get some new paper, right?" Leading the conversation is easy when you are Soo Kiyong. It is a joke amongst his friends that he could make other extroverts get nervous around him. "If I fail this one, maybe I should just stick to curling ribbons!"

Being put on gift wrapping duty wasn't as boring for her as some other's might find it. Once she got her groove the process was easy and fun. It was time to let her mind wonder a bit, autopilot had kicked on. Enough that she hadn't realized that the other trainee was speaking to her until she saw his hand wave. Then there was a moment of processing. "S-sure." She finally stuttered out after her moment of silence.

"Just one second..." She trailed off in a quiet voice, standing up from her own table. Sarang looked around until she found an unwrapped gift that was the same size his, grabbed her supplies and made her way over. "It can be tough, I like to c-craft a lot in my free time..." She had a bit of experience.

"Take off the old wrapper first and then we can work on doing them together." In the mean time, she started cutting pieces of tape and sticking them on the edge of the table.

[lgckiyong]

"Jellyfish lamp, huh..." Kiyong keeps the repeated words soft underneath his breath, downcast eyes watching the puffs of air pass from his lips. He briefly occupies his own attention attempting to make shapes with the vapor despite every failed endeavor. Even so, he cannot help but smile, the image of a floating jellyfish lingering in his mind — the very same image of how he met Han Seunghyun in the first place. "That sounds really cute. Maybe I'll get one for myself to put in my room and— uh?"

That typical tendency to ramble is cut short by a woman trying to get him to notice her. His head turns down to meet her eyes. ( Is she just incredibly short, or he incredibly tall? It is a question that constantly lingers in his mind whenever he comes across new people. ) She seems to gave upon him with some scrutiny; albeit not in an entirely negative way. Something about it makes Kiyong take a step back, suddenly aware of his own appearance.

Then she chirps out, 'How tall would you say you are? Quite obviously over six feet!' Her small hands clasp together, round eyes so hopeful he will answer her without hesitation. The woman is older. of course; possibly middle-aged, hair chopped in a neat bob, same as his own mother. 'Have you ever considered modeling?'

"Huh?" he glances over at Seunghyun — possibly for a sliver of guidance before he answers. His own friend had recently become a model, himself, after all. "Yeah, I'm... six foot two I think? I haven't really measured myself recently and... uh, well. I never considered modeling, really..." Particularly not after all the dramatic tales his former model grandmother had to tell, even way back in the 70s.

The woman says something else — something Kiyong doesn't quite pay much attention to with his eyes still drawn onto Seunghyun. Regardless, she seems quite eager to shove a card in his hand, smile shining bright on her face.

It isn't so typical that Seunghyun's shoulders can so easily brush against someone else's. It has nothing to do with the matter of his stature, but rather his aversion to allowing just anyone close enough to do so. Even now as they walk, he finds himself quickening his pace, falling in an out of step best he can manage - though his new... acquaintance ( for lack of better terminology in his mind ) seems to evade each and every hurdle, steadily closing the distance between them. Despite the exasperated sighs that escape his lips from time to time, he does find it amusing - albeit mildly annoying.

Still, he enjoys the aquarium attendant's company for the time being. His demeanor far too... chipper for his liking, but he finds picking his brain more entertaining than he'd like to admit. For now. He doesn't let his mind wander into thoughts of the inevitable and why he preferred to keep his circle so small.

At the very least, their outing is a welcome reprieve from his mundane schedule. It's refreshing to be doing something other than reviewing workshop notes and agonizing over his headshots for hours on end. "It won't be too much shopping. I'm looking for something in particular," he nods, gesturing to a small shop through a break in foot traffic. "There's this Jellyfish lamp I've been eying. I just want to make sure it's accurate to form." He is as detail-obsessed as he is eccentric in his decor preferences.

Seunghyun gives a shrug in response, scanning the area until he spies a food stall nestled between the various stores. "I suppose we can stop. Do you want something from -"

Excuse me? Another chipper voice ( Oh joy... ) interrupts them, its source enthusiastic enough to give Kiyong a run for his money. Seunghyun raises a brow, annoyed by the woman's sudden appearance - though she seems so familiar he can't quite bring himself to shoo her away... Besides, he wasn't the one she was hoping to speak to, anyway.

[lgckiyong]

@LGCENT just posted a photo!

Do you think it'll snow again? 🥶

#lgctrainees #lgcent #sookiyong

[lgckiyong]

-ˋˏ ★ GIFT FOR YOU / @lgcxsarang

Kiyong wasn't particularly well-versed in the art that was making things look nice and neat. In fact, he was notorious for having a rather clumsy hand — his own being rather large and seemingly unable to be as nimble and detailed as he would have liked them to be. ( And he didn't need to get into how often he underestimated his own strength. ) It made wrapping these presents particularly challenging. While he would love for them all to come out a perfectly pretty result each time, the struggle shows clear as day between his brows that scrunch together in a furrow.

Gradually, his eyes travel over to the other trainee working diligently ( and quietly ) at the table next to his own. The small boxes stacked up beside her are wrapped in a near flawless manner whereas his own... — He grimaces, sliding the unwrapped boxes slightly out of view to shirk any embarrassment that threatened to bubble up.

"Ah... Excuse me?" he pipes up, voice loud enough to carry to the next table where she sits. He lifts his hand in a tepid wave and then holds up his rather sloppily wrapped box. The edges stick out and the tape barely holds together the corners, leaving the color of the box sticking out rather obviously. "How do you do that? Would you mind showing me?" He sets his present on her table and leans against it with a frown. "I feel like I'm a lost cause here."