#Asia Music Corporation

[roostro]

markAIplier Attempts To Sing "Bésame Mucho", But It's The Vietnamese Version

[tryingtodotheright-thing]

Hello, Sunset - 6

AN: This is my longest chapter to date. I really suck at writing dialogue, which is just my real life awkward self presenting in fiction. I would love to hear what people think about this chapter or just the story in general. Need some inspiration as I'm stuck on the next chapter. The writing gods have left me and there's a metaphorical brick wall between my ideas and the blank Google doc ... PAIRING: Seungcheol x fem!reader GENRE: exes to lovers, idol verse, angst WORD COUNT: 4,650 WARNINGS: reader has anxiety and depression, swearing, mentions of alcohol Text in blue is spoken in Korean.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

1 December 2023 - 6 January 2024

There wasn’t really any time for melancholy, not for Y/N. She wanted to wistfully brood about her 10 days in Asia and play the nostalgic CARAT post concert, but the end of the year was relentless. Y/N travelled back to Tokyo the very next day to catch her flight home to London. She used the weekend to reset her body clock and catch up on her emails before she was back at the office on Monday. 

By the time she landed in London, her episode on Amazing Saturday had already aired. She didn’t think the episode would have a huge audience. She had hoped to make an impression on the Korean audience but wasn’t expecting to suddenly be trending on Naver or anything. She had turned off the airplane mode on her phone whilst briskly making her way through the long route from the gate to baggage collection. It was a good thing her phone was silent as suddenly the notifications piled up. She opened up Instagram first as that’s where the most notifications were from and saw that Josua had tagged her on a post.

It was the second time he’d done that since they had met back in September. Then, it had been a picture they had posed together for a magazine at the Marni show. This time, it was a clip of her getting the one shot for getting the most accurate answer for the God of Music quiz. He’d captioned it to say ‘Thank you for answering SVT’s quiz, Y/N’. The post had thousands of likes already, including fellow SEVENTEEN members such as S.Coups, Seungkwan and Vernon. Her followers on Instagram had also increased, she guessed as a natural effect from this interaction. She was following Joshua already so she liked the picture and closed the app, too tired to think about her actions or do anything more.

The click clacks of her heels echoed as she walked the short distance from her cabin to the one of the Global HR Director and her line manager, David. Unlike the confident sounds of her footsteps, Y/N felt timid as she opened the door to his office once he beckoned her to come in through the glass windows of his office. David was not someone to mince his words or beat around the bush, especially as someone as busy and senior as he was in such a huge corporation. 

Y/N walked out of his office thirty minutes later with relief. She’d need to talk to Sian and Emma first before she officially accepted his offer but she thought this was the best option for everyone without Y/N having to give up her career in HR completely. Her decision was solidified as she received positive response to her various promotion activities in Korea as they came out on broadcast and YouTube over the next few days. Sian and Emma began to receive interest from Korean shows and entertainment companies. The questions varied from whether she was interested in appearing on more shows to her plans on promoting in Korea and needing a local agency to support her promotions to even writing music for idol groups. Eun Ji was ecstatic at the idea of her living in Seoul and declared that Y/N would live with her. When she ran through her doubts of the move, Joshua reassured her as someone who had taken the same leap. Vernon and Seungkwan, who Y/N kept in touch with regularly since meeting them a few weeks ago, promised to visit her regularly so she wouldn’t be lonely. 

By the time her slot at the Jingle Bell Ball was over a week later, Y/N felt fully confident in her decision to resign from her job in the UK and take the consultancy role. It offered her more flexibility whilst still allowing her to keep putting to use the qualification and skills she had developed over the past seven years. Her first focus would be working with regional leads in Japan and South Korea to support the planned restructures and optimise the local operations. She would be assessing the situation, proposing a solution and would oversee the implementation of it when it is accepted but won’t be the person delivering the change. She was actually excited to step out of her comfort zone and expand her experience further by dipping her toes into consultancy whilst putting to use her language skills in another country. It honestly felt like an offer too good to be true. It also gave Y/N time to prepare for her EP release that had been planned for the end of the summer and her European Tour that would kick off in the autumn of 2024. She hoped she would get lots of inspiration to write in the new environment.

Things moved quickly once she accepted David’s offer. A flat in Hannam-dong in Yongsan had been leased under her name by Emma. Whilst her company had offered to organise this for her, she had preferred to find a place that suited her specific needs and had negotiated with David so the company would contribute a fixed amount to the rent instead. David put her negotiation skills to the test but Y/N thought she handled it quite well. She had a decent deal by the end. She spent the next few weeks saying a temporary goodbye to her life in London, catching up with friends in between her end of year performance schedule. She’d gone from the one watching the countdown to NYE on BBC to the one people watched performing as the country counted down to the dawn of a new year. A few days later, she was back on a plane to Incheon, this time on her own. Emma wouldn’t be joining her in Seoul but would be making plenty of visits as needed. W Music had a partner in Seoul who would organise any assistance Y/N needed. Y/N leaned her seat back and gazed out of the window, taking a sip of the red wine the stewardess handed her earlier. She hoped 2024 would be a year to remember. 

Current

Y/N had gone to bed immediately after her bath. The fight or flight response in her body had slowly disappeared until all that was left was exhaustion. She had dragged herself from the bathroom to her bedroom, not going through any of her night time routine but falling straight into bed instead. The blackout blinds in her room hid the world from her and equally hid her from the world from her. It was the Bank Holiday Monday so she had allowed herself to lie in and when she checked the digital clock on her bedside table once she arose from her deep slumber, she saw it was close to 11am. She decided it was time to face the world and couldn’t hide any longer. 

“Alexa, open the blinds.” The automated blinds came to life and with a soft whirring noise, it let the sunlight into the spacious cream coloured room. Closing her eyes briefly to allow them a relief from the bright rays, she patted around the bed for her phone. When her attempts were fruitless, she sighed in defeat before getting out of bed to look around the room for it. Not seeing it anywhere, she slid her feet onto her soft slippers and moved to the living room. She had success as she found it face up on the sofa. She tapped on the screen to bring it to life but it didn’t work. Letting out a groan, realising the phone had run out of battery, she moved to the kitchen island and planted her phone on top of the wireless charger. Leaving it to collect power so she could turn it on, she used the time to make her morning smoothie. 

Ten minutes later, she sat on one of the high stools by her kitchen island with a large glass of avocado and banana smoothie. She turned the phone on, making sure to keep it on the wireless charger. She saw that she had missed calls and clicked on the Phone app to see who had tried to get in touch. Some were older notifications she had dismissed like the missed calls from Sian and Emma. There were also recent missed calls from Rachel, Eun Ji and Joshua. Joshua didn’t normally call so she assumed he was concerned about her non-reply. 

As she wondered if it was finally time to grow up and call Joshua, her phone began to ring. It was an unsaved number but Y/N recognised it straight away. It was an incoming call from SEVENTEEN’s main Manager, Shim Jae Hyun. He’d been the first person she’d spoken to after Seungcheol had sent her the text to break up and blocked her number immediately after. Y/N could still remember the pity in his voice as he’d told her that Seungcheol had informed him of the breakup, and had asked that Y/N not contact anyone related to himself. Y/N had responded with a distressed ‘I understand’ and had immediately cut the call. 

Since then, she hadn’t spoken to anyone related to Seungcheol, including the members. Some of the members, particularly Vernon and Seungkwan, had tried to speak to her when they became aware of the break up but she’d already blocked them. The only remaining connection was Joshua and even then, she didn’t pick up or answer his calls. They hadn’t spoken since the day before the break up, when Y/N had called him from the airport to confirm she’s boarding and to ask him to check in on Seungcheol. Despite his persistent attempts, Y/N hadn’t spoken to Joshua since that day. He eventually gave up and stopped calling her and would send the occasional texts to see how she was, which she would read but not respond to. Seeing the two ticks to show she was reading it was good enough for him. It’s what he’d pleaded for her to do at the very least.

She assumed Jae Hyun-nim was calling due to the statement that had been published. She let the call go to voicemail and instead took a screenshot with his number displayed and sent it off to Emma and Sian, knowing one of them would contact him. She didn’t want to have a dialogue with PLEDIS or HYBE and Sian had stressed that everything should go through her or Emma. She put the phone back on the charging pad and returned to her room to pack her bag, knowing she had a flight to NYC that evening. Lily, Sian’s first assistant since Emma’s official promotion a year ago, had sent over the flight ticket details as well as some outfit options for Y/N to choose from her various interviews in NYC. Lily would organise it so any of the outfits Y/N selects would be delivered to the JW Marriott Essex House hotel in Upper East Side, where she would be staying this time. Normally, would have a longer visit and so would have gone for one of their long stay apartments but the impromptu plans meant she would be staying in one of Marriott’s hotels instead. The next few hours passed in a blur and Y/N found herself once again on a plane.

25 January 2024 

The black Porsche Cayenne lit up as the engine turned on. The car was a Christmas present to herself and she’d be paying it off for the next few years but Y/N was in love. She loved driving and one of the first things she organised was to ship her car to Seoul as soon as she decided on her move and yet, it only arrived a few days ago. Y/N was excited to take the car for a spin, having been taking taxis whenever she needed to leave her flat. She’d spent the first week in Seoul setting up the place whilst staying with Eun Ji and had to then relearn her bearings when she officially moved in. The three weeks since landing in Seoul had been tremendously busy and Y/N was excited to have a night to relax and catch up with a friend. Joshua had returned to the country only a few days ago after wrapping up the last concert of the Follow Tour in Macau. The two had been keeping each other up to date on life but it wasn’t the same as talking in person. Their last meeting hadn’t been the personal catch up they had originally planned for so to have some time together where they could speak more openly was much needed. 

Y/N arrived first at the Mexican restaurant in Itaewon and had immediately ordered some nachos for the pair to munch on whilst they caught up and debated what to order. She’d just taken a sip of her virgin Pina Colada when Joshua walked in. Y/N enveloped Joshua in a warm hug, and they stayed in the embrace for a few seconds, soaking in the comfort they gave each other. As they parted, Joshua grasped Y/N’s right hand tightly and shook it in excitement.

“I can’t believe you’re now living in Seoul!”

“Me neither, Joshie!”

He looked at her tenderly before letting go of her hand to ruffle her hair as usual. She’d given up dodging this move, knowing that it was his way of showing affection. She grinned at him, the smile stretching across her face all the way to her eyes which had shrunk to accommodate the happy expression. A waiter arrived with their nachos and the pair took their seats. Joshua ordered a Margarita. They spent the next hour catching up candidly with no inhibitions in between taking sips of their drinks and crunching on the nachos. They’d ordered more drinks and food, Y/N choosing to stay sober as she didn’t trust a stranger to drive her car. It was another thing for her to become accustomed to in time but she wasn’t quite ready for that yet. 

Joshua was feeling light, having let off a load from his shoulders. He’d met Y/N at a time when he really needed a friend who was removed from his world but would yet understand his trials. They were less than six months apart in age but often, he felt she was the older one and by many years. Maybe it came from their different life journeys. They’d both had their own challenges to overcome and different demons to fight. She saw him so clearly that he often felt she was his soulmate, like a twin who shared the same heart and mind. Their closeness after such a short period led to misconceptions initially, even from his bandmates. He’d been asked if they were dating, Coups being the latest one to quiz him on this when he’d shared his plans to meet Y/N. Joshua shared this anecdote with Y/N, laughing without restraint at the idea. Y/N looked disgusted at the idea, wondering what was wrong with everyone. She begged Joshua to make sure he set everyone straight. 

“Don’t worry, I told him you’re like a sister. Your bias won’t have the wrong idea, so don’t hurt your pea brain worrying.”

She glared at the teasing, huffing at the elder. 

“Who’s the pea brain here! I’m not the one who mistranslated that time we were out …” 

The banter continued, the two bickering away, fully immersed in their own world. It was nearing 9pm when Joshua received a call. 

“Coups-yah. What’s up? Me? I’m in XXX restaurant in Itaewon with Y/N. Oh, you’re nearby?” 

Joshua looked at Y/N with a sly smile as he hung up on the phone. Y/N was immediately on alert.

“What have you done, Hong Jisoo?”

“Where are your manners? It’s Jisoo Oppa!”

“Pfft. Manners, my ass. I know you’ve done something that’s about to piss me off. Out with it, Joshie. Don’t test my kindness.” 

He shrugged and put on an innocent look, widening his eyes and shaking his head, saying he had no idea what she was talking about. She threw a fry at his face, unfortunately missing the mark widely. This made Joshua crack up in giggles and Y/N reluctantly joined in, unable to hold on to her irritation. Y/N was going to suggest that they call it a night and head home when the bell by the door jingled. Joshua, who was facing the door, stuck his neck out to see who it was and his eyes lit up in recognition. He waved his hand at the newcomer and Y/N twisted in her seat to see who it was. It was S.Coups and with him was Jeonghan. 

“Did you miss me that much? You saw me only a few hours ago when we did the Weverse live.” 

Joshua said to S.Coups as the 95 liners reunited in front of Y/N. The waitress arrived and relocated them to a bigger table at the back, hiding them away from the rest of the customers. As they all took their new seats, Y/N bowed at Jeonghan and S.Coups and greeted them. She asked after their health and asked if they’d eaten. S.Coups, who was sitting opposite her, nodded whilst Jeonghan responded, “Coups bought me an expensive dinner. I wanted to go home and rest afterwards but this guy-”

Before Jeonghan could finish his sentence, S.Coups began speaking. He asked about her move and if she was properly settled in her flat. 

Y/N was surprised he knew the details and it must have shown on her face, as he felt the need to clarify that he’d heard from Shua. When she looked at Joshua, he had a devious smirk on his face.

“I didn’t know you paid so much attention to what I say, Coups-yah. Jeonghan-ah, did you know Coups paid this much attention to me?”

Jeonghan, who suddenly looked wide awake, seemed to have caught on to whatever track Joshua was on and enthusiastically exclaimed, “I didn’t know either, Joshuji. I don’t remember you telling us about Y/N’s move and this is my first time seeing you since you came back.”

Turning to his left, he questioned when S.Coups had heard the news. Y/N was a little perplexed about this entire conversation. She didn’t understand why it was such a big deal but she did realise that the angel, who was really a devil in disguise when he was up to his tricks, and his best friend were on the same page and up to something. It seemed that S.Coups had also sensed the danger and looked panic for a second before saying that it might have been Vernon who mentioned it, he couldn’t remember. 

Feeling sorry for the man in front of her as he pouted, she decided to answer his question to move the conversation along. 

“I’ve just about settled in and I was saying to Josh earlier that my car finally arrived so I feel like I’m finally set. I’m about to abandon all of it for two weeks though. I’ll be in Japan travelling to Tokyo, Sapporo and Okinawa for work from Monday onwards.” 

S.Coups nodded again at her and gave her a thousand watts thankful smile. Y/N felt her heart stutter like her old car used to whenever she’d try to speed and the sem-automatic would whine as it stayed stuck in the lower gear. His smile was too blinding and Y/N had to avert her gaze to her glass, fiddling with the stem of it as she tried her best to calm the flutters. 

“Oh, you didn’t tell me you were flying out so soon! We’re on holiday for the next few weeks so I thought I could show you all my favourite places.” 

Joshua was disappointed at the missed opportunity. Y/N reassured him they had plenty of time and that she’d be back on the 10th. The group enjoyed a few more drinks and Y/N slowly loosened up as she got used to the presence of the others. She didn’t see Joshua as a member of SEVENTEEN on most days. To her, he’d become family and so she didn’t get the nervousness that she got in the presence of the rest of the members. Yoon Jeonghan was too beautiful to be real and it was intimidating. 

And then there was S.Coups. Well, no explanation was really needed here. This was someone she admired and found attractive. It was just a celebrity crush, she’d thought. Although she had her head screwed on and knew what she saw wasn’t a full picture of any celebrity, with S.Coups, so much of it was real. She’d gotten to know him through Joshua and the couple of interactions they did have, she’d felt sparks. She knew it was all one-sided and with time, she’d get over it. But right now, she couldn’t be sensible about it. It was the way he would stare deeply into her eyes when she spoke giving his full attention, or the way he’d poured her a glass of water when he noticed her glass was empty, or even how the corners of his mouth would twitch in amusement whenever he caught her sneaking glances at him as Jeonghan told a funny story. She was deeply attracted to the man in front of her. His tight black t-shirt and rich perfume pulled her in. When she caught herself leaning forward one too many times, she knew it was time to go home. She pulled the typical I’m-going-to-freshen-up-but-really-pay-the-bill act and found herself scolded by a whiny Joshua as they all walked her to her car. 

She saw the tired, droopy frame of Jeonghan and told them all to get in, saying she’d drop them off. They tried to refuse the offer but Jeonghan must have been really tired because he got in quickly after thanking Y/N. Joshua sat upfront and inputted the address for the dorm. 

“Coups-yah, are you going to stay at the dorm tonight?” 

It took a beat for S.Coups to answer and the others realised he’d wanted to return to the place he shared with his brother. He said he’d call a taxi from the dorm. 

“I can drop you off, I really don’t mind.”

Y/N turned into the apartment complex that housed SEVENTEEN members. Joshua and Jeonghan got out of the car and S.Coups followed. He seemed to have a non-verbal conversation with Joshua before he turned back to Y/N and asked if she was sure. She nodded and smiled gently in response. 

He lightly hugged the members goodnight before getting back in the car, this time in the front seat. Joshua called out for her to text him when she got home safely and then headed in. 

“And then there were two.”

“Sorry?”

“Oh, sorry. It’s a phrase in English that people would usually say when a big group would suddenly get smaller.” 

She explained as she manoeuvred out of her parking spot. She pulled off and started driving towards the main road as S.Coups set the navigation to direct her to his brother’s place. It was a 20 minute drive and Y/N told herself she can behave for that long. They drove in silence that had started off comfortable but soon became filled with tension till it was stifling. She cleared her throat and suggested that S.Coups put on music if he’d like. 

“You can turn on the radio or you can use my Spotify. My phone is connected via Bluetooth.” 

She quickly unlocked it with her fingerprint and gestured for him to take it. He’d looked slightly stunned at her nonchalance as she gave him access to her phone. He timidly took the phone from the stand it was resting on and scrolled through the app. In the meantime, it began to play from where she’d left off earlier. Red Velvet described the throes of a crush and the longing to greet them again through the song ‘Hello, Sunset’ and Y/N blushed as she listened on. How fitting that this is the song that plays, she thought. She saw him tap along to the music as he scrolled through her phone. Their journey was elongating thanks to the traffic that was building up as the Saturday night deepened. As the song drew to a close, he tapped on the song he’d searched for and Dino’s voice blasted through the speakers. How cute, she thought as she realised he’d chosen to listen to the maknae’s mixtape, ‘Wait’. He bobbed his head along as they listened. The car had come to a standstill in front of the traffic. 

“I really love this song.” 

“Yes, maknae did a good job.” The pride in his voice was clear. She hummed in agreement. 

“I’m sorry. Because of me, you’re delayed.”

He apologised suddenly and Y/N found herself lost in his intense stare again when she'd looked at him to respond. She inaudibly mumbled that it wasn’t a problem and that she’s going the same way. It was as if her ears had popped, all noise surrounding them dampened whilst the sound of her heartbeat grew thunderous. She couldn’t even blink, worried he’d disappear if she closed her eyes for a second. He lowered his eyes, breaking the hold on her briefly as they dipped down to her lips before returning to arrest her again. He held her breath as a prisoner. Was she imagining it or was the distance between them slowly narrowing? She had no thoughts. Her brain simply wasn’t functioning to think if this was a good idea or not. Their noses were nearly brushing when they jumped apart when the car behind honked its horn. Y/N realised the queue had eased and quickly put the car in motion. S.Coups turned to look outside the side window, his expression hidden from Y/N when she tried to take a glimpse. 

They arrived at S.Coups’ place a few minutes later. Tablo’s version of ‘Eyes, Nose, Lips’ played in the background as both occupants of the car stalled, not sure whether to mention the moment shared earlier. In the end, both had decided to ignore it. S.Coups thanked Y/N for the lift. He’d gotten out of the car and walked around to her side, leaning down to speak to her. A breeze sent her a whiff of his perfume again. 

“Well … thanks again.” Y/N smiled but didn’t say anything.

“I should get going. I mean, you should get going. It’s late.”

She nodded and bowed at him to take leave from the driver’s seat. She was about to roll up her windows when he called her name. With no formalities. The butterflies instantly multiplied. 

“Y/N. Text me to say you’ve made it home?” It was a question but it wasn’t. She nodded, slowly then quickly. 

“I saved my number on your phone. I, uh, I didn’t send myself your number.”

Who was this shy man? Was he the same person with the deep voice and passionate eyes? 

“Sleep well.”

Y/N placed her keys in the enamel dish by the entrance, took off her boots and walked to her room. She texted Joshua to confirm she’d made it and wished him a goodnight. She paused for a second before she searched through her contacts. She found the newly saved number under Coups. 

Saturday 27 January Hi, it’s Y/N.  I made it home safely. Have a good night. 23:20 Goodnight. 23:21

A week later, Y/N was getting ready for her first date with S.Coups.

[icouldhyperfixatehim]

wow, i don't think i actually realised how worn out i was feeling on the amount of clangers, flops, and disappointments i've watched lately. love for love's sake is such a proficient and moving piece of storytelling, which leaves gaps to interpret and play in that aren't holes - they're there by design. it's a complete work, start to finish, devoted to its theme and inventive, loyal to character-moves-plot once the central premise is set up. the game elements (sound effects, pop up boxes) weren't gimmicky, they were used so atmospherically, like music score, tapping into that piece of us that is always so attuned to the sound of a notification or electronic buzz, our brain's invisible limb. performances: incredible. some of the best character work i've seen in ages, delivering "real" in a speculative genre format.

tell you what, watching this has sharpened my critical eye again - 2024 i'm expecting more from the genre. it can be done, love for love's sake just came in and proved it can be done. to me, one of the greatest advantages of watching these asia-sourced shows has been that their production and distribution models mean you don't get invested in something that is left unfinished, with a higher corporate power swinging the cancellation axe after a season or two. they complete their stories, whether it's an 8, 12, 50 episode drama, it is typically: one whole drama. a lot of the things i've been watching lately have had a quality slippage that forgoes that advantage, but no more! no more putting up with it, i will not be accepting any more quick turnover first drafts! we are making and devouring whole this year, and it must be a full, nourishing, serving!!

[alectoperdita]

Oh hell, I am all about them drugged confessions. If/whenever you’re up for it. 💕

From Put That Guy in a Situation(TM) Ask Game

Jumped this one ahead in the queue since it's someone's birthday. 💜💜💜 Enjoy, my friend! I hope this has enough of the stuff you dig about them.

13. Drunken/drugged/sleepy confessions

content warnings: referenced non-consensual drug use and mildly spicy because Seto is thirsty

---

The city lights stabbed into Seto's eyes. The city's heartbeat—a frantic cacophony of bumper-to-bumper traffic, music spilling out of late-night shops and restaurants, and an overwhelming pulse of humanity—pulsed against the back of his head like a second migraine.

He lifted his heavy head and tried to get a better look at his surroundings. Not an easy feat when the world wouldn't stop spinning. Seto could feel the planet's rotational force itself.

In the sky, a bloated, sickly yellow moon hung on the black canvas, a dim bulb when compared to the Oriental Pearl Tower's neon blue and magenta on the opposite riverbank. The phalanx of lit skyscrapers behind the landmark formed a blinding wall that threatened to lighten the night sky.

No wonder they were sitting at a standstill in traffic. He was in the Bund. Shanghai. He was in Shanghai. Not for the first or second time, but the city's nightlife never failed to overwhelm.

It came back to him in bits and pieces. The Pan-Asia Duel Monsters Championship was in China this year, which KC was a sponsor of, along with a dozen international and domestic corporations. Seto wasn't here to compete, though. He was here to do business and build guanxi.

Which meant night after night of hard drinking and tedious back slapping as Seto endured their patronizing compliments about his passable Mandarin. Endless rounds of maotai until his blood must be 90% alcohol. That was the preferred poison of the old-school elites, the ones who built their wealth on the backs of a rapidly booming economy that outpaced everyone's wildest imagination. Not even Japan had sustained that kind of boom in the post-war years.

Potential liver failure was the price of doing business in this country.

That was last night, though. Seto was sure of that much, even if the passage of time seemed theoretical at best. Tonight, he'd been swept into a gaggle of their children, mainly the sons of the previous night's party officials and business moguls.

The fuerdai. His "peers."

Ha! Gozaburo had handed him nothing. Everything Seto owned, everything he accomplished, was through his own sweat and blood.

Seto will give them one thing: their tastes were decidedly less provincial. While their fathers drank baijiu like fish drinking water, they preferred cocktails, or at least pitchers of iced green tea mixed with Crown Royal.

Maybe that was his first mistake. Maybe he shouldn't have underestimated how fucked up he could get on such a simple mixture.

That was the last thing he could remember. He drew a yawning gap between the afterparty at the club and this taxi cab.

Seto sank into the seat and squeezed his eyes shut. His stomach lurched. Perhaps it was a good thing that they were stuck in traffic. He might not be able to keep it down in stop-and-go traffic.

An abrasive—a familiar abrasive voice—encroached from the fringes, though. An equally combative voice shot back in a different language.

Seto's head lolled to the side, away from the window and toward the other passenger in the backseat. Reluctantly, he pried his heavy eyelids open. God, why was he so tired? It felt like he'd pulled several all-nighters in a row.

His fellow passenger was Jounouchi, locked in a heated conversation/argument with the cab driver.

Right. Jounouchi was also in Shanghai this week. Except he was here to compete in the tournament. And unlike Seto, he didn't speak a lick of Chinese.

Not that his laughable grasp of English fared any better.

"Fuck, I'm telling ya, it's the other Marriott!" Jounouchi groaned in Japanese, running a frustrated hand through his bird's nest hair. It looked softer than it had any right to be, though. The strands ought to be bleached to hell and back after this many years.

But Jounouchi had been updating his wardrobe and his deck in recent years. Every victory advanced his look and style, and even netted him some media training like someone deserving of media notice, which was why he was playing in the Pan-Asian championship. Seto couldn't ignore him like he once did, like he still tried to in vain sometimes.

(And sometimes, he very much didn't want to ignore Jounouchi, wondering if he could catch the other man's attention in return...)

None of that explained why they were in the same cab, though.

Jounouchi tried again to communicate. It hurt to listen to him butcher English to that extent. The cab driver appeared to grow even more irate, threatening to eject them entirely.

Giggles spilled uncontrollably out of him. Of course! Of course, Jounouchi's incompetence got them stranded on the opposite end of the city from their hotel.

Fortunately, he was a snack to look at, even if his brains were nothing to write home about.

Seto's words croaked out of him, repeating in Mandarin what Jounouchi had been trying to convey. God, why did it hurt so much to speak? But even his drunken slur sufficed, earning a grousing retort from the driver that Seto should've just said so sooner while shooting a death glare at his other passenger through the rearview mirror.

At the sound of Seto's voice, Jounouchi jolted in shock, releasing the driver's headrest he had been clinging to. After several awkward moments of staring, he inched closer to Seto, stopping short of touching him. But the proximity and the tight enclosure made Seto's skin crawl. Not in an unpleasant way, though. His body tingled and felt a touch flushed.

How would Jounouchi's skin feel against his?

"You alright there, Kaiba?" asked Jounouchi, seemingly floating closer. He waved a hesitant hand in Seto's face.

Base urges welled up in him. He wanted to grab Jounouchi's hand and bite it, no better than a dog, as he once mocked the other man for being. Better yet, he could drag his tongue across the rough palm and lap at his knuckles. Suck his thick fingers into his mouth and learn contentment from how they could fill his mouth.

Seto was never drinking green tea mixed with whisky ever again.

He managed a small noise of confirmation before he twisted away, curling as best as he could around the seatbelt. Something like a whimper pushed at the back of his throat, but he refused to release it. He wouldn't humiliate himself any further. Just as he wouldn't crawl across the middle seat and cuddle into Jounouchi's lap.

But god, he wanted that so much it hurt.

A warm hand landed on his back, and he nearly surrendered as Jounouchi rubbed soothing circles between his shoulder blades.

"It's okay." Jounouchi spoke softly, but somehow it rang louder than the many decibels of Shanghai traffic. "We'll be back at the hotel in time. Just hang in there."

Seto spent the rest of the journey folded into himself, wedged firmly against the side of the taxi, trying and failing not to tremble under Jounouchi's caring touch. With a hushed tone, Jounouchi explained what had happened. It was pure coincidence that he ran into Seto and his "party" at that particular club. (Coincidence is giving chance too much credit. There were only so many high-end nightclubs in the city.) Jounouchi had wandered over to say hi before rejoining his own group. But out of the corner of his eyes, he'd noticed that Kaiba was acting unlike himself. In fact, the entire group seemed a bit off.

Seto was coming to his own conclusion before Jounouchi shared his.

Seto had been drugged. And since he knew better than to take random shit handed to him by strangers, it must've been slipped into his drink. Or maybe it was in the communal cocktail pitcher to begin with.

"They were trying to drag you off to someplace else. Don't ask me where. But you didn't look like you wanted to go, so I stepped in," Jounouchi trailed off. He'd yet to remove his hand, but it sat unmoving, a steadying weight on Seto's back helping to ground him to reality.

"I can't imagine they were happy," Seto muttered.

Jounouchi chuckled. "Not one bit. Acted like I was trying to kill the party. One chick threatened me with her stiletto heel."

"My knight in shining armor." Seto found himself laughing, then regretted it when his head throbbed.

"Don't worry, I didn't hit any of 'em. Mighty tempting, though. I just kinda threw you over my shoulder and high-tailed it outta there. That was how I knew you were really outta it. You barely cursed me out."

Heat associated with both shame and arousal rushed through him. It turned out those biceps he secretly admired weren't just for show.

"Finally, we're here!" exclaimed Jounouchi. His hand also regrettably retreated.

Seto watched blearily as Jounouchi overpaid the driver and leaped out the door. He didn't go far, though. He jogged around the vehicle to Seto's side and yanked open the door. As he leaned in and over Seto to undo the seatbelt buckle, the woody scent of Jounouchi's cologne flooded Seto's nostrils. And his strength was plainly evident as he braced his arms around Seto's shoulders and hip.

"Alright, up we go," urged Jounouchi.

Under any sober circumstance, Seto would've never allowed this to happen. To let Jounouchi touch him, especially as a caretaker. But Seto was the farthest thing from sober, fucked up on whatever combination of alcohol and party drugs he had been unwittingly fed. He didn't have the strength to stand on his own two feet.

So he relied on Jounouchi and his strength. Clung to the man's sweat-slicked neck.

The doorman didn't give them a second glance. Why should he? Seto was simply the latest in an endless stream of drunken guests stumbling back into the five-star hotel.

A lobby concierge approached and tried to help, though. Both Jounouchi and Seto waved him off. Jounouchi likely because he didn't want another stressful not-conversation, and Seto didn't want anyone but Jounouchi touching him right now.

"Hey, what floor?" Jounouchi asked after propping him against the wall of the elevator carriage.

Seto patted down his pockets and was relieved to find his wallet. He didn't expect the fuerdai to rob him blind like a common mugger, but you never knew. He tossed the leather wallet to Jounouchi and croaked, "Key card."

The tournament competitors were provided with single-bed guest rooms. Seto, on the other hand, occupied the Vice Presidential Suite for the week. Their elevator shot toward the top floors, bypassing the dozens of floors between the ground and the suites.

As they ascended, Seto snuck covert glances at the other hand. Despite the air conditioning running at full blast, Jounouchi was still huffing and sweating. Who could blame him? Summer in Shanghai could be blistering.

"Can you walk?" asked Jounouchi when the elevator doors finally parted.

Struck muted, Seto shook his head. His heart raced as Jounouchi wrapped a burly arm around his waist, and together, they hobbled down the hall to the suite's door.

The lights flicked on automatically as they entered, drawing an impressed whistle from Jounouchi as he took in the room.

"Yeah, guess I should've known. You wouldn't be caught dead living like us commoners. Where's the bed in this joint?"

The mention of bed caused something hot and heavy to coil in Seto's navel. Without meaning to, his arm tightened around Jounouchi's neck, which only prompted the other man to grip him tighter, mistaking the action as a plea for more support.

"Bedroom," he moaned, knocking his head against the side of Jounouchi's. He might be imagining it, but he swore Jounouchi shivered and pink flooded down to his neck.

Seconds later, they stumbled into the adjoined bedroom. The spacious room apparently didn't warrant any comments, because Jounouchi deposited Seto on the bed and disappeared from sight.

To say Seto was disappointed was an understatement.

It may be a blessing in disguise. Jounouchi had already done the "decent" thing: extracted him from a dicey situation and brought him to safety. Seto didn't need to embarrass himself in front of the other man any further.

He jumped when a hand grabbed his shoulder, kicking a leg out blindly.

"Relax, it's me."

Silly though it was, Seto did relax as soon as he registered Jounouchi's voice. His firm but careful touch.

"Here. I got you water from the minibar and a cool towel. It's unopened. I promise."

Seto stared helplessly at the two items being offered to him. Jounouchi made no moves, either. They were at a stalemate. At least until the other man sighed and pressed the moist towel to Seto's sweat-dampened forehead. His eyes fluttered closed, and he unleashed a faint moan at how good and chilly it felt.

"C'mon, you gotta drink the water, too. The whole bottle, then I promise to leave you alone."

Panic spiked through Seto's system. Being alone, something he never minded before, suddenly sounded unbearable. He didn't want Jounouchi to leave.

He reached out. Not to take the proffered bottle, as refreshing as its content may be, but to grab Jounouchi's forearm. Jounouchi froze under his clutch.

"You can't leave. I won't let you," said Seto before he could stop himself.

Jounouchi's breath hitched. As he stared at Seto's face, his eyes darkened with something unspeakable. He licked his lips. "Okay, not leaving. Not tonight. Guess someone's gotta keep an eye on you and make sure things don't take a turn for the worse. But you gotta at least let go of my arm. I'll take the couch outside."

Seto slid closer. "I want you—"

Jounouchi gasped. Seto could kiss him at that instant, but his head spun.

He wanted Jounouchi in every conceivable way. Wanted to feel his naked skin against his skin. Wanted to feel his weight pressing down on him as his cock pushed into Seto's hole. Wanted to shatter apart and then let Jounouchi piece him back together in the afterglow, warm and content.

He thought Jounouchi might grant him those things. If only he'd ask for them. But the words remained stubbornly lodged in his throat as sobriety started to creep in on the edges.

"I want you to stay with me," he whispered, holding Jounouchi's shell-shocked gaze.

Tonight and tomorrow. Maybe even for the rest of their lives. One day, Seto would give voice to the whole truth.

Read other prompt fill ficlets here

[fromtenthousandfeet]

When you look up the definition of greedy in the dictionary, there's a picture of this man

Aaack! That's terrifying.

Okay, I've been meaning to write this post for eons but it seems especially important now given all the crap that's going down at HYBE. We need to talk about BSH and his obscene wealth.

This April, Forbes published the list of South Korea's 50 richest people. Coming in at number 17 was the hitman himself, Bang Si-Hyuk, estimated to be worth 2.1 BILLION US DOLLARS. I believe that figure has likely gone down a bit thanks to HYBE's falling stock price, but that's still an absolutely crazy number.

Now let's talk about Scooter Braun. According to Wikipedia, he is estimated to be worth approximately $1 billion, however, most other outlets list him at being worth about $500 million. Either way, he's not buying generic cereal when he goes grocery shopping.

Bang PD paid approximately $1 billion dollars to Scooter when he acquired Ithaca Holdings in April, 2021. Scooter was given over $100 million in HYBE stock as well as an undisclosed cash payment.

Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande were each given $12 million worth of stock, while J Balvin received $4.8 million and Demi Lovato received $1.2 million. I would describe these "gifts" as glorified bribes to prevent each of them from bolting the minute the buyout was announced.

Now compare that to what the members of BTS received. For all their blood, sweat, and tears, starvation diets, no time off, worked to exhaustion, they each received 68,385 shares prior to the IPO, which were initially valued at $8 million per person. It's important to note Bang Si-Hyuk maintained their voting rights and votes on their behalf. So, they have shares, but no voting rights, i.e. no say in the direction of the company at the board of directors level.

It's worth noting that JB, AG, JB, and DL did absolutely nothing to earn those shares. They contributed nothing to the success of Big Hit and the eventual creation of HYBE Corporation. It's also worth noting that all four of them are no longer Scooter's clients.

HYBE America was the worst performing subsidiary under HYBE Corp in 2023, posting a loss of about $100 million (I'll dig up the financials for a future post). I think we all know where that went, but we can talk about that later. However poorly SB's business line performed, he will still continue to make profits off of his legacy clients thanks to sunset clauses in their original contracts. You can read about that here:

Scooter Braun sits on HYBE's Board of Directors. He is also 5th largest shareholder, with 0.8698% ownership. The members of BTS each have 0.1642% ownership (assuming they haven't sold their initial shares). I believe they will receive more ownership and voting rights when their new contract goes into effect, though. Meanwhile...

Bang Si-Hyuk is the Chairman of HYBE Corporation and the majority shareholder, with 31.57% ownership. He owns the place. When you add up all seven members' shares together, they still own less than 2% of the total shares of the company.

So please, for the love of GOD, understand that the members of BTS are not in charge. They are just employees. And frankly, they aren't well compensated when you compare them to other artists in the industry. Most sources say the members are each worth somewhere between $25 million to $40 million. Let's go with the low end of $25 million since that's the number I see most often. If Bang PD is worth $2.1 billion, that means each member is worth less than 1.2% of what Bang is worth.

ONE POINT TWO PERCENT!!!!

And you think Min Hee Jin is greedy???

Okay, back to the boys. Let's take a look at Simon Cowell's net worth. You know that guy? The one who formed One Direction and is a music and TV producer and personality? Do you want to guess how much he's worth? Well, its' not $2.1 billion. He's estimated to be worth a measly $600 million. And what about the former One Direction members themselves? (FYI all of these are estimates based upon online media sources).

Harry Styles - $120 million

Zayn Malik - $75 million

Niall Horan - $70 million

Louis Tomlinson - $70 million

Liam Payne - $70 million.

So, let's just pretend they each have $70 million. That means each member of One Direction is worth just under 12% of what Simon Cowell is worth.

One last thing. This is Bang PD's house in Bel Air, California. He bought it from Trevor Noah for $26 million. Mind you, that's potentially more than what the members of BTS are each worth. Just for one house in a country the man doesn't even live in.

Benevolent father figure my ass. But BTS are shareowners!!

Disclaimer: these numbers are all estimated based upon information available on the world wide web.

P.S. the 2024 Q1 earnings call is in a few hours. Prepare yourself for the media play.

[coimbrabertone]

Cautiously Optimistic - Liberty Media Buying MotoGP

So, Liberty Media, owners of Formula One, are officially trying to buy MotoGP. This has been rumored for the last few months, with Dorna Sports - the parent company of MotoGP and World Superbike - had spent the last few years making the kind of moves you'd make before a big sale. The launch of sprint races in MotoGP, appointing a new CCO in the form of Dan Rossomondo, and expanding the calendar with new races in new markets.

Nevertheless, there were always question marks over whether Liberty Media could own both MotoGP and Formula One, because precedent suggested they could not. As Simon Patterson reported for the Race, in 2006, CVC Capital Partners acquired Formula One and thus European regulators ordered them to sell off MotoGP. Thus, MotoGP was sold to another private equity firm, Bridgepoint. Bridgepoint would then acquire World Superbike in 2013, and evidently owning the two premier global motorcycle racing series didn't seem to bother any regulators at that point.

I can't help but combine that with a quote from Dan Rossomondo made at some point while being the Chief Commercial Officer of MotoGP. Rossomondo said, essentially, that MotoGP doesn't just compete with other racing series, it competes with going out for a walk, listening to music, and all the other things you could do on a Sunday instead of sitting down and watching a motorcycle race.

Was that more than just an innocuous quote? Maybe it's a hint of how Dorna and Liberty will make their case to various regulatory bodies to justify this merger.

Whether or not that's true, Liberty Media seems confident that they're going to pass regulatory approval. How exactly that'll happen remains to be seen - some have suggested that World Superbike will be sold off as a sort of sacrificial lamb to allow this to happen - but it now seems like MotoGP and F1 will very likely end up under the same ownership.

So...what does that mean for MotoGP?

Well, it means that the company that turned F1 into this trendy giant of a series is going to give some of that marketing love to MotoGP. That can only be a good thing - MotoGP is fantastic racing and it deserves more attention.

Will MotoGP see a move from historic venues to chase new markets? I would argue that it already has. Dorna has already been chasing emerging markets and a simple look at the calendar will show that - Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, etc, etc. Not only that, but that's arguably a necessary decision for MotoGP because, quite frankly, those are the countries that are buying motorcycles these days. 1000cc sport bikes? Not necessarily, but quite frankly, KTM doesn't even make a 1000cc sport bike, so MotoGP has become more of a showcase of the motorcycle industry rather than a marketing tool for a particular type of motorcycle.

Will this result in MotoGP chasing street circuits like F1 did? Well, Liberty Media has already said no, and as much as the word of giant corporations is worthless in 2024, simple safety concerns make it unfeasible. MotoGP needs a ton of space and big gravel traps to stop the bikes - and more importantly, the riders - in the kind of dramatic crashes that can happen in this sport.

What do I think will happen? Well, in the short term, not much, but come 2026, 2027 when circuit contracts start expiring, I suspect we'll lose a few existing venues - having four races in Spain presents an obvious opportunity for some trimming - and probably gain another race in the US (likely that Flatrock track in Tennessee) and if I had to guess, another one in East Asia, most likely China.

Maybe India will pave the way towards MotoGP reviving old, disused F1 tracks, and we could see the likes of South Korea and Istanbul Park added to the MotoGP calendar. If not MotoGP, then WSBK with a Turkish star in the form of Toprak Razgatlioglu really ought to consider it.

Anyway, the way I see it, the legitimate criticisms that F1 fans have with Liberty Media - being greedy, chasing new venues at the expense of historic ones, pushing the teams hard by constantly expanding the schedule - is all stuff that Dorna has already been doing. Even the complaints about the Drive to Survive drama, Dorna has tried two different DTS clones and neither one moved the needle. If you're going to be doing these things anyway, you might as well do them with the company that has at least been successful with it.

For now though, I have MotoGP coverage through Max and TruTV in the US, commercial free, and that's a dramatic improvement over how I had to watch the series last year. Dan Rossomondo's team has made MotoGP far more accessible and pleasant to watch already, and if that can continue under Liberty Media's ownership, then I hope this series that I've fallen in love with over the last year and a half can grow.

Thus, the overall verdict is...I'm cautiously optimistic.

[tomorrowxtogether]

Tomorrow X Together on the group's new music, proudest moment and go-to Five Guys order

A lot can happen in a year. Just ask Tomorrow X Together. The K-pop group, known as TXT, performed at Lollapalooza in 2022. A year later, the five artists are headlining the festival alongside Grammy winners Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar.

“I didn’t believe it at first,” Hueningkai, 20, said about the group’s big slot at the iconic Chicago music festival. “It was an honor.”

TXT chatted with USA TODAY shortly after two sold-out shows at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The group spoke mostly in English, using a translator a few times. TXT’s U.S. tour continues through Memorial Day weekend, with dates at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. And while TXT is traveling across the country performing for thousands of fans, the artists managed to take some time for themselves.“A few days ago we went to SoHo to shop,” Yeonjun, 23, said of the group’s time in New York City. “We went to Central Park and it was such a good place.”Hueningkai added the group stopped by Five Guys where he grabbed a favorite: Bacon cheeseburger and a peanut butter milkshake. Fans of TXT may remember seeing the five performers at the burger chain during a 2019 reality show that documented behind-the-scenes moments with the group.

TXT fans, collectively called “MOA," which stands for “moments of alwaysness,” have driven the group since their inception.“I think they’re our biggest inspiration,” Taehyun, 21, said. “We are fire and they are gasoline.”

When the group debuted in 2019, TXT won Rookie of the Year at the Asia Artist Awards.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity at a meaningful juncture of our journey,” Soobin, 22, said. “I’m proud of that.”

Their latest release, “The Name Chapter: Temptation” dropped in January and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The EP’s lead single was “Sugar Rush Ride,” a dance pop song with a catchy melody. Using such an earworm for the first single was not a coincidence.

“I think these days there’s short-form, Reels and YouTube Shorts, that’s so important to singers,” Taehyun said. “Making the melody ��hook-y’ is very important.”

TXT, like BTS, is under Big Hit Music, a subsidiary of HYBE Corporation. And the group believes that the management company has valued working with them.

“I enjoy (Big Hit’s) music style,” Hueningkai said. “They're great at getting us a lot of good opportunities. They're incredible on that front.”

And as far as new music, fans will have to wait. At least, for now.“Our world tour is still ongoing, so for the rest of our tour we’ll make lots of good memories with our ‘MOA,’ " said Beomgyu, 22. “And we’re focusing on coming back with good music and a good new album.”

[mysterymanjoseph]

Opening Night: mysterymanjoseph and for-yun

Concerts were just not a thing for Joseph, but, this pop group was a huge thing in Asia, and the promotional company that his family's corporation owns a bit of stock in decided to bring the group to the states. He was invited to the VIP lounge to watch the show, and his executive assistant at corporate h.q., Janet, insisted he go, rather than spend another few days alone at the empty country estate. So, he went to the West coast, his special Grand Cherokee taking a trip on one of the cargo planes the corporation owns as well. Once settled into the hotel, he waits for the night of the concert, and when the show starts has to admit, even if the genre of music is not to his taste, the huge crowd is eating up the performance. As the encore is going on, he thinks, "Well, seems like the person who came up with this U.S. tour idea earned a big bonus." With that, his cell vibrates, and pulling it out, reads a disturbing message from Janet, marked 'UGENT'. It seems the cyber guys at corporate, who always have feelers out for what is going on internet wise, have been getting terrifying reports from sources in East Asia. It seems there is a cyber attack going on, but, the strange twist is, those nations that were feared would be the ones to launch one, seem to have suffered the first stages of it, and the attack is spreading, not fast, but constant. This was the sort of thing that Joseph's grandfather feared would eventually happen. Back in the 90's, at the birth of the internet and start of the development of 'high tech', the old man commissioned a think tank on the vulnerabilities society might have in the future. After the study was completed, the corporation, and the family and staff, were getting ready well before anyone heard the term Y2K. That particular event did not happen, but, every few years, the study was updated, and the conclusions got far, far worse. So, the preparations continued, alternate back up systems, without micro chips, and refuges for the family to stay and 'ride things out', were built across the nation, in case something happened while traveling. Joseph learned all of this after returning from his service in the Marines, being given a sealed letter from his grandfather after the reading of his grandparents will. He was shocked, but, the old man made too much sense to just ignore. Now, it was happening. Sending a reply to Janet, he ordered that the Level One Protocols be initiated, the corporation, all branches and assets, would unplug from the net, go independent, everyone goes home, with pay, and the buildings will be locked down until things stabilize. That done, he messages Janet to go home, and take care of herself and family. Putting his phone away, he thinks, "Well, might be some time before things go sideways here, running off in a panic will do not good." "Can wait, let the parking lot clear, then leave, just stay calm." The encore is over, and he thinks, "The calm before the storm though."

@for-yun

[lovelyesguerra]

Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment in One Destination.🛍️🛒

The Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, located in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, is a premier indoor arena known for hosting large-scale events such as concerts, sports games, conventions, and other major gatherings. Opened in 2012, it is one of the largest venues in the Philippines, with a seating capacity of approximately 15,000 to 20,000 depending on the event setup. Owned by SM Prime Holdings, the MOA Arena is part of the SM Mall of Asia complex, which is one of the largest shopping malls in the world.

Designed with modern architecture, the MOA Arena features state-of-the-art facilities, including an LED scoreboard, VIP and corporate suites, and high-quality acoustics. It is a popular venue for international artists and sports teams due to its accessible location and top-notch amenities. The arena has hosted events like NBA and FIBA games, UFC fights, K-pop concerts, and various local and international music and entertainment shows.

Walking through MOA, i encounter specialty zones tailored to different interests. Fashion enthusiasts can browse the latest trends in the Fashion Hall, while tech lovers can explore the latest gadgets and appliances. The SM Hypermarket and Department Store provide an expansive selection of everyday essentials, making it convenient for locals doing weekly shopping or tourists stocking up on travel needs.

Beyond shopping, MOA enhances the experience with unique attractions. Take a break from browsing to enjoy the panoramic views of Manila Bay or even take a ride on the MOA Eye Ferris wheel. With countless dining options, from quick bites to upscale restaurants, you can fuel your shopping journey or relax after a long day.

I recommend visiting the Mall of Asia (MOA) because it offers a complete experience for all types of visitors. Not only is it one of the largest malls in the world, but it also provides a perfect blend of shopping, dining, and entertainment options all in one location. Whether you're interested in browsing high-end brands, exploring unique local shops, or finding family-friendly activities, MOA has something for everyone.

[roostro]

markAIplier Attempts to sing "Solitary|Desolation"

[micahweissberg]

full name: maximilian mohan

nicknames: max

age: 47 (april 16, 1977)

zodiac sign: aries

gender/pronouns: cis man, he / him

sexual orientation: bisexual

hometown: portland, maine

occupation: owner of static nightclub, sometimes a dj

financial status: bored

current residence: oak gardens

time in blue harbor: has been coming to blue harbor for business since 2012 but permanently moved in 2021

family: vikas mohan (father), evelyn mohan (mother, née rainer), dev mohan (older brother), charlotte mohan (older sister), nadia mohan (twin sister).

significant others: andrew marek (husband??? who knows where tf this bitch is)

trigger warning: mentions of assault, traumatic brain injury, alcohol abuse.

born in portland, maine as the third child of four (ten minutes ahead of his twin sister nadia), max grew up used to luxury, having nannies and maids and cooks to cater to the family’s every whim. vikas, max’s father, was a business tycoon, and so was vikas’ father before him, and so on. the mohans were well-known in the retail, hospitality, and real estate industry, having founded the mohan prime investment corporation which had a variety of subsidiaries that operated mall chains, department stores, restaurants, bars, and hotels across the united states, even expanding in asia, europe, and the middle east.

music has always held a special place in max's heart. he'd even originally aspired to be a dj just like the ones he saw on mtv growing up, however, vikas made it a point to instill a sense of responsibility towards the family business among his children, involving them in their company's internal affairs from a young age and therefore turning any attempts to pursue a career outside of its immediate radius futile.

it came as no surprise to anyone that max started working directly under his father’s wing upon graduating from uc berkeley for business, moving through the ranks until he was appointed COO of mohan prime retail, the subsidiary that operates a chain of malls and department stores. throughout his career, however, max has remained very much immersed in club culture of whichever city he'd end up traveling to for work as this is where he feels most at home. he was careful not to entertain the idea of taking it seriously enough to consider it a career, though he had spun in clubs a couple of times, mostly as a guest dj.

vikas was known to be a ruthless businessman, unafraid of running over anyone and anything that stood in his way. while max didn’t always agree with his father’s ways, he trusted that he knew what he was doing, and that his decisions were always in the company’s best interests. so he never protested when he was sent by his father to chicago in order to oversee operations of their shopping centers in smaller neighboring towns where competition was scarce. this is how he'd come to know blue harbor, establish relationships with its residents, and even consider it his home away from home away from home.

it’s no secret that the mohans have garnered a number of enemies who wish to see their empire fall over the years and with max essentially acting as an extension of his father, it was easy to see him as a big red target for those the family had scorned. he was at a nightclub called STATIC when he was drunkenly assaulted by a former department store employee who had been laid off a week prior. this incident had landed max in the hospital, much to vikas' chagrin, though he'd made sure that his son's assailant would permanently rot in prison.

rehabilitation took place in chicago, and it was here that he would meet his future husband, andrew, who also happened to be his speech therapist, but only for a brief period as max would later have to find a different therapist when he and andrew had started dating and, eventually, tied the knot. the couple moved to a luxurious home in chicago, where they would spend the next five turbulent years together. the turbulence, in part, provided by max's family, especially his father and older brother dev, who both greatly disapproved of max's relationship. there was also the issue of max's temper and andrew's alcohol abuse, as well as the volatile dynamics between the couple due to max wanting andrew to quit his job since he made enough money for the both of them and more, which aggravated andrew's drinking problem. the pair did try to work it out in therapy and for a while, max was optimistic about his marriage.

that is, until he came home one day to all of his husband's things gone, including andrew himself. max's heartbreak was instantly replaced with hurt, betrayal, then anger when he later learned that his father and brother had paid andrew a hefty sum to disappear from max's life and that andrew had been blinded enough by the money to accept the offer. there were no actual divorce or annulment proceedings, so for all intents and purposes, max is still technically married despite no longer having a spouse.

one year later, max returned to blue harbor and bought a house in oak gardens, and bought out static after finding out that the previous owners were going bankrupt. his business partner does most of the heavy-lifting in terms of actually keeping the business afloat while his involvement remains mostly on executive decisions and spinning in the club some nights. it was really more of a power move on max's part as a means of reclaiming and controlling the narrative of what happened to him in this very establishment, though his father wasn't too happy to learn that his son's already diminished attention was being diverted from his primary role as COO. in the same year, his older brother dev called him unfit to remain in his position and convinced their father for his removal, a decision which max had taken in stride as he'd been reassessing his role in his family's company, anyway.

having lived in blue harbor since 2021, he’s grown quite charmed by small town life and is slowly being humbled by its hardworking residents that he can’t help but feel somewhat responsible for several jobs lost, businesses shut down, and even land bought out from families for his family's profit. he tries to separate himself from his family's malignant presence in town though he does have voting shares in the company due to his name alone.

TIMELINE.

1977 — max and his twin sister nadia were born.

1995 — age 18, max moves to california to attend uc berkeley for business, both for his undergrad and MBA.

2001 — age 24, graduates from uc berkeley and immediately starts officially working for his father.

2007 — age 30, promoted to chief operating officer of mohan prime retail.

2012 — age 35, is sent to live in chicago to oversee operations of their malls and department stores in illinois. establishes the first of their department store franchise in town.

2014 — age 37, incident at static nightclub in blue harbor. starts physical and occupational therapy in chicago where he meets andrew 'andy' marek.

2015 — age 38, andy and max get married.

2020 — age 43, andy leaves max at vikas and dev mohan's behest.

2021 — age 44, max takes up permanent residence in blue harbor and, together with his business partner, buys out static nightclub from its previous owners.

HEADCANONS.

as a result of the incident at static, max had sustained a traumatic brain injury, affecting his cognitive and fine motor skills. he can become explosive with his anger, often getting violent outbursts that, while usually just triggered by specific circumstances, can sometimes be random. he has also developed a stutter due to his injury, which isn't as noticeable nowadays, but is aggravated when he experiences intense emotions or excitement. he he has bouts of confusion and is often forgetful— he would miss meetings, fail to return phone calls, and reply to emails which greatly affected his work as COO. he also have trouble with his penmanship and thus prefers typing over writing with a pen. having a personal assistant makes a lot of these things much easier for him to deal with, but he often can't help but feel held back and weighed down due to his condition.

wears specialized photosensitive cobalt-tinted sunglasses whenever he does a set at static or he simply just has the lights shut off when he doesn't feel like it. such nights are dubbed by some clubgoers as 'blackout night', which kind of works as a marketing stint but is really just because of a medical condition.

max has a lot of funk and soul influences when it comes to his dj sets. his soundclaims are jamie xx, blood orange, mark ronson (his early stuff), and little dragon.

he has two cats: cairo and berlin (she's new!), and a service dog named tom hagen (since he's his right-hand man).

a huuuge fan of formula one and tries to attend at least two gps every year (one before the summer break and another after). he's been watching since the 90s and has been an avid supporter of the mclaren, red bull, ferrari, and williams (before they turned to shit) teams. cites senna, lauda, prost, and alonso as his favorite drivers.

hasn't attended a single family function in four years. he only really talks to the women in his family and hasn't properly spoken to his father and brother since they'd conspired to separate him and andrew in 2020.

he has the aries symbol tattooed on his left thigh, a few inches above his knee, in red ink.

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT — alex (temp name!) has been working for him since 2014. his twin sister nadia was the one who initially employed alex for him to help with his day-to-day tasks since he was also in recovery after the incident. in fact, she was already the third one nadia had hired since the previous two had quit. max, especially in the early stages of his recovery, can be a difficult boss, but it was only alex who was able to weather his storms. he may not admit it out loud, but he considers her one of, if not his closest friend and confidante (she was even a bridesmaid at his wedding when she wasn't also acting as a wedding planner! why hire one when we have alex?) and with alex having to see him struggle with his condition everyday, max kind of has no choice but to be vulnerable for her. with that being said, she's one of the very few people, his sisters included, who can talk shit to him. this is basically pepper potts and tony stark in the first iron man movie but not necessarily romantic yknow??

BUSINESS PARTNER — max and his business are the new owners of static since 2021. they both have good business chemistry, fulfilling what the other lacks. max is more of the ideas guy and the one who shells out the money while wc handles more of the numbers and logistics.

OLDER SISTER — tbd details.

TWIN SISTER — tbd details.

PERSON WHO HELPED HIM THE NIGHT OF THE STATIC INCIDENT — aka the person max owes his life to <3 this person would've been at static during the altercation and assault back in 2014. they were the one who called 911 as well as his sister nadia (his emergency contact). they stayed with max in the hospital and kept nadia updated the entire time. they could've been a complete stranger or someone max was already friends with. either way, they remain to be very good friends to this day and max would do anything for them. taken by rafael moldonado !

family member(s) of the former mohan's employee who assaulted max

oak gardens neighbors

gym buddies

people who hate his family's company

family friends

people who were affected by the property acquisition for the construction of mohan's department store and/or whose business sales were negatively affected by it

somebody who only comes to static to watch max perform

adversely, somebody whose place of work max keeps visiting just to see them even though it's not somewhere max really needs to go to/is interested in going to if it weren't for this person

[byneddiedingo]

Asia Argento and Willem Dafoe in New Rose Hotel (Abel Ferrara, 1998)

Cast: Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Asia Argento, Annabella Sciorra, John Lurie, Kimmy Suzuki, Miou, Yoshitaka Amano, Gretchen Mol, Phil Neilson, Ken Kelsch, Ryuiki Sakamoto. Screenplay: Abel Ferrara, Christ Zois, based on a story by William Gibson. Cinematography: Ken Kelsch. Production design: Frank DeCurtis. Film editing: Jim Mol, Anthony Redman. Music: Schoolly D. 

Abel Ferrara's New Rose Hotel is more an exercise in style than a satisfactory movie. The plot is simple: Fox (Christopher Walken) and X (Willem Dafoe) are agents for a Japanese technology firm plot tasked with raiding a top scientist from a German company. They do so by hiring a beautiful prostitute called Sandii (Asia Argento) to seduce the scientist, whom they will set up in a laboratory in Marrakech. The plot goes awry when one of the agents falls in love with Sandii and overlooks some evidence that she may be working for the German company, putting the agents in danger. Padding this plot into a 93-minute movie means a lot of filler, including an extended opening scene set in a kinky nightclub where some lugubrious songs get sung and the necessary exposition gets spilled. Then there are some irrelevant sex scenes while the scheme is being set up, and after it fails there are extended flashbacks that add little to our understanding of what has happened. The three leads are capable and watchable, but the film leaves us with no revelations about corporate rivalry in the age of technology that we haven't seen in better movies. 

[svtcontents]

“Gaining a Sense of Responsibility” Bang Si Hyuk and SEVENTEEN won Culture Ambassador Award at LA3C

December 11, 2022 translated by @svtcontents on Twitter

HYBE’s chairman, Bang Si Hyuk, and the group SEVENTEEN (S.COUPS, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, THE 8, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, Dino) were recognized for their contribution in their role as a bridge in cultural exchange between Korea and America.

Chairman Bang Si Hyuk and SEVENTEEN received the ‘Building K-Culture Bridges: Culture Ambassador Award at LA3C festival, held at The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles on the 9th (local time).

LA3C is a festival hosted by Penske Media Corporation and affiliated with leading US music media, such as Billboard and Rolling Stone. Bang Si Hyuk and SEVENTEEN received the Culture Ambassador Award in recognition of their role as a bridge of cultural exchange between America and Asia, including Korea through K-Pop on the first day of the event that will be held for three days this year.

SEVENTEEN said, “Over several months this year, we’ve been doing a tour, performing while interacting with our fans in various places, such as Seoul, US, Canada, South East Asia, and Japan. I felt with our whole body that we are united through music regardless of our culture and language.” They then added, “We are happy and proud that SEVENTEEN can also play a role in expanding various cultural exchanges even more.”

translated by @svtcontents on Twitter

[famedexclusive]

14 MARCH — Gold Star Media recently held their 2023 corporate briefing. This year, the briefing was not hosted live for the press by CEO Bang Sunyoung as in past years, but instead as a file shared to press, shareholders, and social media. Some have speculated the lowkey release of the briefing may have to do with recent rumored tax investigations into the company.

The beginning of the briefing outlines 2023 as an opportunity for growth and stabilization within the company. All groups under Gold Star Media had successful years in 2022 and it is planned to continue to increase the size of this growth.

The company’s first and oldest idol group, Selene, began their Four Seasons, Four Colors project and saw increase in fandom retention and overall press coverage of the group as a brand. The final part of the project is set to be released on March 16 and each mini-album has allowed Selene to showcase the individuality of the members while promoting as a full group, which is an idea core to Gold Star Media’s beliefs. Selene will wrap up promotions for the project within this year, with concerts and a Japanese compilation album of the collection. The group will be celebrating their thirteenth anniversary this year and continuing to pursue solo activities. The members’ solo activities in 2022 were also covered, such as Hyojung’s acting, modeling, and hosting activities and Mirae’s acting, modeling, and solo music activities.

The briefing also highlights recent surveys that cite Platinum as one of the top groups loved by the young adult public and a top group requested for festivals well into their twelfth year as a group. The briefing revealed a comeback is planned for the group in April. The group will also continue concert activities and promotions in Japan throughout the year with further plans for a quarter three comeback. Members such as Haon and Dean were active in solo activities in 2022. Haon released a new collection of his apparel brand Otakgyu and was made a global House ambassador of Chanel in addition to solo music and production activities, including “Any Song” with its viral TikTok challenge and his second solo album sad. Dean starred as the male lead in two acting projects: the television drama Twenty-One, Twenty-Five and the film 20th Century Girl.

Equinox had a notable past year as the winners of Base x Mnet competition show Crowned. The group’s fandom has grown since their appearance on the show and Gold Star predicts higher pre-order and album sales for their previously announced March comeback than ever before. Equinox is also slated to release a Japanese album in April and hold a concert in the second quarter. Equinox has been receiving many love calls recently, both as a group and as individuals. Member Suji appeared in Hospital Playlist 2 in 2022 and released her third full-length solo album Midnight, which was followed by her first ever solo concert Four Seasons. Member Minjung also had a successful past year with her acting debut, being promoted to global ambassador for both Dior Beauty and Dior as well as Asia-Pacific ambassador for Chamisul, the release of her second full-length solo album -Ing and hit single “Celebrity”.

Catalyst is another Gold Star Media group that continues to grow at an impressive rate. 2022 saw a rise in Catalyst’s share of the fan market in the U.S., which Gold Star intends to continue to target in the new year. Catalyst will have plentiful music activities in 2023, including Korean albums, Japanese albums, and special non-promoted tracks and they will also return to touring. In the previous year, member Jace expanded his solo activities with pictorial modeling and his role as a judge on the popular Mnet program Street Woman Fighter. Earlier this year, he made his solo debut with his mini-album Tell Me.

The briefing ended with the company’s youngest group Femme Fatale, who had an explosive 2022. They released their first full-length album after three years since their debut and increased their profile internationally. In January of this year, they held their one night only concert The Show in Seoul which quickly sold out. In 2023, the group plans to make another comeback, which will be followed by further touring activities.

[onenettvchannel]

BALITANG HANEP: Lead Singer of Enhypen attempts to try a Filipino Fast Food Chain in Metro Manila?

MANILA, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION -- Korean pop lead singer and individual boy band group of ENHYPEN named Yang Jungwon attempts to try a fast food chain in our country during a Manifesto world tour at the ShoeMart Mall of Asia (SM-MoA) Arena in Pasay City, Metro Manila, National Capital Region.

Social medias have obtained a screengrab from a disclosed fan post of WeVerse, created by South Korean entertainment company Hybe Corporation, one Korean netizen suggests is to try the Philippine's best fast food chain known as Jollibee. We have no word for what menu is like to order as awaiting for its first Filipino fast food endorsement for the ENGENE fans.

Following after the final leg of Manila as L'Officiel Magazine News reported, Jungwon opens your suggestions regardless of the fast food chain, travel, customs, culture, and other stuff outside the K-Pop industry, if you have ONLY a WeVerse account. OneNETnews cannot independently verify the authenticity of the said social media screengrab.

I-Land debuted ENHYPEN in mid-September 2020, a survival reality show organised by Belift Lab, a joint venture between the South Korean entertainment companies of CJ E&M and Hybe Corporation. Jungwon is part of the said pop boy band individual.

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) in the Philippines will soon unlock its partnership with ENHYPEN. But there is a catch... If Jungwon approves to travel in Metro Manila, after he was personally set a Manifesto tour (per suggestion from a WeVerse Korean netizen), the Filipino fans of K-Pop overjoyed themselves to promote a fast food brand and having its first meet and greet experience of a lifetime. He will soon become the world's first endorsement of Asia.

Filipino fast food chain Jollibee will soon welcome the aforesaid country since the Manifesto tour had now been officially ended and proceeding the next K-Pop music tour real soon in 2023.

PHOTO COURTESY: Ibes via WeVerse PHOTO BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: Tegna

SOURCE: *https://kprofiles.com/jungwon-enhypen-profile-facts/ [Referenced Biography from K-Profiles] *https://www.lofficielph.com/culture/enhypen-manila-manifesto-tour [Referenced News Article from L'Officiel Magazine News] *https://www.philippineconcerts.com/concert-reviews/enhypen-world-tour-manifesto-in-manila/ [Referenced News Article from the PH Concert Press Bureau] *https://weverse.io/enhypen/fanpost/3-113697378 [Referenced WeVerse Photo via Ibes] *https://twitter.com/enhypenweverse/status/1621207525944356864 [Referenced Twitter Screengrab #1 from EnhypenWeVerse] and *https://twitter.com/enhypenweverse/status/1620748835265077248 [Referenced Twitter Screengrab #2f from EnhypenWeVerse]

-- OneNETnews Team

[peppertaemint]

So Hybe got their SM shares and posted about it. I swear if they so much as breath anywhere in the vicinity of Shinee or any of the members music, I'm gonna riot. I'm still salty about how downhill seventeen's music has gone.

Did you read Hybe's statement tho? It's supposedly I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine. Hybe aren't kings in Asia. They admit in their statement they have a lock on North America and India, but they want the keys to the kingdom for Japan, China & SEA. The thing is, SM acts are already in American markets and charting. It's super interesting...

I'm not a SVT fan so I really can't say re how culpable Hybe are in artistic changes. ADOR's CEO said they have no involvement in creative direction. Hybe's statement re SM says they're all about the corporate side and not creative direction. But how much do corporate influence any creative director? Depends if they get their money and get left alone.

Re SHINee, their contract with SM is supposedly an "upper hand" contract - they have a lot of weight in their work. This won't change unless they renew (no idea when they are up for renewal) and I can't see them renewing for terms that are worse. If anything, they'll continue getting better terms. IMO nothing to worry about beyond temporary instability. Long term, I think the worry for me is the direction of new artists. SHINee have already established their art and direction.