#carat land 2023 day 1

[minzbins]

JUN CARAT LAND 2023 / DAY 1, 230310

[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.

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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.

[finallydelight]

SVT 7TH FAN MEETING 2023: SEVENTEEN in CARAT LAND

— HER SLOGANS

day 1 :: Ming Ming loves Carats

day 2 :: Let’s have fun today as well!

day 3 :: If you read this, you’re pretty!

— GAME CORNER

:: It wasn’t until Day 3 that Ming had to perform her penalty song along with Coups, Jeonghan, Wonwoo and Seungkwan.

:: Carats had chosen ATEEZ’s Guerilla as the song that doesn’t suit her.

“It’s a very intense song, I feel like I’m having a heart attack.” Ming told Carats and her members before the song started playing.

:: She did the choreography really well and Carats hyped her up on social media.

— THE SURPRISE OF DAY 3

:: Ming was very surprised by the messages of their family members. She already became very emotional reading their words, especially the letter of Wonwoo’s father when he told then to stay together for another 20 years.

:: She figured her brothers or grandmother would write her a message, since she didn’t think her father would want to be involved with the fanmeeting.

:: Ming was heavily surprised when her letter came up, immediately sobbing as she read the first sentence.

— PARENT’S LETTER

“Hello, Carats! It’s Ming’s father.

We’re sad that we can’t be there in person, but we hope that everyone who is present, is having a great time.

I don’t say it often, but I’m very proud of everything Yerim and SVT have accomplished since their debut. I’m happy they receive so much love and support from all of their fans around the world.

Yerimie, thank you for being the pride of our family. It’s never been easy, but I’m lucky to have you as my daughter. I feel at peace knowing you’re surrounded by 13 great brothers who have taken care of you very well.

Your mother would be incredibly proud of the person you have become. I may not be there now, but I’m sure she is looking down on all of you and enjoying the show.

I hope that SEVENTEEN stays together for a long time and that they’ll have Carats by their side forever.

(It’s just me in the picture, because your brothers were too embarrassed to appear on the big screen ㅋㅋ how do I take a picture with them? Let me know when you find out.)

— REACTION TO LETTER

:: Ming didn’t even read the full letter, because of how much she was crying.

:: A lot of the members also cried reading her father’s letter, cause they know how complicated their relationship has been ever since Ming became a trainee.

:: She couldn’t continue the song and Coups guided her off stage, so she could calm down and re-do her makeup.

— ENDING MENT

:: Ming returned to the stage to share her final words with Carats.

“I know I don’t look very happy right now, but I really am,” she chuckled as she pointed to her teary eyes, “the letters were very cruel, the staff knew what they were doing.”

“I hope Carats enjoyed these three wonderful days, because I had a lot of fun and it felt great performing with the members again after such a long time.

I don’t speak about her too often, but I do feel like my mom has been here the past three days. I miss her a lot and I wish I could talk to her again, but life has its ways, I guess.

I’m very proud of my members and I’ve never felt closer with them than now. Normally, I feel a bit awkward saying this, but I love all of you very much and I’m very grateful to have you in my life.

Carats, thank you so much for everything! Without you, nothing would be possible and my life would be very dull. I love every single one of you and let’s be together until forever ends.”

Taglist: @seolboba @cosmicwintr @mythicalamphitrite @billboard-singer @stopeatread @still-astray @sakuurra @multiplums @giverosespls @seongwhaffels @kimhyejin3108 @smoooore @smh-anon @cixrosie @allthings-fandoms @themalipirate @alixnsuperstxr @starlight-night0 @seokshineswiftie

[twsforus]

A guide to TWS.

TWS is a multinational group of six members under the management of Pledis Entertainment, who made their debut on 22nd January 2024. The members consist of Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin, ordered from eldest to youngest. Interestingly, the group name TWS stands for "TWENTY FOR SEVEN WITH US".

Their debut mini-album, named Sparkling Blue, showcases the excitement and tension of the beginning of a new semester, where everything starts afresh. The songs in the album feature lyrics about everyday topics and a refreshing concept that can be relatable to the younger generations. Moreover, TWS can also be pronounced as Two Us.

On the 10th November 2022, the sub-label of HYBE, Pledis Entertainment, announced the debut of a new boy group around the year 2023. It was during the Fan Meeting of SEVENTEEN in Carat Land on 12th March 2023 when Hoshi from SEVENTEEN introduced five trainees as the upcoming members of the label's new group. However, their identities remained a mystery. Pledis officially confirmed on 7th November that the group would make their debut in the first quarter of 2024.

On the 21st December 2023, the group launched their official social media account and released their first debut teaser. The following day, Pledis Entertainment announced that the group would consist of six members and would debut on January 2024.

On 27th December 2023, it was announced that the group would release their debut mini-album, Sparkling Blue, on 22nd January. The pre-release single, titled "Oh Mymy: 7s", was released on 2nd January.

The six members were introduced through a group profile video released on 3rd January and individual videos, which followed the next day, on 4th January.

Brief profile of members (from oldest to youngest)

1. Shinyu

Shinyu, whose birth name is Shin Junghwan, is the oldest member and leader of TWS. He was born on 7th November 2003 and claims to be "the father" of the group. Shinyu graduated from Lila Art High School in 2023, a year late due to being a dropout from Yesan High School previously. He has two elder siblings, born in 1997 and 2002, respectively. Shinyu has an INFP personality type based on MBTI classification and represents the visual of the group. He has a mature, trendy, and flower boy appearance with a small face and broad shoulders.

Before joining Pledis Entertainment, Shinyu was a former trainee at both SM Entertainment and Big Hit Music. He began training since his freshman year of high school. Shinyu is known to be friends with actress Lee Chaeyoon, who once participated in Girls Planet 999. They even shot a school activity video together at Lila Art High School. Shinyu has a calm and mature personality, but he also has some randomness that allows him to adapt well to other members.

2. Dohoon

Dohoon, whose birth name is Kim Dohoon, is a member of TWS, born on 30th January 2005. He has an elder brother and completed his schooling at Lila Art High School before transferring to Hanlim Multi Art High School. Dohoon began his trainee journey in 2017 and is the longest trainee among the TWS members, making him a versatile member.

Based on the MBTI personality test, Dohoon's personality type is ISTP. His face is often compared to Nam Joohyuk and EVNNE's Lee Jeonghyeon, and he is known for representing the "strong and fierce" visual in the group. Together with Shinyu, Dohoon is responsible for the rap line in TWS.

During dance performances, Dohoon's movements are clean, precise, and he knows how to control his power and weakness. He is often chosen as the center during the highlights of the song. Additionally, his vocal ability is exceptional, with a wide range and good pitch. Dohoon tends to sing high-pitched tones with a soft voice, and he also features in rap parts.

Despite the group's challenging pre-debut period, Dohoon is known for not crying when all members remain teary-eyed two days before their debut. He was also very popular among his seniors and juniors during his middle school years. Dohoon is a talkative and random member who adds life to the group's chemistry.

3. Youngjae

Youngjae, whose birth name is Choi Youngjae, was born on 31st May 2005 and is a member of TWS. He has a younger sister and completed his schooling at Jamshin High School. Based on the MBTI personality test, Youngjae's personality type is ISFJ. Compared to the other members, Youngjae is relatively calm, but alongside Shinyu, he often speaks more.

Youngjae's position in the group is as the main vocalist. He has the loudest voice among the members that is clear and gentle, optimized for band vocals. He is particularly responsible for delivering high notes and the song's highlight parts. During his dance performances, Youngjae showcases flexible dance lines with big and proportional body movements.

Youngjae's soft and gentle look comes from his double eyelids, round eyes, and slim face. According to his fellow members, he has an organized personality with strong vitality. Additionally, he was discovered by Pledis Entertainment through Instagram DM. He occasionally uses a Gyeongnam accent while speaking.

4. Hanjin

Hanjin, whose birth name is Han Zhen, is a member of TWS. He was born on 5th January 2006 and is originally from Xinxiang, Henan, China. Hanjin completed his schooling at Hanlim Multi Art High School and has the personality type of INFJ based on the MBTI classification.

Hanjin is the only foreign member of the group, who joined Pledis Entertainment through an audition in China in 2022. He worked as a trainee for approximately a year before debuting. Hanjin's position in the group is as the sub-vocal due to his lacking Korean. However, in the b-side song "Unplugged Boy", Hanjin showcased his stable and warm vocal.

Hanjin's dance skills are excellent even though his training period was relatively short. He is also the visual member, who is a handsome Chinese man with large, beautiful eyes, dark double eyelids, and a sharp nose. His small face is filled with attractive features that exude luxury.

Despite Hanjin's limited language skills in Korean, he is actually a talkative and noisy member. His favorite season is autumn because it is not too hot or too cold. Furthermore, Hanjin is an active user of selca and loves photography.

5. Jihoon

Jihoon, whose birth name is Han Jihoon, is a member of TWS. He was born on 28th March 2006 and has an elder sister born in 2002. Jihoon is skilled in guitar playing and dancing, and he is also INFJ based on the MBTI personality test. He attended Hanlim Multi Art High School.

Jihoon became a trainee in the entertainment industry after attending Move Dance Studio in Suwon. He began his training at YG Entertainment in 2017 and subsequently moved to JYP Entertainment. He then joined Big Hit Music (later known as Big Hit Entertainment) in 2020. Jihoon was part of Trainee A and was set to debut next, but the group was canceled. He finally joined Pledis Entertainment in 2023 as a trainee for about seven years before his debut.

Jihoon's position in the group is the main dancer. He is passionate about dancing and has a precise and controlled movement. He has excellent choreography memorization and can create choreography as well. Jihoon likes hip-hop music, and his clear and transparent tone showcased remarkable vocal ability with a comfortable listening experience. He has plump lips, lovely skin, and cheeks that are soft, portraying a cute image when he smiles with a round-opened mouth, revealing his gumline.

Jihoon is an excellent dancer, but he is said to practice too much that resulted in his knee joint inflammation. Monica, who appeared in Street Woman Fighter, is his dance mentor. He attended a dance school called OFD dance studio ran by Monica.

Jihoon is fluent in three languages, Korean, Japanese, and English. He is reportedly more popular than other members, just like Shinyu and Dohoon, but with a wider range of recognition due to his exposure as Trainee A. Jihoon and Kyungmin are known as the loudest and most talkative members of the group.

6. Kyungmin

Kyungmin, whose birth name is Lee Kyungmin, is the youngest member of TWS, born on 2nd October 2007. He is the only member with two younger brothers and attended Hanlim Multi Art High School. Based on the MBTI personality test, Kyungmin's personality type is ISFP.

Kyungmin received training from Mu Doctor Academy, an audition academy, before passing an in-house audition held by Pledis Entertainment and joining the label. He is the main vocalist, with no remarkable contrast between his natural voice and singing voice. Kyungmin's voice is refreshing but somewhat childlike, with a beautiful and unique tone that captivates the ears, particularly at higher notes.

Kyungmin's dance technique is clear and loud. His slightly droopy eyes and plump lips give him a cute look, often compared to a puppy, especially when he smiles with a raised mouth corner and a dimple that appears, making those who look at him smile along.

Kyungmin and Jihoon are known as the loudest and most playful members of the group. He is known for his outstanding academic achievement and excels in mathematics, ranking sixth in his class. Kyungmin is the first HYBE idol to debut in 2007, but based on the RU Next audition program, Wonhee from I'LL-IT was the first to confirm his debut. However, Kyungmin made his debut earlier than Wonhee.

TWS's first mini album: SPARKLING BLUE, released January 22, 2024.

Go streaming!!!! :

[mindfulcuppa]

Dipped in Foreign Lands; An Exercise in Image Storytelling

The beginning of an offering of consolidated thoughts, photos, slices of life in between rocks, more photos, and general going.

Preface.

With an elongated farewell, a month passed before I departed the country. This time wasn’t spent finding accomodation, or sorting bank cards as it probably should have been. No, instead there was lots of relaxing, music, surfing, watching the NBA playoffs and organising of the hoards gathering dust in my parents cupboards. It wasn't until the final 2 days that the urgency of packing life into a bag for the foreseeable future became a priority. 

It was done though, thanks to my loving housemates who provided a ‘jacpac’ for its potential to be filled. 2 jackets, 6 t-shirts, 2 brother-made garments, 2 shirts, 2.5 pairs of shoes, 2 cameras, a recording kit (regrettable now…), synthesiser (also marginal…), 400 leaves of paper, and a whole lot of other possessions that I probably didn’t need to pack. I felt sad to think of time apart from some things, but their absence will drift like the main themes of Toy Story (1998). 

I write this now sitting at a glass dining table enclosed in a small house-in-progress situated on a piece of land in Almagreira. There are dogs barking next door, and many flies darting around the area. It has been 2 weeks since leaving Aotearoa, so I would like to tell you how I have been, and how it’s being seen. Through the lens of a digital camera (and the occasional iPhone pic).

1 Melbourne

As early birds get worms, I had an early flight to Naarm on 01/06/2023. Melbourne waited a bounty of friends, sandwiches, musical sharing, long walks, and pizza. A social extension on a Friday saw our Mouthfull ‘Live at Capers’ residence with a jovial group of deejays providing a space for listening, dancing - and a great meeting point for people to come together over some Mastika & Moussaka worthy of a trophy made of pure 1 million carat gold.

Tyler and I would also have so much fun playing songs on the radio for breakfast over 2 days (links below for listening). For breakfast we ate toast with avocado and tomato, and for breakfast radio we listened to a mixture of jazz, folk, new wave, ambient, worldly music with a sprinkling of a few classic ballads of course.

Sleeping on the sofa was comfortable after some cushion amendments and some wine. We would spend our days walking and talking in Carlton North, relaxing and imagining. Our best meal together was from the Sri Lankan spot, Citrus, where you can find a banquet of vegan smorgasbord for $15.

Once the event was said and done, a recovery in the mornings light was aided with a walk to the felafel shop to meet again with Olive. Hearing of her news in between bites brought great happiness and love.

The following day, I met with Poppy. We were to find a place in Brunswick for a coffee; opting for some breakfast too at Kines. While we were there, I would think of Denzel for his obsession with the cafe. His voice would riddle through echoes from the past. After our breakfast, we walked up and down, crossing Sydney road 3 times, turning corners, and entering discount food stores to browse the obscure flavours of pringles and chocolate. The day was hot and the walk long. Navigating our bodies to Ceres we rummaged through bike parts and found entertainment in a cat in the chicken coup. It was a pleasant walk, except the moderate panic when I left my jacket on a park bench with all money and devices embezzled in the pockets.

After all the catching up, walking, wandering; I caught a train down to Torquay to visit an old friend, Isabelle. It was strange down there considering last time was around 5 years ago staying in a resort not dissimilar to vaudeville. However, we would go for a long walk to discover an amazing mosaic sundial (designed by artist Claire Gittings - whom I have no known lineage to - but am probably related somehow). 

With conversations over a cafe breakfast of my conviction against mining, we would enjoy each others' company in a true taurus manner. I would stay in her house near Marshall and meet her love, and we would have a Spanish soup next to a brazen colour changing fire in a brazier. A casket of red wine was ordered for $10 and delivered promptly, while it wasn't exactly even middle of the road it was a fine drink.

Finally, a pizza evening at Leonado's with Harrison & Andre. Some of the best pizza you will try, the Italian community in Carlton is a reliable source. Twas a welcome carbohydrate to carry forward into the nights digestion on what was to be my last night in Naarm. I bought Tyler a Toblerone to thank him for my stay, and the constant trickling of happy travel wishes would soon be finished with a final embrace.

And so it was, as it was, an extended layover in a city being taken over by sandwich shops and wine bars. It was to be the takeoff point to the north, an expansion to signify the changing of place from previous programming. The world outside was luminous and the air filled with a freshness known to mother nature so much more well than ceiling fans.

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JEONGHAN CARAT LAND 2023 / DAY 1, 230310

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JUN CARAT LAND 2023 / DAY 1, 230310

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SEUNGKWAN CARAT LAND 2023 / DAY 1, 230310