#Inkigayo Hot Stage
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ultrakdramamama · 1 year ago
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KEY won the first place on <Inkigayo> Hot Stage! Good & Great👍
#KEY#키#SHINee#샤이니
#Good_and_Great
#KEY_Good_and_Great
#Inkigayo#인기가요#SBS
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aricastmblr · 2 years ago
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¡La actuación "Like Crazy" de Jimin en Inkigayo gana el SBS Inkigayo Hot Stage para el episodio 1176! Y "Set Me Free Pt.2" ocupa el tercer lugar  
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erospandemos · 1 year ago
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I just can't help it
Yandere Chaewon x Reader
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Part 1
“The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.”
― Ernest Hemingway, Men Without Women
What you’re about to read is a confession to you. An apology, if you prefer to call it that, as I’ve professed my love to you plenty of times—although it won’t ever be enough—and you’re at the knowledge of every crime I’ve committed since we met. 
My Korean teacher repeatedly reiterated the lack of clarity in my essays and oral exams. I’m not good with words, you see. That’s why I thought that letting you know about the events in my life that shaped me and the feelings that followed me throughout these months would make you understand me better.
I know our conversations weren’t as deep as you probably expected. I’ve tried to explain myself to the best of my abilities and even if it was a mess you seemed to make out that flurry of words and comfort me. Sometimes, I truly thought you understood me more than I did. 
It’s true that we always talked in riddles and puzzles but it made more sense that way. Because our—my—love was pure madness and somehow the riddles explained it better than we ever could. 
The lack of sleep shouldn’t have affected my mind too much, at least in the part that’s in charge of writing. 
If you’re reading this, I hope you understand. Sorry if I’m rambling a lot, and sorry if I will ramble more in the following pages. Right, sorry if I’m apologizing a lot—you told me not to do that. I just can’t help it.
I was tortured since the age of 6 when I started going to elementary school, that’s as far as I can remember. You could also say I was “bullied”, it’s what the adults like to call it, but it’s the same thing. People get defensive, almost offended when I use the other term. “Wow,” was a common reaction, “that’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” I didn’t think it was extreme. 
When I so naively asked my teacher the difference between the two words, she chuckled and looked at me as if I asked her what the difference between hot and cold was. Surprise was another clear feeling I could read from her expression. She asked me how I knew those words. I simply said I heard them from outside and she told me to forget them.
That evening, when I came home, I  took the chair from my mother’s desk and put it next to the bookshelf, I climbed it and looked at the books on the top shelf. They were the books she used the least and between them, sitting all dusty and forgotten, was also the dictionary. 
I blew and rubbed the dust away then I looked for the two words. I read the two definitions closely and more than one time but I still didn’t understand. They were the same. 
I didn’t ask my teacher anything else. My teacher was clearly against explaining them to me.
But I was sure, I knew those two words extremely well because I felt them on my skin. 
I wanted to be an idol. I told everyone in my class because I thought it was a normal dream—we all watched idols on TV in the afternoon—and being an astronaut seemed a lot harder. Apparently, it wasn’t. Because I wanted to perform on a stage, I was “pretentious”, “narcissistic”, an “attention-seeker”, and a “whore”. I didn’t know what they meant and thought they were compliments and they etched those words into my skin. 
I later found their definitions in the dictionary and understood what they were saying.
I wasn’t the only girl who wanted to be an idol. Hayoon, a classmate of mine, dreamt of testing for JYP, SM, YG, and all those big companies. She took dance and singing classes, they were both in group and private. She could afford it because her family was very rich. From what I heard in the classroom, she started training when she was just a little girl because her parents saw her dancing in front of the TV during an episode of Inkigayo.
Surprisingly, Hayoon was never shamed. Because she was “humble” and had “her feet on the ground”. She was loved by everyone and was the most favored prospect for the role of an idol, everyone seemed to believe in her dream. She was confident, danced well, and was beautiful. All the girls went to her house at least twice a month to go to her huge pool, splendid garden, and majestic house. I never went, I was never invited.
She was good at everything and topped all subjects. However, I sang better than her. In music classes and festivals, I was always chosen and often took the roles instead of her. When she realized she wasn’t the best, she became embarrassed and frustrated. 
She didn’t have any way of making me sing worse and neither could sing better than me, even after all those expensive lessons, so she took to poking fun at me to try and drag me down. Of course her friends joined as well. They were always calling me "ugly", "weird", and "gross" in a way that didn’t seem childish or playful, but demeaning and insulting.
The other kids constantly berated me between classes, glued my books to the desk, slapped me and then ran away. They knew all the spots where there was no CCTV in the school. They even stole my brand-new headphones and glued my shoestrings to my shoes when I didn’t see them. We wore slippers and my shoes were in my locker.
My teachers never helped me. I’ve tried telling them and they didn’t believe me, or rather, they chose not to believe me because that was easier for them.
Only a girl had the courage to help me, it only took one word and two days to have everyone against her. “Stop,” she only said that and then everyone hated her. You never go against the group, you never try to make yourself different, you never try to fight back. 
In the end, I understood the difference between torture and bullying: one was for hurting and one was for fun.
During middle school, the bullying stepped up a notch. Some of my classmates went to my same middle school, they had many friends there and the rumors spread like wildfire. Many of the students liked to take their stress out by bullying other students. They were pathetic and talentless, they hated anyone who had potential unless they provided them anything, like Hayoon.
Smoking was illegal. But they didn’t care. They found all the corners of the school where the CCTV didn’t see them and studied where the professors usually walked to avoid their path. It wasn’t always perfect and sometimes they were caught but it sure helped them and the bullies.
One day, I was dragged by my hair behind the basketball court and after getting pushed to the ground, the girls started slapping, laughing, and kicking me. The smoke from their cigarettes and the kicks to my belly and back took the air out of me. I couldn’t breathe and I thought I was going to die. They were experienced—they noticed my lack of breath, gave me breaks to catch it, and started kicking me again.
They were caught by a teacher who forgot his bag. They claimed they were only giving me “birthday punches” and didn’t admit anything, nor apologized. They weren’t stupid either. The girls had a very good reputation and a good student persona, essentially they didn’t have any criminal records. 
When I was asked what happened, I was ready to tell them all the atrocities that took place in school. But then, I remembered the girls’ eyes. I looked at the professor and I knew, right there and then, that he didn’t believe me, even before I said anything. They wouldn’t have done anything but the word would have been out, that I snitched on the bullies and then I wouldn’t have survived.
So I stayed silent.
The girls only got punished for smoking after they explained they only wanted to try and continued to do it anyway.
Between the end of middle school and the start of high school, the bullies got more creative. They tied me up and broke my legs with a crowbar. The older the girls got, the more of them wanted to be idols, and the first thing they had to do was to get rid of the competition. They succeeded as I stopped dancing altogether since that day.
I continued singing but nobody wants to see an idol in a wheelchair, right?
After I couldn’t walk normally anymore, they started treating me like a rag. They used me to clean the bathroom, by pushing me around on the floor, putting my face against the toilet, and mopping me with dirty water. I was like a toy to them and their friends joined the fun.
Part 2
It was no wonder that many bullied students leave the school. Sometimes, they leave on their own, because they can’t stand the torture anymore, other times, the school removes them. The bullies only bully others because they can and they know they can get away with it: they have influential parents or come from wealthy families, so the school can only quietly get rid of the problem and those are the victims that can’t stay quiet.
The class in my department didn’t have many students but it was enough: 20 students. During the year, 5 students left, and at the end of the year, 2 others were sent to another school in the province. The remaining 13 weren’t enough to be left alone in the classroom so they joined us with a class from another department that also lost many students. In total, we were 31, which was a big number but they didn’t have any other choice.
You were one of those students. I only noticed you after a week because I got used to keeping my eyes low not to anger any of my classmates. You sat beside me. People usually tend to avoid me since they could also become victims of the bullies but you knew it and it was your decision.
“Is this seat taken?” you asked me. When I heard your voice, I had a moment of hesitation. I kept staring at the wooden desk but then I thought that you might have accused me of being rude for ignoring you and that would have been a good enough reason to pick on me, so I raised my eyes.
“No, it isn’t,” I replied. Your eyes were cold. I genuinely thought you were a bully too.
“Then, can I seat here?”
“You can if you want…” I told you, unsure. “But I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What? You fart a lot?”
I was taken aback. “No! I don’t.”
“I suppose it’s fine then,” you said and took the chair out to take your desk. You started getting ready for the lesson and didn’t seem to have any intention of doing anything to me. Every time someone spoke to me, it was to make a comment, make a joke, or give me an order. Still, I was suspicious of you.
The lesson proceeded as usual. You took your notes very diligently, writing almost everything the teacher said, making graphs and small summaries to keep your memory fresh. If you were to tell me you were the top student in your class, I would have believed it and later I’d find out you really were.
Your behavior wasn’t the one of a bully. And it wasn’t the behavior of a bullied either.
At the end of the last lesson before the lunch break, the teacher gave us surveys for our future career choices. I stared at the paper with a pen in my hand. What should I write? My future, my future was stolen from me. My dream was as meaningful as an ant’s life. After everything they did and said to me, a miserable life of insignificance and sadness sounded perfectly fit for me. I kept wondering and pondering until you turned to me.
“What do you want to do when you grow up, Chaewon?” you asked me while you were lazily spinning your pen between your fingers.
“I- I don’t know, what about you?” I stuttered. I couldn’t bring myself up to pronounce those words. I felt as if I had been banished from even muttering them and thinking about it only brought me horrible memories.
“Web security,” you said. “I go around and check companies’ safety in their servers and sites. I’ve already started an internship so I’m sure it’s what I’m going to do.”
“An internship? This early?”
“Yeah, I figured the more experience I get, the better. I got nothing better to do anyways.”
“Don’t you have any hobbies? Don’t you hang out with your… friends?”
“I don’t have that many friends, to be honest,” you replied nonchalantly. “I mean, I do go out like once every three months so it isn’t a lot but I still have friends I can talk to. I’ve never been good with people, I guess.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“I was always better on my own. I tried a lot of stuff and I liked web stuff better,” then you turned to me for a second time, looking at me more intensely than before, “but you didn’t answer my question yet. What do you wanna do?”
Being put on the spot like that, I wasn’t sure about what I was allowed to say. More than that, I didn’t know what I really wanted, if the dust of my once desire was still in me if my heart wasn’t dead cold. However, after all these years, a subtle string of fate kept me going and it was still something that I liked doing.
I looked at your eyes. They didn’t scare me.
“I want to be… an idol,” I said in a single breath. After I finished the sentence, a heavy feeling of guilt dawned on me. I felt as if I just committed a crime and I was in danger.
But you didn’t judge me.
“An idol, huh?” You laid back on your chair. “That’s pretty cool. I know it’s very hard if you really want to do it, props to you. It takes some guts to train for that stuff. To dance all day, to have everyone look at you, it’s something.”
“Do- do you think I can do it?”
“I don’t know, you tell me. I don’t know how well you dance, or how good you sing, or even what you tested for.”
“But is it a possible dream?”
“You can watch idols too, right? They had the same dream as you did. They did it. I think it’s possible, yeah. And I think you can do it, Chaewon.”
When you said that, I felt so relieved. It was comforting. Finally, I found someone that didn’t hate me, that didn’t shame and believed in me.
Just as you stopped talking, the bell rang. It was the time.
“Oh, look at her, ms. Idol,” said Yejun and pushed my head away for fun. He started laughing.
“Hands off, Yejun. And go away before I sock you in the face,” you said.
“I’m so scared, oh my god,” he laughed. “What do you think you’ll do huh? Do you want to protect this filthy rag? How generous,” he said and then slapped me.
“That’s enough, fuckface,” you got up and stared into his eyes. “That’s the last warning. Leave before I do something I might regret.”
He scoffed. “Really, you talk a lot. Don’t forget that you work for my father.”
“I don’t think you get it, Yejun. I don’t just work for your father. He depends on me. One click and his whole 20 servers will blow up. Do you really think that incompetent fool of your father fixed all the problems? He doesn’t know shit about his stuff, he only knows how to count money and scam his workers. There are so many weaknesses I could just hack the whole thing and change your company to my name.”
“You aren’t funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be. Now, that I’ve seen who this rag of yours is, tell your friends to keep their hands off her. I don’t want to see your father come back and beg at me and he’ll know it was all your fault. Everyone listens to you apparently, so spread the word. I won’t hesitate.”
Yejun stormed out of the class in anger.
I felt like I was reborn, that I finally found my savior. You were the angel I needed and you came to save me from this hell.
“I don’t like this place, let’s get out of here,” you said and I followed you.
We went to grab lunch but right behind the vending machines you got attacked. He called you a nerd, whatever he did, but I couldn’t stand it. I felt a force in me and I grabbed his neck, I squeezed until he couldn’t breathe anymore.
I’ll be honest, if it wasn’t for you trying to get me off, I would have killed him.
Just as that guy run off, you freaked out. I didn’t blame you. Still, you took my arm and pulled me to somewhere more covered to talk to me, scared that someone else might have seen it. I could see the surprise in your eyes, but you didn’t look terrified, you were concerned if anything.
Your hand was still bleeding, the red liquid dripped to the floor. I stared at the droplets, slowly coloring the grey concrete, as if it was the ticking of a clock. At each tick, I was getting more impatient, there was something inside me that wanted to jump out, run after who hurt you, and make him pay for it. But I had to calm down, you were in front of me.
“Chaewon, what the hell!” you whisper-shouted while repeatedly glancing behind your back and into the hallway. “Where did that come from?”
“I-I don’t know what happened,” I stuttered. I was saying the truth—at the time, I truly didn’t know why I reacted in the way I did. I never raised my hands, I never talked back, I never reacted.
“Shit, I’m bleeding a lot,” you cursed. You gritted your teeth and started walking towards the school clinic. I followed you.
You talked to me as we were walking. “You don’t just choke people randomly, you know?”
“I- I really swear! I pro-promise… I have no idea what happened!”
“Listen, Chaewon, I saw you pinning his neck against the wall. You raised a senior with one hand.”
When we were in front of the nurse's office, you pinched your nose and waved your hand to stop me from talking. The cuff of your white shirt was stained with red, it already spread so much in just a short time. You must have been in pain. My blood was boiling.
“You can explain yourself later,” you said and opened the door. “I have to close this wound first.”
I followed you into the room. For some reason, the room was empty, there was no trace of the nurse and it looked like she hasn’t been there for a long time as everything was very tidy and the coat hanger was empty. Often, when people can avoid work, they’ll do it. The nurse must have seen that there was no one needing her in the morning and decided to leave for some coffee.
You sat on one of the beds, keeping your arm stretched out so the blood wouldn’t stain the sheets and with another hand, you searched into the cabinet for something you could help yourself with. You took out bandaids, alcohol, gauze and cotton buds. You really made a mess, trying to pour the alcohol on your arm and spilling half of the content on the floor.
After sloppily cleaning yourself with cotton, you got the bandaids.
“Do you really think bandaids will do?” I asked you. “It’s way too deep.”
“Is there any other way?”
“Yeah, we have to put stitches on you.” I took the chairs from the desk and sat in front of you. In the cabinet beside the bed, there were also needles and thread for that procedure. Luckily there was an anesthetic as well.
I put on gloves. I cleaned your wound again, better than you did before, and applied the anesthetic gel. It took about two minutes to take effect, in the meanwhile I prepared the rest of the equipment I needed: forceps, curved needle, and new thread.
When I was sure you didn’t feel anything, I started stitching your wound.
“How did you learn this?” you asked me so curiously.
“I… I got used to taking care of myself,” I said softly. It was embarrassing. You nodded. I could feel your eyes scan me, looking at all my bruises, the bandaids on my face, and many more wounds underneath my shirt.
You sighed. “I’m sorry. I hope they won’t attack you anymore. Always stay with me, they are scared of people who have a known name.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think it will do anything.”
“Just do as I say,” you repeated. I could see how sure you were from your face. You definitely didn’t see, as my face was facing the floor, but I smiled for the first time after you said that. Your desire of protecting me was honest. I was really happy that you cared for me.
When I came home, I had the time to think through what happened that day. As I was drinking a cup of water, I looked at myself in the reflection of the window, my fingers tracing my wounds and bruises, itching the dried blood on my nails. Where did that strength come from? I could have sworn they had taken every ounce of energy from me, I knew I had no will, no ambition, no desire to even talk back until today. And yet, I hurt him.
I felt good. It didn’t feel good to hurt him per se but to know I defended you. As to him, I should have killed him. But you stopped me. You shouldn’t have done that. He hurt you. That shabby gross fool tried to hurt you, how could he?!
I was so lucky to have caught you before it was late. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened to you if he succeeded—the bruises on your face, the blood on your face—you would have looked just like me. No, I couldn’t stand that. You didn’t deserve to go through the pain that I did, not after you defended me. Oh, if only I could lay my hand on those sinners, the pain I could inflict them, all the experiences that I felt inside my skin, into my very flesh.
I want to hear them scream. To beg for forgiveness. To regret their very existence. I want them to apologize to you, to offer their life…
Crack
I looked down at my hands. What a mess. I completely shattered the cup I was holding—bits of sharp glass everywhere, even some into my skin. The veins of my hand were bulging, I could feel the blood in my body flowing so fast and forcefully. The adrenaline was high in my brain.
I didn’t realize what I did until I heard the sudden noise.
It was true, just as you said. It wasn’t me. But why? This must have happened because I was thinking of you getting hurt… yes, it was your thought, just you. It was because of you. I didn’t want to see you hurt, you were my only hope in this world, just the thought sent a shock through my spine and into my head, and I would go crazy.
You made me like this.
Completely insane.
“Chaewon! What happened?” I heard Yujin calling me and I turned around to see her rushing out the hallway. Yujin was my roommate, we shared the rent because it was cheaper that way. She wasn’t a bad person, not at all. But she couldn’t understand my life, she lived between rich girls and handsome guys.
To be kind, you need to know what misery is. She was just nice.
“Oh, Kirin-chan,” I said.
“How did you break your glass?” she asked worryingly, grabbing a towel to clean my bloody hand of the bits of glass.
“My bad, I was standing up and it just slipped out of my hand.”
“Then how did it get all over your palm?”
“I slipped and fell right onto it, you know how clumsy I am.”
“Yeah,” she commented without much belief, “just like all the time you come home with bruises on your face.”
“It isn’t my fault if they don’t put warnings after cleaning the stairs.”
“It isn’t your fault,” she repeated. “Anyways, don’t forget to clean it up, I’ll go back to studying,” she ended, turning around and leaving the lounge to return to her prettier room.
I continued to stare at my hand.
I couldn’t help but think about you again… my head got foggy… my thoughts haunting…
What if they scarred you?
What if they bullied you?
What if girls broke your heart?
What if you were friends with the wrong people?
I knew I was crossing a line when those questions took form but it was too late and I didn’t even care anymore. It was a promise I made myself, to protect who I loved, and I swore I wouldn’t fail again. I would protect you forever, no matter what.
I feared that you’d run away from me but instead, we got way closer than before. When I walked into school the day after the incident, I was genuinely scared I wouldn’t have seen you—that you had stayed at home, that you changed class or even school. What worried me the most was the fact that you could have been scared of me.
I waited for you anxiously. I kept scratching my nails, rubbing my arms, looking around for you. So many times I got up and walked around the paths outside the school where I thought you’d usually walk, even if I didn’t know well what were your habits, and not finding you, I’d sit back at the wall and wait again.
After several minutes, you arrived at school. At the sight of you, my dizziness and worries faded away. I immediately ran at you and hugged you so tight, you had to know how much I missed you.
You were surprised, of course, you were. “Huh? What has gotten into you Chaewon?” you laughed jokingly.
“I just thought you wouldn’t come to school anymore,” I told you.
“Why would I do that? Today is a school day.”
“It’s okay, that’s perfect. I’m just so glad I can see you again.”
Part 3
The door opened to the locker room and I and the other trainees entered sitting down. They changed their clothes from casual streetwear to old clothes and gym wear. I’ve been training for a bit now, I got to know all the trainees well, there were a lot before but now they only remained half. The one that finished first started stretching. "It's one minute and a half. Let's do this," she sighed.
One of them threw to the other a white sheet with a name written on it and did the same with the others. "Here. Your name tags."
"That's it? Just a minute?" the girl chuckled.
"A minute and a half. Everyone does their part and it's a difficult choreography, don't you forget. It will be enough."
"It's for evaluation. Don't forget every detail counts," another girl added.
We went out of the room and made our way toward the practice room, each one with a name tag on it. The corridor leading to it was cold, probably because they just changed from thick to thin clothes, but it got hotter towards the end where the air got denser. One at a time, they entered bowing at the line of men sitting on the right of the mirror in front of the door.
Everyone had papers and a pen and a serious look plastered on their faces. After a couple of stretches, the girls got into position and the music started. They smiled and danced with their full capability and the judges looked sharp. When the music stopped they held their ending pose and went in a line waiting for their words. The air suddenly felt cold.
"There had been improvements on what we said the first time. But we can also fix others," the first said and the men nodded. They wrote on the paper and scribbled.
"You. When the others did their move you were coordinated and that's fine but you did it wrong. You need to raise your hand higher," he said making the move himself and the girl followed.
"Can you do the move a bit before the ending?" another one asked, gesturing his intention. "Yes, that one. Please get into the position and do it."
They did and when it came to the next section he spoke again, "One more time."
"Once more."
"Five...six.. seven... eight... an-"
"Okay," he said and got up walking to the center of the room. He demonstrated the move more and more times. "Don't tense your muscles too much when you do this alright?"
"But," the oldest got up, "you were all a lot better today, good job. Specially Soojin and Gaeul."
"That's it, goodbye," they said.
"Thank you!" the girls answered together.
BLAM. The oldest almost slips as he got out and the others held him up. The girls let out a muffled laugh, their mouths covered with their hands."See girls, don't tense your muscles too much or they won't work properly," the man chuckled. The judges left fast, embarrassed by their eldest and the group laughed in relief.
"Are we really doing this? They are not saying anything anymore."
The youngest looked at them from the ground, laid down breathing hard, and said, "We're close to debuting."
When everyone was done with their stuff and cleaned themselves they left. Almost all of them ran out to catch the last bus of the day or were just in a hurry. I, on the other hand, had to walk home so I did everything slower. When I got out, in the distance, I heard a group of girls around my age shouting and laughing. When they got closer, I realized they were my classmates, there were about four of them and they were drunk.
They noticed me.
"Look at you. It's late, pretty girls like you shouldn't stay out," one of them said and I frowned.
"Don't tell me. You were practicing?" she said laughing. The other three got in a semi-circle in front of me.
"It's a really difficult life isn't it, miss idol? Everybody wants you and you're here dancing until late," she mocked me, with her fingers under her eyes faking tears, and let out a hearty laugh. The choir followed with a carol of joy.
"It's sad really," she continued, "so popular but so tired."
She pushed me down on the ground and the group stepped back making more space for the two. She forcefully pulled my hair, forcing me to get up. The girl got closer and said, "And you're so pretty. It would be a shame if anything happened to this pretty face."
She slapped me. They laughed. They kicked me. I tried to defend myself, curling into a fetus position and protecting my head. They snickered as they continued wasting the effects of the alcohol on me. When they were finally satisfied, they got up and left me there on the side of the road and went away to the opposite way of where they came from.
I remained on the ground with tears on her face and sobbed trying not to make any noise, I wanted silence. However I heard their voices again, from the distance, and they were screaming.
"What do you think you're doing?!" the same girl as before squealed."We're girls, you think you can-." The group gasped.
"You're five and I'm one and you just beat that girl up. You think I care?" It was a male voice.
The girls ran away but the guy didn't try to chase them and walked to me.
"There's a convenience store nearby, we can get something cold for your face," he said with a soft tone. I recognized the voice and looked at him, I recognized his face too. It was you. My legs trembled a little as I held myself upon your shoulder for support. "It's fine, take your time," you said dusting my back.
At the shop, you bought a bag of frozen peas so I could put it on my face where it still hurts. "I ate those for dinner, they're great. I can use them for everything, look, you're using them too now," you said and I laughed. I calmed down a little and your face got more serious and worried.
"I told you. Starting from tomorrow I'll bring you home," you said.
"But it was only this time," I said.
"And the other four before."
"Kind of."
"Being there by 11:30 should be good."
"But you should sleep."
"I would just be studying, and either way, it's way better to have your company," you insisted, leaning down on the chair. A small smile formed on my face. Ever since that day, the two always walked home late at night even when it was freezing or when it was raining. We got way closer.
You grew up so well. Unfortunately, many girls seemed to notice you and fall for you. I don’t blame them, you were very charming, so attractive for such a young student but I couldn’t let them near you. They were fools, too stupid to realize they were nowhere close to your level, you were levels above and they were just insects. I had to make sure no one bothered you, to avoid you crying because some worthless bitch broke your heart.
I was surprised when you told me you got asked out. But then I felt my chest burn.
There’s only one thing that I can’t stand in this world and that’s people who think they can take what’s mine. I don’t care about gossip, jealousy or envy, I don’t have anyone to compete with, I just want what’s mine. And you are mine.
It was so easy to scare them away. All it took was a quick talk behind the school, a very convincing speech, a cutter to their throats…
They were scared of me. Good. You didn’t suspect anything—they’d still smile at me as if nothing happened, I made sure to tell them. I couldn’t let you know, to worry more than you already were.
The bullying had completely stopped towards me because you were always by my side defending me and eventually they all got the message. If you were just a crush before, now I love you. If I loved you, now I worship you. You’re my religion, my god, my purpose. I’ll kill for you, live for you, and I’ll love you forever. Wherever you go, I’ll follow you. Whether that’s heaven, hell, or any other world. My very existence is embroidered into your name, I can’t exist without you.
Things were going great, so great. You only had eyes for me. Those two beautiful pupils could only look at me, at my face, at my body, only at me. I loved when you stared at me, I was yours after all, you could watch how much you wanted.
That was until those two eyes became one. You got a big bruise on your left eye, it was swollen, black, and horrible.
You were waiting for me near the big tree behind the school like you always did, and you talked to me like you always did, without worry or pain. “Hey, Chaewon,” you greeted me.
“What happened?!”
“Nothing, I just hurt myself,” you lied. How naive you were, you were too kind, too nice. I didn’t believe you one single bit. I wonder why you did that? Why did you lie to me? Was it to protect whoever did that to you? To protect who hurt you?
“Tell me. Tell me, who hurt you?” I asked you calmly.
“It’s really nothing Chae… I’m serious, I only hurt myself—”
“TELL ME WHO THE HELL HURT YOU RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!” I asked again, the sudden increase in volume startled you and you backed away into the tree. I didn’t know at the time, and you’d tell me later, but my eyes were empty. You got scared, I apologize, I just couldn’t help it.
“Ch-Chaewon?” you stuttered.
When I realized you were terrified, I calmed down. “Huh? Oh, my bad, sorry… I was just really worried, but now, please tell me.” I shook my head and took a couple of steps back.
“Okay, I will tell you… it was Seojun,” you finally confessed. “I bumped into him and spilled his drink on his uniform. I apologized, but since I was alone and his ‘friends’ were with him, they thought they could get their revenge on me.”
“I see… let’s get you some ice for that eye for now,” I told you and we started to walk into the infirmary for the second time. I hated walking into that place, especially with you. I tried my best to hold it inside me, not to scare you again, but I was going to snap anytime soon.
“Chae, are you alright?” you asked me.
“Oh, don’t worry about me, dear… and it will okay from now on. You don’t have to worry about Seojun anymore.”
You know, people say that the first time is special, you never forget it. The first time I bathed my hands in the warm liquid that is human blood, my body was cold. I felt hesitation at first, but I knew I was doing it for you, and thinking about you, all that fear was gone. And I killed him.
Yes, it was me that killed Seojun. I don’t regret one bit what I’ve done to him. I made sure he suffered as much as he made you suffer. An eye for an eye, as they say.
That day was special, it was like I confessed to you and instead of a ring, I gave you a life. It was only fair you’d give me your life in return.
The murder of Seojun made headlines in the news and when asked about it, the students never said anything nor praised or acted sad at his death. No one missed him. It’s quite sad that life can be so insignificant that not a single person will care about how gruesome your death was and forget you the next day. To be quite honest, he deserved it. We die in the same way we live.
You were a bit suspicious of me at first. You didn’t really doubt me—you were curious. The news of his death was delivered by our professor during the first period with a sigh before continuing the lesson. The reactions were mixed but mostly towards one extreme: relief.
When a bad person dies, two things will happen: if you’re a good person or a victim, you will be happy; if you’re equally bad then you’ll be scared, because you know he already got what he deserved and nothing prevented you from having the same fate as nothing is stronger than luck.
You were both worried and glad. I’ve always noticed how you tend to care about other people, it’s something that I really love about you, you just have to direct toward the people who deserve it. “Hey, Chae, do you know anything about Seojun’s murder?” you asked me during the break. You were hesitant at first but I was sure you’ve thought about it long enough to decide to spill it.
You must have thought about what I said the other day: You don’t have to worry about Seojun anymore.
“Huh?” I raised my eyebrow at you. “Why would I have anything to do with his death?”
“W-well… you see… you said that I didn’t have to worry about him anymore and the next day… he dies.” Your shoulders were so tight almost as if you were trying to keep the words inside of you. Your gaze flitted around the room, never settling on one person or object for long.
“It must have been a coincidence,” I told you. “And karma.”
“Right,” you muttered. Then you relaxed your shoulders.
“By the way,” I changed the topic, “there is going to be the last test before the debut at Hybe.”
Your eyes changed completely, they brightened. Every time I talked about my dream, you always seemed too excited for me. You fully believed in my ambition and constantly encouraged me to keep trying. Whenever I practiced, I always thought of you.
I always think of you.
“That’s awesome, Chae. It’s your opportunity, you wanted to become an idol all this time.”
“I will start practicing right away then,” I said. “I want to be with you that day. Can you come with me?”
“What day will it be?”
“Next Saturday, 4:00 pm.”
“Next Saturday… 4:00 pm,” you repeated. “I’ll make sure to be there—I will be there, I will.”
“Thank you,” I smiled and hugged you. You were still a bit against the idea of hugging but slowly you were getting used to it. I trusted that you’ll eventually come to love it.
I had prepared about four songs for the test: two for my singing and two for my dancing, one of them was good for both. I decided to be very broad with my songs because if they asked for more, I’d be prepared. You never know. I didn’t want to go there and have them ask for a random song and fail horribly.
You were waiting for me in front of the building with a little bag of snacks. I mentioned all of them before to you and you remembered. Some of them were for when I’d finish the whole thing and some as a snack to calm my nerves.
Honestly, I felt like you were my boyfriend already. If anyone saw us together, they’d say the same thing. Every little thing you did was so full of attention, I knew you cared for me, and I loved you so much.
Anyways, the time came. I bid you goodbye and entered.
The test went terribly wrong.
You waited two hours for me, only for me to blow it all up. When I came out, I was so embarrassed, I didn’t want you to see me at all.
“So Chae, how was it?” you asked but I didn’t reply. It was hard to come up with any word at all. I couldn’t even look at you in the eyes.
“Chae?”
“Chaewon?”
You finally got enough at the third time and you grabbed my shoulder to shake and direct my gaze at you. “Chaewon, answer me please!” you said with an upset tone.
“Do you… do you think I’m a failure?”
“What are you talking about?” you asked back.
“Hey, am I a failure? Tell me. Were the guys right? I am not meant to be an idol after all, should I give up after all? Tell me, please!” I hiccuped and cried. I was truly heartbroken. It was the test per se but the fact that I disappointed you, that I wasted all your determination and belief you had in me.
“Chaewon, no…” you whispered and went for a hug. It was awkward, you didn’t know how to hug. You tried to put a hand on my shoulder and one on my hip, but it didn’t work. Then you tried to put both of them on my shoulder but you looked like you wanted to headbut me. On the third try, you succeeded and properly hugged me very tightly.
I buried my head into your chest, it was where I could really feel safe.
“Chaewon, what happened in there? How did it go?”
“I FAILED! I BLEW IT ALL UP! IT’S ALL GONE!” I yelled and gripped you harder.
“How is that possible? You’re perfect, I mean, you sing so beautifully and you’re beautiful,” you said. “You’ve been practicing… why? How?”
“I’m sorry it’s that I was so worried. I got distracted. I continued to ask myself if I’d fail and so on… I knew the lyrics but I got jittery and…”
“No, Chaewon! I told you to believe in yourself. You can do it. You can do it.”
“But—”
“You have talent, Chae,” you repeated, “and I’ve seen it since day one. You will not fail. You just have to try again.”
I was embarrassed to see if I could try again but you weren’t and you stormed inside the building, dragging me by arm to ask the staff if I could try again. You explained everything and even pleaded with them until they gave in.
This time, you were waiting for me outside the door. I knew I wouldn’t fail again.
Don’t think about anything else. Focus.
I sang the first song. Just like I practiced. Then I danced. It was perfect.
I passed. I was so happy and I just had to tell you. I ran outside but you weren’t there.
I searched everywhere until I understood you weren’t in the building and had to search for you outside. I found you in an alley, bloody and bruised.
I immediately called the ambulance and they rushed you to the hospital. Your condition was so bad they had to x-ray your whole body and do a small surgery.
When I found you, you could barely talk or even breathe. You were laying in a pool of blood, that came from the numerous cuts all over your body—they weren’t clean but all rough and jacked, meaning they came from brute force and not blades. Your clothes were also messed up and ripped. Together, I could count on 19 injuries at least. I couldn’t understand at all. Why would someone do that to you? And how did it happen?
Together with you was a bag with two drinks and a couple of sandwiches. I suppose you went outside to a convenience store to buy something, maybe for me, and then… you were attacked. This may have been premeditated, it’s impossible a group of people randomly hurt you that bad.
I couldn’t stop crying, you know?
To see you in those conditions, I could only think of the worse.
What if you’d never wake up again?
What if you’d be miserable for the rest of your life?
What if you died?
It was my fault. I’m sorry, it was totally my fault. It was because I took way too long in the test, chatting with the staff, seeing the other girls so happily, while you were being jumped… I could have protected you, we could have gone home together and this would have never happened.
The doctor called me. “Kim Chaewon?”
“Yes?” I raised my eyes. I saw him and wiped my tears before standing up and walking to him.
“Is he okay…?” I asked.
“He’s not in danger is what I can tell you. Some of his bones are broken and he has received a concussion, he may be asleep for a while, you see,” he said.
“Can I see him?”
“Yes, you can,” the doctor agreed, “this way…”
He guided me toward another floor of the hospital. You have been transferred from the emergency room to the patient’s rooms. You were in the section where more care was needed—the hallway was quieter, everyone walked slower, and everything was more gentle.
I entered your room slowly, holding myself up with a hand on the door frame and then I saw you. Your eyes were closed. Your whole body was covered in bandages and you were hooked to all sorts of machines with cables and cords everywhere. It was almost like seeing a puppet tied up in strings and they were keeping you alive.
I was scared to come close to you. I feared that any of my movements could have damaged you even more. You were so fragile at that moment.
I gently lowered myself to the chair next to your bed and held your hand. I cried. I cried again, so much. I couldn’t help but keep thinking it was my fault. If only I was quicker…
Some of your items were put in the drawer. I noticed your phone together with your wallet and backpack. The screen was cracked and some of the blood crusted into the cracks. I don’t know why I felt curious but I unlocked the screen—you trusted me enough to let me know your password months ago to check some messages while you were busy cooking—and it opened KakaoTalk. You were texting me and the phone memorized it.
Chae be careful the bullies might be after you
Don’t go in the shortcut at the
Oh, dear. You were on the brink of death and all you could think was to warn me, to protect me. You didn’t even think of calling for help. I understood everything. It was those bullies again… they didn’t forget, did they? It’s because their life turned to hell after they didn’t have anyone to bully anymore and they got revenge but attacking you.
I was angry. I was furious. I was so pissed that I unconsciously cracked your phone even more. It was that feeling again, all over—the fire in my chest.
I will kill them. Each one of the. I will make them suffer. I will tear them to shreds. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them. I will kill them.
I will make them pay for everything they have done for you.
They were so stupid. It was so easy to trick them: I attacked their leader when he was coming home late and forced him to send a message to everyone who was involved in your attack—he confessed right away when I showed him my knife.
The guys came on point the next day. It was all so easy. They always hung out at the abandoned warehouse where they could make all the mess they wanted and dragged their victims to torture them properly and in private. Now they were dragging themselves to their death.
I dressed in black that day. You never liked seeing me in black. People used to tell me I tried to stand out too much so they forced me to use torn, old, ugly clothes, but when they stopped tormenting me, you brought me to buy more clothes for me.
But that day I wasn’t dressing as the victim. I was in the guise of the Grim Reaper.
I prepared my knives, axes, clamps, nails, and staplers and waited for them in the building.
Humans are so easy to kill. They are so frail and mortal—I had to be extremely careful not to let them die immediately to cause them all the pain they deserved. I’ll spare you the details. You don’t have to know of the gruesome parts of their murder. I’ll just tell you everything they did to you and in their years of bullying, I did to them. From crowbars to knives, to fire and stabbing.
When the last one stopped screaming, I felt at peace. The silence was absolute. I couldn’t even hear the wind, the cars, or the noises of the city. It was completely quiet.
I finally avenged you.
Part 4
Disposing of the bodies was quite simple but extremely tiring. I had to chop their bodies to bits, bury them and hide all the evidence. I cleaned with bleach all my weapons, the floor, and the walls of the warehouse. I had to soil the floor since it was dirty before and I couldn’t leave a clean patch in there, it would have been a dead giveaway.
Of course, I had to get rid of all their phones. I broke them into little pieces before grinding them up to a bag of dust and flushing them down the toilet.
I got most of my weapons from around the city. I stole the knives from the school kitchen and returned them to them. I did the crime on a Friday night and finished in the evening of Saturday so they wouldn’t have noticed the disappearance of their tools. I bought the rest of the tools from a hardware store so I could have just put it in someone else’s garage.
I couldn’t burn my clothes or rags because that would have caught the attention of my neighbors or anyone nearby so I colored it with all sorts of paints so the blood would have been unrecognizable. If anyone analyzed them, it would look like they were of an artist. And then I disposed of them.
Burying the bodies was the most laborious part and I could only do it during the night. It took me both Saturday and sunday to get rid of all the evidence.
The next days were all marked by nightmares. I didn’t dream of what I did. What haunted me was you leaving me. I was afraid that my crime could have separated us.
Chaewon, you’re a monster.
I can’t be friends with a murderer.
I can’t love a killer.
I hate you.
I wish you died.
I was distressed and jittery during the day and couldn’t sleep at night. Many times I would get distracted in those thoughts, imagining all the things you could say to me, and not realize people calling me. I would often zone out and not hear anything else.
“Chaewon? Are you okay?” my classmates would tell me. I would snap out of my daze and realize most of them were looking at me then I’d realize I actually chipped a corner of the table off with my grip.
“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s nothing,” I could only say. They would continue with the day forgetting about it or just tell their friends excitedly about a classmate with a freakish strength.
It was especially hard when I was training with the other trainees but I told myself you wouldn’t be proud of me if I wasn’t doing my best and forced myself to dance.
On Monday, their disappearance was announced but nobody could find anything. Not a single trace. The secret was safe with me.
They also announced your attack but they didn’t connect the two events together, assuming you were also a victim. The attacks in this Korea were common anyways. Bullying was so widespread you could say it was part of our culture.
After a week. you were still asleep. The doctor concluded that they must have stomped your head too for you to be concussed that badly. They damaged the nerves.
Unfortunately, I knew only after I killed them. If I knew I would have done the same to them so they could feel the pain you felt but I guess cutting their limbs counts as nerve damage as well.
I was getting extremely impatient waiting for your awakening. The doctor couldn’t help me but it wasn’t their fault. I’ve only realized now how much I relied on you and those days without you were as sad as Halloween without candies.
When I woke up, I couldn’t tell if the Sun rose already or if it was still sunrise, it was timid, and the light cast a somber hue in the room. It was gray and pale. The soundscape was eerily quiet, the usual chirping birds seemed to have disappeared, as if even nature was mourning alongside me.
Walking through the corridors of the school, I felt like a solitary figure amidst a sea of faces. Conversations echoed around me, yet they seemed distant. The classrooms, usually alive with energy, felt suffocatingly silent.
I couldn’t help but notice how happy the other students went on with their days, completely ignoring what happened to you. Worst of all, some students even mocked you, saying you were a loser and you deserved it. My bloodthirst was beyond the roof. I had to hold myself back a lot not to commit other killings, reminding myself that I could have raised a case of a serial killer if I wasn’t careful enough.
I thought I had been sneaky enough not to raise any suspicion but I didn’t know the only person to find out would have been you.
I was in an alley near the hospital when I met one of those mean girls. They were badmouthing you and I had to make sure they wouldn’t do it again. I didn’t kill them, you don’t have to worry about that. I merely sent a message, a little punishment. I got one nail for each insult they said toward you. Poor them, they won’t have nails for months—I hope it hurts.
They ran away but when I turned around, I saw you. You were looking at me so horrified and disgusted.
“I had my suspicions, Chae…” you said. “The coincidence was too perfect. I woke up and saw the news, I knew it was you. And now, I’m sure.”
“You’re mistaken, dear,” I tried to say foolishly.
“Chae, I saw everything.” Your face morphed into an extreme melancholy, of disappointment and sadness. My face instead contorted into a horrified frown. You… my best and only friend, my love. You discovered my worse secret—I knew what the consequences were and I knew what the risks were.
“I mean, what are you even doing here? Weren’t you still sleeping?”
“I woke up this morning—I got discharged—and the doctor let me take a walk… and then I saw you.”
“Do you know what I did all of this, darling?” I asked, my nerves were so tense and my blood was pumping like crazy. I was getting more and more scared. There was a thread inside me that was being pulled and pulled…
“W-what is it?” you asked with hesitation.
“It’s because… I… I love you.”
I saw the shock on your face but I couldn’t stop myself anymore. I did it. I snapped. You found out and there was no turning back. You didn’t have a choice either.
“W-what? What are you saying?”
“Darling, don’t you get it? I love you so so so so so much. I love you so much—to the point I killed for you. Yes, I did kill them. I murdered them. I slaughtered them. I made them suffer, love, the way they made you suffer… Please! Please understand—I’m doing this because I love you.”
“Chae, you’re scaring me. Stop…”
“Oh, don’t be scared, my love. I would never harm you or kill you… I would only cherish you—in fact, I did all of this to protect you from those bastards! I love you with all of my heart.”
That fire inside of me took over again and this time I was already glued to you, my knee under your thigh, pinning you to the wall, a hand on your cheek and one near your waist. You couldn’t move at all, I wouldn’t let you. I was finally this close to you… your skin was so smooth and soft—just like you, my precious baby.
Maybe I was smiling a bit too much. You’d describe to me later that I looked psychotic, yes, I was crazy.
You didn’t know how to react. I admit, you were so cute—so vulnerable and fragile, just at my mercy. Yet, you dared to take and push my hand away from your face.
“Chae, I’m sorry,” you said and it almost broke my heart, “but I just… I-I- I don’t know…” you said.
“What aren’t you sure about? Is it my love? Is it not clear enough?” I asked. “I’ll do anything for you, just ask me.”
“Please stay away from me,” you replied, “for a while.”
“What are you saying, darling?”
“Chae… you’re my best friend and I understand why you did all of that. I do. But I need to think about it. Don’t worry, I won’t say this to anyone, no one at all, but I need to stay alone for a bit,” you pleaded, “I just recovered too.”
“Okay, fine,” I agreed. You were right. It was a bit too much for you, especially after you just woke up from that concrete hospital bed. Also, I knew I could trust you. You never betrayed me so that did not scare me.
You slowly backed away and left me, alone in the alley.
I don’t know why but I started laughing hysterically.
I thought I messed up a lot. That isn’t the way your lover should look at you, right? Terrified and pleading on the verge of tears. You should have looked at me lovingly. I was so scared you’d leave me and I couldn’t let you do that. I needed you too much.
But then you left me waiting for almost a month. I respected your choice and didn’t contact you at all but it’s been too long. I figured that knowing I killed tormented you so I didn’t touch anyone else but rather I kept it to simply threatening them verbally and that seemed to work.
You have to understand I couldn’t take it anymore. Looking at your pictures every night wasn’t enough. Listening to your voice from the vocal messages wasn’t enough. Smelling the shirts I stole from you wasn’t enough, and the smell was fading away. My imagination wasn’t enough, especially when I knew I could have you and I was just waiting for the right moment.
Then the right moment came. I sent you a message just to let you know, you couldn’t say no. I went right to your house, which I came over to many times already, and even your mother knew me. She let me inside with a smile, she was so kind. I knew where you got that virtue from.
I heard you running frantically around your room. You must have been dressing up, so I waited until you were done, knocked, and opened the door. Your room smelled just like I remembered it, it was so good, it was just you.
“It’s been a while, Chae,” you said, clearly nervous. “How are you doing?”
“I’m doing terrible, honey,” I answered honestly and you gulped. “You know, I’ve been good to you. I waited and did nothing else. I did not kill or hurt anyone. I let you have your space, then why did you disappear for an entire month?”
“I kept thinking and reflecting on what happened…”
“For a month?” I was furious. “Did you try to make me forget you? Did you try to forget me?”
“It’s that… It has been a tough month,” you said. “My best friend murdered 6 people, or more… How could I go back to what we were before? You killed… humans.”
“So? They didn’t deserve to live anyways. I did it for you.”
“No, Chae—”
“They beat you up so badly you couldn’t even walk!” I snapped. “They badmouthed you, they laughed at you and… why are you defending them?!”
“Yes, but you took their lives.”
“They were going to take your life too! Don’t you get it?”
“Chae, please—”
“No! Shut up! I can’t take this anymore! I can’t forgive them. They’re always making fun of you, beating you up, torturing you—just because you’re my friend! But you keep shoving it away and get hurt for me… I- I…”
I hugged you. I had to hold onto something and you were the only one that could have helped me stand up. All those years… I was so pent up, I was so tired of it. I know you told me many times to let it be but I can’t. Sorry, I just can’t help it. I can’t let anyone walk away after they hurt you, even if it’s something as little as pinching you, because you mean too much to me.
“Darling, I love you!” I sobbed and pleaded onto your chest, bathed by my tears, “I missed you so much. If I don’t see you even for a day, it starts to hurt, you know? I’ll do anything to stay with you, anything! Just tell me! I want to see you every day, I can’t let you leave like this…”
“If it’s like this,” you started, “we can make a deal.”
“A-a deal? Really?”
“Yes, a deal. You can see me how much you want but absolutely no killing. No physical assault and no insults to anyone.”
“Is that it?”
“Yes, you just have to restrain yourself.”
“Very well. Then, I promise, I will never kill again, I swear. Does that mean I can see you every day?” I asked. My tears finally stopped pouring out, the hiccup was still there, but I could focus and talk to you properly now. I took a deep breath and spoke, “Then you have to be my boyfriend from now on.”
“What did you just say?” you asked with confusion.
“You can’t say no. You are my boyfriend now. You know already, I told you so many times. I love you with all of myself.”
I knew you liked me a little already. I wasn’t sure if it was as strong as my love for you was, although I doubt it can, I knew you were interested in me. No one would stick with me for that long and no one would defend me from all those bullies. I knew you loved me, of course you did, you always took care of me since our first day and I couldn’t help but fall for you too.
I tried my best to change my appearance to suit your ideal type more. I dressed better, I dieted, I worked out, and I practiced so much that I wouldn’t disappoint you.
“Chae, are you sure? I’m just a regular guy and you’re an idol…”
“Don’t lie to yourself, honey. I wouldn’t give myself to just anyone. You never laughed about me, you believed in me when nobody else did, and you infected me with your kindness and humanity. You’re the best man I can ask for.”
“Thank you…”
“You’ll be my boyfriend and I’ll be your girlfriend, okay? Do you accept?”
“Uhm…”
“Do you accept?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Ma’am?” I laughed. “Don’t tell me you have some weird fetish going on… It’s okay. Just tell me, I won’t mind, hehe.”
Part 5
You have been very strict with me. The first thing you did was to establish a set of rules and all the punishment that would have resulted in breaking them. You’ve been very clear in defining them and made sure I understood you were very serious about it and would absolutely punish me if I dared to not respect them. They were something along the line of:
NO KILLING. The punishment is an instant break-up.
NO BODY HARM to anyone. The punishment is no contact for two weeks.
NO KIDNAPPING/STALKING/THREATENING other people. The punishment is no skin touching for a week.
RESPECT YOU. We’re together in this relationship and I have to listen to you.
TRUST YOU. You'll leave me if I don’t trust you when you tell me you aren’t cheating.
I accepted them and we started dating. Our relationship was as good as it was before but this time I got to be as clingy as I wanted, hugging you as much as I wanted, holding your hand wherever we went, and most of all you gave me a lot of head pats. You always gave me head pats to congratulate me when I did well in school or had a good performance.
It was difficult to respect those rules and you showed me how convinced you were of them when I broke the hand of a guy who shoved you against the lockers. You really ghosted me for two weeks without saying anything. When they ended I couldn’t help but jump on you and I promised to be more careful. Since then, I didn’t break any other rules and you showed me your love in so many ways, I lost count of them.
We learned a lot about each other and helped each other all the time. You helped me be more confident with my skills and get angry (but you told me I was cute when I got mad). You were always a bit discouraged with your work, giving up easily, and I made sure you knew how great you were. Just like me, school has really made you more insecure about yourself, but when we were together, we achieved a lot more.
Recently I discovered a hidden diary you used to keep under your bed, between the mattress and the frame. The last thing you wrote was months ago, way before the incident, and it was you rambling about me. ABOUT ME! And it was so adorable. “I have the biggest crush on my friend!” You wrote on the last page.
I stared at the words in a daze, it was like the words were screaming in my face. I was used to only obsessing over you and knowing you were going through the same thing warmed my heart.
You know, I’ve never believed in good endings, but with you, I think I finally found one where we are the protagonists. Our story is not like a fairy tale, it’s far from perfect, I am not a princess, nor could ever be one. However, you made me feel like one and I’m more than sure you’re my prince.
Sorry if I am always so obsessive and so imperfect, I just can’t help it.
THE END
Written, 7 June - 27 June 2023
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It is unfair! It is so unfair that Jimin is releasing his second solo album while he's serving in the military. This is bullshit and I hate that company for its dumb strategy. No one should create something and then not be allowed to be present and promote it like it should be done. We are being deprived of Jimin shaking his ass on the stage at Inkigayo....
But on the other hand, of course I'm excited. I'm looking forward to the pre-release period and all the content too. We'll see Jimin at that hot spring. And he'll be blond too.
First Face, now Muse. The one who has been a muse for years for Lee K., the GCF muse, is now the one who shares what inspires him.
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I'm ready, depression postponed.
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shineemoon · 4 days ago
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SBS Inkigayo 'November Monthly Hot Stage' No.1 🏆 TAEMIN - Guilty
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exoluxionlove · 2 months ago
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240922 HIGHER_twt Twitter Update
"[📸] SBS Inkigayo 1239 Hot Stage 1📷 With the support of EXO-L, Baekhyun won the 1st place on the 1239th Hot Stage! ✨ Congratulations! 🎉"
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yongbokiee-felix · 1 month ago
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August Monthly Hot Stage Certification Shots Arrived ✨
Congratulations on being selected as the best stage among the Inkigayo stages in August 2024!!
#스테이 #STAY !! Thank you for loving JJAM songs so much #JJAM The moments when the stage shined even brighter!!
A valuable 1st place created by #스키즈 and #스테이 together!! 💖
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atzupdates · 1 year ago
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[230703] Inkigayo HOT STAGE Winner Twitter Update
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dearlexies · 4 months ago
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‼️ ENGENES EYES HERE ‼️
Votings are ongoing for the following:
• Music Bank (Pre-voting) - ALLCHART
🗓️ July 17 (11AM KST)
• Inkigayo (Hot Stage) - Superstar X
🗓️ July 18 (12PM KST)
votes that ended:
• Show Champion (Pre-voting) - IdolChamp
🥈Finished: Second Place
• MCountdown (Pre-voting) - Mnet Plus
🥇 Finished: First Place
NOTE: Inkigayo is cancelled for three weeks (July 21, July 28, August 4) due to the 2024 Summer Olympics. Hence, pre-voting will not commence and there will be no winners announced.
We need to win all votings with a HUGE GAP. We need to PUSH HARD as we have the highest chance of winning during the first week of tracking. Consequently, some music shows will be cancelled in the next few weeks as well due to the Olympics.
Keep streaming on Youtube (our goal is 25M views and 1,5 Likes), Spotify, and other music platforms, buy albums, vote, and use ‘XO (Only If You Say Yes)’ as audio on Tiktok and Youtube Shorts.
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valkyriexo · 4 months ago
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Vote for Stray Kids !!
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This is a short version of the following guide for SKZ Comeback voting. Credit goes to this guide. I am simply making a version for tumblr users!!! ⤷ straykids comeback guide
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This guide covers 6 platforms where you can vote for Stray Kids:
⤷ Idolchamp ⤷ Mubeat ⤷ Superstarx ⤷ Mnet+ ⤷Diggus ⤷ Allchart
On most voting apps, you have to collect hearts or voting units that are used to vote with, and it needs to be collected overtime. Some do have options to purchase these voting units but as long as all STAYs collect and do their best to meet the goals per account bases suggested then together we can ensure we dominate voting during a comeback. You can collect these voting units by watching ads, doing tasks, answering quizzes, etc.
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ઇଓ IDOLCHAMP
Idolchamp is the app used for pre-voting on MBC M SHOW CHAMPION and other polls that helps in the promotion of Stray Kids.
⤷ App store ⤷ Google play store ⤷ Quiz Answers
IDOLCHAMP is used for SHOW CHAMPION PRE-VOTING! There is no live vote and GAP MATTERS we need 1st place with a large gap for the highest amount of points possible.
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ઇଓ MUBEAT
Mubeat is the app used for pre-voting and live voting on MUSIC CORE also other polls that helps in the promotion of Stray Kids
⤷ App Store ⤷ Google Play Store ⤷ Quiz Answers
MUBEAT is used for pre-Voting and LIVE Voting for SHOW! MUSIC CORE. Multiple accounts per device are allowed. There are restrictions on how many ads each device can watch every 24 hours, watch all ads on 5 accounts per device.
‼️ LIVE VOTING for Music Core 
Limited per account to 5 Live Voting tickets which cost 30 Beats per ticket (150 Beats for 5 tickets) and are Non-refundable so wait to exchange Beats for Live tickets till bases make announcements to exchange.
The GAP MATTERS in the LIVE VOTING for Music Core; we need 1st place with a large gap for points the highest amount of points possible.
!! Purchase tickets
You can also purchase 5 Voting tickets per account for $1.99 USD but again they are non-refundable and do expire after 30 days. 📍TIP: If you plan to purchase instead of collecting on Mubeat it is worth spending $4.99 on STAR BEATS and using them on the games to win Heart Beats instead, that way you get your 150 to exchange for Live Voting tickets and replenish your reserves with any extra you win.
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ઇଓ SUPERSTARX
SUPERSTARX is used for live voting for INKIGAYO as well as the HOT Stage poll after each week's broadcast!
⤷ App Store ⤷ Google Play Store
SUPERSTARX is used for LIVE VOTING on INKIGAYO as well as the weekly HOT STAGE voting. Multiple accounts can be created and used.
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ઇଓ ​MNET+
MNET PLUS is the app used for pre-voting and live voting on MCOUNTDOWN & MAMA VOTING!
⤷ App Store ⤷ Google Play Store ⤷ Website
MNET+ is use for Pre-Voting & LIVE Voting on MCOUNTDOWN. Accounts are limited to 1 vote per Device per Day for Pre-Voting (3 Days) & 1 Vote per Device during the LIVE Voting.
Account creation & voting is now Device Locked meaning you can only vote with 1 account per device. Which means we need every STAY with at least 1 account. The more accounts STAYs have the more votes because the GAP MATTERS; we need 1st place with a large gap for the highest amount of points possible. Be sure to log in to your MNET accounts; be sure they are still active and/or create new accounts if you do not have any.
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ઇଓ DIGGUS
DIGGUS is used for pre-voting for ISTAYs only for INKIGAYO!
⤷ App Store ⤷ Google Play Store
Diggus is use for ISTAYS pre-voting on INKIGAYO. Accounts are limited to 1 vote per day for Pre-Voting (5 Days)
The more accounts STAYs have the more votes because the GAP MATTERS; we need 1st place with a large gap for the highest amount of points possible. Account creation & voting is NOT restricted & it is unlimited.
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ઇଓ ALLCHART
ALLCHART is used for pre-voting for MUSIC BANK!
⤷ App Store ⤷ Google Play Store
This app also has an additional vote for artists who perform each week on Music Bank called BPM or Best Performance Musician. We suggest reserving all hearts for prevoting and following fanbases for updates &/or changes regarding this new app. Account creation is not restricted but the available missions each day are device locked. So if you do all missions on one account and log into another account on the same device they will all be completed. 
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ઇଓ MORE INFO
⤷ Stay Voting Zone
⤷ TeamSVS
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ultrakdramamama · 2 years ago
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230326  shineeㅇ1진ㄱ1 won first place on <Inkigayo> Hot Stage! Congrats!⭕️
#ONEW#온유  @dlstmxkakwldrl ​ #SHINee#샤이니 #Circle#ONEW_Circle #Inkigayo#인기가요#SBS
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redvelvetsource · 7 months ago
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SUPERSTARX: [📸] SBS Inkigayo HOT STAGE No.1🏆 Wendy
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sanstropfremir · 7 months ago
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ok nana unsubtly kicked me in the ass about this and i realized they were mostly done anyways so here we go! only four months late!
best stylings 2023 - first half
runners' up
rising - triples
there are two good stages with funky athletic wear, but it wasn't enough to bump it up to the overall category. mcountdown 230216, the show 230221
abyss - woodz
didn't promote it which is a shame, but the variety in the costuming for the different versions of himself is well done and it's a beautifully shot bottle mv.
moody - superkind
you got a fake member you gotta make it spooky!!! he's not real that's inherently spooky!!! anyways this is what i wanted them to do right off the bat some i'm glad they finally got my psychic memo.
golden hour - mark
absolutely fucking crazy. fantastic imagery. i think i talked about it earlier in the year but it's such a stupid and hilarious idea to make a whole diss track mv about a several year old meme and then actually make it strange and weird art. obsessed with it still.
sos - kang daniel
i'm also including the wasteland music sequence here because holy shit when this dropped i lost my mind. i'm always surprised by what kang daniel does bc i can never predict it, which over the last few years i'm coming to enjoy. and i absolutely did not expect him to produce basically an entire wild west mad max movie with equal the production value???? literally how did he do this. how. and then everyone paid it dirt??? it's an amazing mv and one of my faves of the year, the only reason it's not bumped up categories is bc although the styling was actually one of the only times tactical gear has been thematically relevant to a cb, its been so overused that it has no punch anymore, which makes me sad bc the tactical gear was good! and a good choice! and i feel bad saying it has no punch bc it should have!
small talk - kim sungkyu
we love when sungkyu acknowledges that he's annoying and a loser. all these outfits were so losercore. i loved this deviation from form for him; he's normally king wailer supreme, but he does smooth upbeat rock very well and it's a nice contrast with the capital y yearning that's in the bsides. it's only here bc he didn't promote much and i'm mad at him for putting dancing in the mv and then not dancing in any of the stages. mcountdown 230629, music core 230708, inkigayo 230709
ay-yo - nct 127
this is just here for taeyong's urchin outfit. well i'm a bit of liar it is actually a really fun early 00s inspired mv, but we all know the urchin outfit stole the show.
stamp on it - got the beat
i will hear NO slander against got the beat in this house, this was a great mv i love hot women planning a heist.
tricky house - xikers
FANTASTIC debut. does a really great job of establishing a character for them as a group and it's got such unique flavour. kq has made great use of their ateez money and also the lessons that they learned with ateez. i'm excited to see where xikers goes in the future, and since i'm writing this section from the future i can say that i do like where they've gone with full confidence. the only reason it didn't make the top list is bc the styling is kinda average for this era of kpop.
best overall
rose blossom - h1 key
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i was aware of h1key before this but they hadn't really grabbed me, but damn this cb was so good. the mv is a nice mix of story and dance sections. plus a surreal section in the middle! and by virtue of being like the first cb of the year, they got the jump on this alt girl look that would be the dominating look for ggs this year. and i do think first did it best in this case, all the looks are smart with good group synergy and and a lot of creativity; when you do this type of alt-y punky style it's important that there's a diy element to it, which a lot of groups fail to grasp bc stylists are obsessed with luxury branding. h1key manages to avoid that mostly by being flops, but i'd like to believe its also bc their creative team cared about capturing the true spirit of the style.
stages: music bank 230106, mcountdown 230202, music bank 230203, mcountdown 230119, inkigayo 230108
tic tac - 8turn
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honestly i was kinda ready to not like these guys since mnh shat the bed with chungha, but then i remembered that the mnh creative team is very good at their jobs, so here we are. this is one of the few debuts/cbs this year where every single stage was a hit and it was very hard to narrow down to just a few for here; lots of good emphasis on shape and colour and accent pieces with repeated motifs, which was a big part of the fashion in the 00s that they are remixing here. very strong debut especially for so early in the year and i'm looking forward to more.
stages: show champion 230208, mcountdown 230202, music bank 230203, show champion 230222, music core 230211, mcountdown 230223, music core 230225, inkigayo 230226
bonus: this absolutely hysterical 4minute cover (they even got the name bucket hats! not in the stage, but they had them in photos)
sweet juice - purple kiss
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i'm not normally a fan of wes anderson or wes anderson inspired aesthetics because i find them too twee and perfect, but this wasn't too direct in it's inspirations and definitely had the spooky purki flavour. i really liked the uniformity of the costuming, both literally using uniform motifs and using the same fabrics; i really do miss the days when kpop costumes were design to actually be costumes with the group image in mind.
stages: mcountdown 230216, inkigayo 230219, music core 230225, music bank 230224, inkigayo 230226, music core 230304, inkigayo 230305
sour & sweet - bambam
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bambam again proving that he's one of the few idols that knows his shit in terms of interesting styling. also if anyone knows where he filmed the mv/performance vid please tell me i need to know bc its so beautiful.
stages: mcountdown 230330, music bank 230331, inkigayo 230402, music bank 230407, music core 230408, inkigayo 230409,
bsides: music bank 230331, inkigayo 230409,
macarena - blitzers
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i'm so so so glad blitzers got a bit more attention this year bc they deserve it and macarena was so good. perfect culmination of their goofy ass talents and the unusual creativity of their performance + creative directors. i'm even linking the mv teaser here bc its so goofy and offbeat and different. honestly i'd recommend watching as many of the stages as you can find bc they do different intros every time and it's very funny, but unfortunately tumblr has a link limit so i can't link them all.
stages: show champion 230426, music bank 230428, music core 230429, inkigayo 230430, inkigayo 230514, music core 230527
bouncy - ateez
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yea yea yea nobody is surprised so sue me. this was a crazy followup to halazia and proved that ateez can deftly switch between serious dramatic performance and comedic but no less dramatic. i'm very happy to see how much work has been going into the main ateez mvs in the last year because it has very clear and striking direction that fits both their performance style and their creative ambition, as well as their growth as a group. also yea i'm not immune to neon cowboy shit.
stages: inkigayo 230618, music bank 230616, the show 230620, mcountdown 230622, music bank 230623, mcountdown 230629, music core 230701, inkigayo 230702
kick it 4 now - tnx
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tnx had an absolutely banging 2023 and although kick it 4 now is has superior and more comprehensive production, love or die is also a very good cb, and both of them together have shown that they have a really good grasp on the genre of teen listlessness, from two different directions. kick it 4 now has been i think the most successful cb to actually capture the feel of first gen, and the creative team did a lot of extra work in order to pull that off. from all the graphic design to the goofy lil 90s style music show promos, to the styling, they had a clear goal and achieved it. i think it will be quite difficult for any other group to pull it off this thoroughly.
stages: music bank 230609 (the giant lyrics!!!), music core 230610, show champion 230614 (more giant lyrics!!), music core 230617, mcountdown 230622
shooting star + left right - xg
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we all already know that left right was my most listened song this year, but the fact that the mv was b movie sci fi star trek themed? it's like simon made everything about this specifically for me thank you. xg blew everyone out of the water this year on every front; music, styling, choreography, you name it. i said i wanted groups to commit to their bits and i got it. they were completely unafraid to actually commit to the y2k nostalgia AND to harajuku styling; a lot of groups have weakly pawed at it but always back away due to the fact that harajuku and y2k are not actually 'pretty' fashion trends, which leaves their attempts half assed with no real understanding of why and how those trends happened. xg came saw and conquered the current trend in a way that only a japanese gg can do. my only annoyance is that they tone down the stylings when they promote on music shows, and i know why they do it, so it's not an annoyance at them, it's an annoyance at everyone else.
stages: shooting star - mcountdown 230202, con-tour 230217, the show 230221, inkigayo 230212, inkigayo 230205, con-tour 230224
left right - the show 230228, show champion 230222
circle - onew
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absolute masterpiece. album of the year in every way. it's a profoundly beautiful unpacking of grief and the sadness that comes with acknowledging that things change, and the way that in that change life and humanity and story is eternal. a circle. the theatre imagery combined with the 60s style children's tv show use their similar but contrasting forms to illustrate the same point: something can be eternal and fleeting at the same time, and that heightens its value rather than diminishing it. the promo campaign was so thought out as well, i love the integration of the theatre imagery into the highlight medley and i highly recommend you watch it if you haven't. one of the best cbs from a solo artist in years.
stages: mcountdown 230309, music core 230311, music bank 230317, inkigayo 230319
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ignore the fact this was almost five months late even though i started writing in like. november. i'm busy ok. it's planting season and i have to send so much post. the choreos post is the next most finished so that will probably be out before the styling second half one.
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shineemoon · 2 months ago
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SBS Inkigayo EP.1237 Hot Stage No.1 🏆 TAEMIN - Sexy In The Air
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ofswanlake · 1 year ago
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MERAKI is the debut single album released by Nari. It was released on September 7th, 2019. It consists of two songs with "Gashina" as its title track. A music video for the title track was also released on September 7th, 2019. The title track emphasizes Nari’s powerful charms, proving that she’s more than just “BLACKPINK’s maknae, Nari." Upon release, within 24 hours, the music videos surpasses 38.6 million views and 2.7 million likes on YouTube. “Gashina” became the most viewed music video by a female K-Pop solo artist in 24 hours, surpassing Jennie’s “SOLO”. The song was promoted for a month at SBS’ Inkigayo and won six times. "Gashina" was performed in Osaka and Fukuoka in 2020.
In South Korea, the extended play debuted and peaked at number 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart. Overall, the EP stayed in the top ten of the chart for 16 consecutive weeks and spent 38 weeks in the top 100 of the chart. The CD release of the EP charted at no. one of the Gaon Album Chart, selling 55,000 copies in two months. "Gashina" entered Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 at number one and stayed there for two weeks. It spent 30 weeks on the charts. The EP further reached the charts in New Zealand and Singapore.
She won Digital Song Bonsang in 2020 at the Golden Disc Awards, Best Female Solo Artist in 2019 at Genie Music Awards, and Best Female Artist in 2019 at Mnet Asian Music Awards.
STAGE OUTFITS
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TRACKS
Gashina*
Chica
eee nari was so excited!!! she absolutely adored the song and couldnt wait to perform it live in front of fans
also she got so much closer with the backup dancers she loves them
the video starts with a girl seeing her lover drive off with another girl while sitting in a diner. instead of being upset by the sight, she decides to have fun - drinking a milkshake, dancing freely, “living like the flowers”. the girl reinvents herself, as the music video goes on, with new clothes, a new outlook, and new found freedom; demonstrated in the way she sheds the clothes of solid colors and dances around in an outfit of flowers. at the end of the music video, with a new found strength, the woman finds herself in the same diner with her friends dancing, before exiting for good.
so the mv starts off with nari sitting in an empty booth in an empty retro styled diner, dressed in light blue flared jeans with a white cropped top. her cherry red lips are wrapped around a straw, drinking a vanilla milkshake as she watches her lover open the passenger door for another girl before the two drive off.
despite the fact that she should've been sad, her eyes narrow in the direction of the car before pushing aside her milkshake and climbing over the table. she grabs her milkshake again and throws away the straw, chugging the milkshake as the music starts.
when she finishes her drink, the vanilla milkshake gets on her mouth and she wipes it away, staring it into the camera.
as she sings, she starts to dance in the diner as the other customers continue to eat and talk, seemingly not seeing her.
as the lyrics continue, nari 'reinvents' herself— "i'm gonna live like a flower, i’ll be myself. can’t nobody stop me now" she gets rid of her clothes, which seem to be only worn because of her ex lover.
she continues on with that her ex lover will regret leaving her once they see how she changed— she's more confident, unafraid to be herself.
the music video ends in the same place it started, dancing in the diner.
when the music ends, she exits the diner arm in arm with a friend as it's completely dark outside. she can't see anything until a light shows up, it's the headlights of her ex lover's car. she stares into the dark car for a few moments before smirking slightly, turning her head and walking away with her friend. it's over now.
so ... while nari had fun promoting and seeing actual fans cheer for her ... there were some bad times
to start off, she got so much hate comments from akgaes because she got 2 songs and not 1
they thought it was unfair and this went on for FOREVER like they were still mentioning this shit in 2023
but not as bad as her first dating scandal😭 but thats a story for another time, anyways…
it wasnt her fault, though :(
they they even went so far as to saying she did disgusting favors for yg to get the ep :/
she had to turn off her comments for months but she still got dms on instagram sigh
and of course yg never defended her
anyways ... her favorite song off the ep is chica, she co-wrote it !!!!
also she chose the ep name: meraki. meraki is a greek word usde to describe what happens when you leave a piece of yourself (your soul, creativity, or love) in your work
speaking of writing lyrics, people were also pissed about that too
sigh. that part of her debut was just not fun- but everything else was
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neocatharsis · 1 year ago
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231022 SUPERSTARX_twt Twitter Update with NCT 127
"[📸] SBS #INKIGAYO EP.1201 Hot Stage No.1🏆"
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