#i do not trust mnet anymore

[blue-orangeade]

now watch the bp999 debut group be 7 k-group and 2 g-group guys 😐

[takiberry]

I know when Girls Planet started no one trusted MNet and they had ot be all we aren't managing the votes this time, and even then it didn't keep people from calling it rigged.

Same, like I've seen people selling open albums with no inclusions for like $200, and sealed for like $500, like you know how many tacos I could buy with $500, why would I spend that on one singular album.

Since it's Taki hard hours, some people might mistake me for a Taki girlie, but I assure you my heart remains with Euijoo, but here are some thoughts for you.

Taki would try not to let it show, but you know from how his jaw locks up and the anger he's trying to suppress in his eyes, he absolutely can not stand it when other men look at you, or even worse you look at other men. You might be just quickly glancing over at the group of boys to see where the noise is coming from, but the moment they start flexing trying to get your attention, even though you've looked away, you've done fucked up. If his arm wasn't around you before, it is now, and he'd absolutely go as far as to grab your ass, making you flustered from how he's acting in public. He would be quick to get you out of that situation, like other men perceiving what is his, never, he won't allow it, and he would start to drag you into a more private place where you can be alone. He would start by the time you get into the car, like you think this is going to be peaceful ride home in the car, absolutely not, you're in the backseat before you can even think of what he's doing. Taki would be quick to have you bent over his lap, skirt up, degrading you, while giving you a preview of what is to happen when you get home. He'd saying you are a 'dirty little slut since apparently his attention isn't enough for you and you have to try to get attention from other men', turning your ass red with each word he speaks, enjoying your cries. Before long he'd have his fill of this, you ending up sitting the passenger seat with a sore ass, your panties in Taki's pocket, as he drives you elsewhere. Depending on the type of mood Taki is in, he may decide to punish you even further before even making it home, starting with stopping at a store on the way home, teasing you as you try to keep your skirt down, all the while he's whispering dirty things into your ear, pointing out that 'since you are a dirty little slut that likes attention from other men your red little ass showing should let them know you are taken and keep them from you'; Taki would absolutely walk behind you the whole time, meaning that even if you skirt came up, no one but him would see your ass, since he's too protective to let another man even get a glimpse of you. Depending on whether he thinks you've enough at that point, he might even do worse, taking you to a restaurant, enjoying as you shift around on the cold hard bench, your skirt not doing much to keep the cold of the seat from your bare ass, and the pain from his actions earlier making it hard to sit; throughout the entire dinner, Taki would do nothing but tell you sit still, reminding you how 'it was your actions that put you in this position and you better stop moving and sit still or he'll do worse when you get home', which the truth, he'll do worse at home whether you stop moving or not. Once you get home, you would have no chance to run into another room, a hand would be in your hair, forcing you over the nearest surface, while the other pulls your skirt up, ready to give you round two of what happened in the car. Taki is a hard dom, he would either edge or overstimulation you until you can't take anymore, he just knows you'll end up passed out, tears staining your face, and just completely spent. Before long, you'd end up on the bed, Taki either edging you to tears or overstimulating you to tears, mocking you as he manhandles you into whatever position he wants you in, before starting all again, making sure you either almost cum or do cum multiple times in each position. The entire time, he would degrade you, mocking you as you cry claiming 'he thought you could take it since you were acting like a whore and a whore would be able to take it'; he would enjoy seeing you in tears, licking them off your face as they fall. Only when could tell you were absolutely at your limit would he let himself cum, he cumming just as you crash. Only then would he be soft with you once more, quickly cleaning you off with a damp towel, before waking you to eat and drink something, before drawing you a bath, making sure to praise you and let you know just how much he loves you, despite how rough he might treat you in bed.

OHDJANSNANAJSH FREN U CANT DO ME LIKE THAT WITH THE TAKI HARD THOUGHT IM ALREADY LOSING NY SHIT BC HE’S GETTING BUFF PUHLEASKEJSNSBD

[theretiredraven]

How Do Xikers as a Whole Feel About Not Participating in Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace

(I swear tumblr hates my pictures. I'll see if I can try uploading them again, so you can see the imagery too).

King of Swords | Ace of Swords | Death

I feel like in general there might've been some initial disappointment for not participating. However, I feel like in general they might view it as for the best. Death might be a scary looking card, but I feel like in exchange for not going on the show, they'll have other better opportunities. I kind of see the King of Swords representing KQ in a way because the King is an authority figure of sorts. I feel like this could mean KQ ultimately decided it was not in Xikers' best interest to go on the show. While some might argue that if Xikers went on, they might garner more fans, it just might not be worth it in KQ's eyes.

The funny thing is that there's the scales on the sword for King of Swords and the Gavel has an all seeing eye (I know it's just for this deck). I remember that Ateez were not treated fairly while they were on Kingdom. I wonder if that could've been a factor because they're like "you showed us injustice to one of our groups in the past, we don't really trust you, or we know you'll be up to something especially with evil editing. We know you're not going to be fair to our group again.".

The Ace of Swords I had to re-look up since I've come out of retirement to mess with tarot for fun as a hobby again. It's all about new ideas, and I kind of associate it with new opportunities too which goes along with the general flow I had with Death. The other thing it reminded me just from the imagery is the Ateez Answer: Ode to Joy performance. I remembered the symbolism of Jongho throwing the crown from the top of the stairs like an f you to Mnet. I saw the message as Ateez doesn't need the crown to know that they're amazing performers. They get more than enough validation from their fans than the supposed crown Mnet could give them. And the sword being in between the crown just reminded me of that. I know kind of weird and random. But essentially, like I said in exchange for not participating in RTK, Xikers will have other new opportunities and maybe KQ has a certain vision for what sort of promotions they want the group to do with their latest release. I mean I think they're going on more variety shows too. And it general it doesn't seem like they really care anymore. Like they've moved on and are just doing their thing and following whatever KQ thinks is best.

[knize-strachkvas]

so i'm not going to watch boys planet bc a) i hate mnet and i don't trust them to treat the boys fairly b) i do not hate myself enough to go through that shit again when i know its just getting worse and worse with each season. that shit is rigged. we know it, mnet knows we know it.

BUT just the bits and pieces that i see online...oh my fucking god that show is so unserious and just so fucking stupid and they don't even bother to hide it anymore?

1. dividing the trainees into koreans (mnets favourites) and the rest of not-that-interesting trainees that are not fortunate enough to be koreans is just bullshit. like dividing them before the show aired during the trainee reveal? weird, but okay i guess. but not letting them perform together for the introduction performance and putting them according to their nationalities? what the actual fuck mnet. tell me one good reason why all nine.i members that are stuck there couldn't perform together when they are already debuted team? jiho and seowon performed as duo and winnie was put with another thai trainee? that was just unnecessary.

2. mnets pushing the narrative that the koreans trainees need to be better then the rest bc this is kpop and koreans just need to be the best in everything just probably creates unnecessary tension between the trainees. no mater how u edit the performances to make the korean trainees look way better and edit out the foreigners with actual talent, it will just crumble down bc mnets editing is shit and it just creates drama where i want just good vibes (yes this is mnet i know i will not get good vibes its not my first rodeo....i watched ioi's season i know shit or two)

3. jiwoong. thats it thats the tweet...no okay. honestly i got worried for jiwoong when he was announced as a contestant bc mnets is shit but worse, mnet is homophobic shit and hell i don't trust them to treat jiwoong right. for now, it seems like they are just using jiwoong for views. jiwoong is brave for saying out loud right at the beginning that he acted in bl drama and didn't try to push it aside. also everybody else playing their parts and being in love with him is just amusing and i hope they are enjoying it. jiwoong is collecting men everywhere he goes and honestly, good for him.

4. hui (and any other contestant that is in active group tbh) like im so fucking confused what the fuck is cube doing. we all know that cue is shit and is not good in dealing with crisis situation but ?!?! this one is stupid even by their standards. hui literary produced songs for mnets little shitshows before. he was a mentor for people who are now going to mentor him. that's just laughable?? hui doesn't deserve any of this. he is way too old for this shit. and in any mean i mean he is too old to be an active idol. hell no. but the rest of the trainees are more than 10 years younger. u can't want him to take care of a bunch of kids that should be in school and not in this circus. also, i dont even want to imagine how much it would have an impact on pentagon as a group - or any group in general. if a trainee that is already a member of an active group (so pentagon, nine.i, up10tion (what the fuck, why), ciipher etc) what the groups would do? would they have the same contract as x1 should have? bein half and half? i can imagine that could go as smoothly as any other mnets ambitious (stupid) plan. the boys would be overworked in no time and the time management? yeah, hell no. and yes it kinda worked with victon but swoo was back way sooner then they planned, or with nuest (good for them). on the other hand, it definitely didn't worked for anybody else with was mostly the companies fault by not taking the chance properly and mismanaging them.

5. the evil editing. we all know mnet is really good at evil editing but every damn year there are people believing it. like why????? mnet has its favourite and its so obvious. its actually so fucking painful to watch. it was obvious even just from the teasers. i understand that that's the point of the show. the more drama the more views for mnet. bad publicity is still a publicity :)

okay im done now. in conclusion, dont vote for a contestant that is a member of an active group (stan the group instead) and for the love of god and everything holy please dont trust mnet :)

[cocobeanncteez]

ATEEZ San: Fight For Us (one-shot)

Pairing: idol!san x fem!reader

Genre: angst, light fluff, idol au.

Warnings: profanities, mentions of anxiety, breaking down, lots of crying, alcohol.

San never realized how awkward the atmosphere was whenever you and the members were in the same place. You knew they didn't like you from the first day San introduced you to them, but you didn't know why. Still, you tried your best to interact with them as they were very important to your boyfriend. San was really happy when he saw you making an effort to talk to the guys, but he didn't know that it was really hard for you to talk to them. They usually gave you short replies which just end the conversation. Hongjoong and Seonghwa were okay with you after awhile, but they still didn't make much efforts to talk to you.

One day, you went to the dorms when San had a sore throat. While you were making soup for him, you could hear some of the members talking about you from the living room. They were trying to talk quietly, but it was loud enough for you to hear.

"Why is she in our kitchen?" Wooyoung asked.

"She's probably making something," Yunho answered.

"Well, why is she using our kitchen then?" Yeosang scoffed. "I seriously don't like her." You felt your heart break at that. You knew they didn't like you, but it felt terrible to hear them say that.

"I should've hooked San up with my idol friend," Wooyoung said. "She's literally his type."

"I hope San breaks up with her," Mingi mumbled and Jongho agreed. "Our manager found out recently and he's not happy about it at all. San hasn't even been focusing very well these days."

"Manager hyung has plans of asking San to break up with her. I guess we all should be happy now," Jongho said. You felt your heart drop. At this point, you were sure the guys hated you. You really wanted to fix the situation, but you didn't want to cause any more problems; you knew San would never be able to break up with you, so you'd have to do instead.

You stirred the soup you made for San, controlling your tears from falling. You poured the soup into a bowl before taking it to his room.

"Thank you, love," San said softly, sitting up on his bed. You quietly fed him the soup, lost in your thoughts. "Babe, are you okay? Your eyes are watering." San asked, concern shown on his face.

You blinked and the tears fell. "Y-yeah, I just . . . I hate to see you in pain," you said; that was true, but it wasn't why you were crying.

San chuckled a little. "It's only a sore throat, love." Your heart hurt to hear him call you that; you won't be hearing it anymore after sometime. Tears began to stream down your cheeks at the thought of it.

San took the empty bowl from your hands and placed it on his bedside table. He cupped your cheeks, wiping your tears away. "Baby, I'm alright," he murmured, leaning in to capture your lips. You kissed him back with more urgency, knowing that you'll never get to do it again. San gasped a little, surprised at the new feeling that somehow made him feel anxious. To him, it felt like you were going to say goodbye. Little did he know, he was actually right.

When you went home, you bawled your eyes out. You were very much in love with San, and you knew he loved you just as much. You texted him, saying that you would come over the next day. He felt relieved: his anxiety from the urgent kiss you both shared immediately going away.

The next evening after your university classes ended, you went to Ateez's dorm. Hongjoong opened the door for you, and you found all the boys in the living room, laughing while playing some board game. You saw Mingi and Jongho roll their eyes at you, unhappy to see you here.

"San," you called out nonchalantly, catching everyone's attention; they had never heard you say his name like that. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, of course, love," he said with his dimpled smile, taking your hand in his as he lead you to his room. He appeared to be calm, but he was filled with anxiety on the inside; your emotionless expression was scaring him. He kissed your forehead to see how you'd react. When you didn't respond in any way, he got even more scared.

"Babe, what's wrong?" he asked while you sat on his bed.

You took a deep breath.

"San, let's break up."

There was only silence. San felt daggers stabbing his heart over and over again as he repeated your words in his head.

"D-did I . . . " he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm down a little. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," you said, looking down at your feet. "I just think things aren't working out between us anymore," you lied.

"That's bullshit!" his voice raised a little as tears began to roll down his cheeks. "Don't lie to me, Y/N! Just don't . . . We were always fine!" he yelled as he broke down. "These eleven months . . . we managed everything so well despite our busy schedules!" You kept quiet; if you opened your mouth, you knew you'd break down as well.

"D-do you not love me anymore?" he whispered. "Am I not e-enough?" You knew San's biggest fear was not being good enough, and you wanted nothing more than to take back everything you said.

"I'm sorry, San," you murmured, feeling your heart hurt from saying his name.

"Don't do this to me," he cried, kneeling down in front of you, taking your hands in his. "Please, don't. I love you, Y/N. Don't do this . . . " You didn't say a word. You only closed your eyes, trying not to cry. You hated yourself for breaking his heart.

It was silent for a while; San was lost in thought, and you wished you knew what he was thinking about. You waited for him to say something for god knows how long.

You got up from his bed, looking at him one last time. "Take care of yourself," you said with a small smile that didn't reach your eyes. You left his room, tears immediately rolling down your face as you prepared to leave. However, San stopped you right beside the living room by grabbing your arm and turning you around to face him. Seeing your tears hurt him, but relieved him at the same time; it was enough proof that you still loved him.

All the guys were watching, and they were quite shocked to see San crying and looking so heartbroken.

"It's them, isn't it?" San asked, gesturing to the members with his head.

"No, it's not th—"

"I know they don't like you, Y/N," he said, surprising you; you thought he never knew that. He turned to look at the guys. "Are you all happy now? This was what you wanted right? For me and Y/N to break up?"

"San, please stop," you begged, not wanting any fights to happen between them. "It's not even related to them."

"What do you mean, San?" Hongjoong asked. "We never wanted that."

"Maybe you and Seonghwa hyung didn't," San stated. "But the rest of you certainly do."

"Yeah, he's right," Yeosang said. "We don't trust her or like her."

"And she's a gold-digger," Mingi added.

"She's just using you for your money and other things, San," Wooyoung said and Jongho nodded in agreement. San laughed so hard, you all were actually quite scared.

"A gold-digger?" he laughed. "You know that large company across Mnet's building? That belongs to Y/N's father. She's a chaebol heiress." The guys were quite stunned, not expecting that. "If you made an effort to talk to her instead of wrongly judging her, you'd know. She doesn't need my fucking money."

"What else can she use me for?" San continued. "Sex? We did after five months of dating. I don't think she would've waited if that's what she really wanted. Fame? She and her family are already well-known. So please, tell me why you all think she's fucking using me?!" San yelled. You were just frozen in place. You've never seen San this angry before and honestly, it scared you. None of the boys, not even Hongjoong, dared to say anything. You felt really bad that you're the reason why he raised his voice at them.

San turned to you. "Tell me the real reason why. I'm right, aren't I?"

"I can't," you looked away. "I'm sorry, San." Before he could say anything, you quickly unlocked the door and left.

San just stood there, feeling his already broken heart shatter even more. He chuckled bitterly while tears rolled down his face.

"There, you guys got what you wanted for so long," he said while looking at the members. Several seconds later, he broke down again, his back sliding against the wall. Seonghwa immediately went to his side, pulling the younger boy into his arms; it hurt him to see San like that.

"I love h-her, hyung," San sobbed loudly. "Why did she sacrifice her happiness like this?"

"I know, San," Seonghwa said, letting San cry on him. Hongjoong sat beside them, rubbing San's back comfortingly. San cried harder, struggling to breathe. Hongjoong got him a glass of water, but he wasn't able to drink it. After nearly an hour of crying, he fell asleep against Seonghwa.

"Yunho," Seonghwa called out. "Can you carry him to his bed?" Yunho nodded, picking San up; he wanted to cry at how broken his roommate was.

"Y/N . . . don't leave . . . " San murmured in his sleep, making Yunho's heart ache. He quickly tucked San in before heading to the living room where the rest of the boys were.

"We should apologize," Seonghwa said. "What the fuck is even wrong with us? Since when have we been like this? Judging a person so hard when we don't even know her properly? Look at what we've done now."

"Hyung, you and Hongjoong hyung didn't even do anything," Jongho mumbled.

"No, we did," Hongjoong said. "We didn't trust Y/N initially either. But I was fine with her after seeing San so genuinely happy." That last sentence hit the boys so hard. Seeing San happy . . . They didn't know when they would see him happy again.

"I'm calling Y/N right now," Hongjoong said. "I'm putting it on speaker, so everyone keep quiet. If we're really the reason why they broke up, then we're going to fix it." Everyone agreed and Hongjoong called you. You didn't pick up the first two times, but you finally picked up on the third.

"Hello?"

"Y/N, it's Hongjoong. Can we please talk right now, just for a minute or two?" You hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing. "Please tell me why you broke up with San."

"Hongjoong, I'm sorry, but I can't tell—"

"It'll stay between us, Y/N," he lied. "It'll be easier for us to help San move on."

You took a deep breath. "I heard some of the guys talking about me when I came over. I knew you all didn't like me, but I didn't expect you guys to hate me. They also said something about your manager planning to tell San to break up with me 'cause he isn't focusing."

"Ah, so that's why," Hongjoong said, extremely disappointed in himself and the members.

"No, it's not really about that," you mumbled, your eyes watering. "I just . . . I would never make San choose between me and you guys. I didn't want to cause any problems for you all. San loves you all so much, and you're very important to him. It's important for you guys to have a healthy relationship with each other for your career, so I didn't want to ruin it in any way. I didn't want you guys to have any problems with San just because of me." Yunho started crying, feeling extremely disappointed in himself for misjudging you and making San go through so much. Seonghwa and Wooyoung were in tears too. "If your manager asked San to end things with me, I know he'd never do it. So I did it instead."

"Y/N, I apologize on behalf of everyone," Hongjoong said. "We made a huge mistake, and I'm really ashamed. But I want you to know that none of us hate you. I hope you can forgive us."

"Don't worry, I forgave everyone. I understand why they thought I'm using him, so it's fine," you said softly. "I have to go now. I wish you guys the very best, and take care of San, please."

"Y/N, listen," Hongjoong said quickly, but you already hung up. "Fuck."

"We fucked up," Yeosang said, staring at the ceiling. "We fucked up big time."

"You should tell San about it, hyung," Jongho said to Hongjoong.

"I already heard everything," San mumbled, leaning against the wall, startling some of the guys with his sudden presence.

"San, we're so sorry," Yunho said sadly, his tears now dried up on his cheeks.

"Yeah, we shouldn't have judged her," Mingi murmured.

"Your apologies aren't going to change anything," San said nonchalantly. "I just lost the love of my life because of you guys. The sad part is, you all were the only people I trusted other than her." The boys felt terrible, but they knew it was their fault. "You all are so selfish. We're supposed to be a team, right? But none of you even thought about my feelings." San changed his clothes, grabbed his phone and wallet, put on his shoes and left, not wanting to be with anyone right now.

"I don't feel comfortable with him leaving at this time when he's in that state," Seonghwa said.

"I guess he's going to some bar," Yeosang murmured.

And he was right.

"Three more shots, please," San said to the bartender.

"Sir, you're already quite drunk," the bartender said.

"I need it, please." The bartender only gave him two shots, genuinely worried for the younger boy.

Tears rolled down San's face as he took a shot and fidgeted with the other. "Rough day?" the other younger bartender asked; he seemed to be only a year or two older than San.

"My girlfriend broke up with me," San said. "My members didn't like her."

"Ah, you're an idol?"

"Yeah," San nodded, not caring about whether or not this bartender would expose him.

"She must've done it so that your relationship with your members won't get spoiled."

"That's exactly why," San chuckled brokenly, more tears rolling down from his eyes. "I love her so much. And I know she loves me as well."

"Then what are you doing here? Go get her!" the older bartender said. "It's not easy to find genuine love these days. Don't throw it all away just because of that."

"She wouldn't get back with me," San murmured, sobering up a little.

"Well, you said she loves you. If she really does, she wouldn't give up," the younger bartender said. "I know people say if really love someone, you'll let them go. I think the opposite. You don't give up on the person you love."

San pondered about the words he just heard. "You know what? You're absolutely right," San said, getting off the barstool. "I'm gonna go get her."

You were doing pretty bad after the break up. Although it hasn't even been twenty-four hours, you've been a mess.

"If you aren't gonna eat, will you at least drink this?" your best friend said, placing a bowl of soup in front of you.

"I don't feel—"

"Y/N, if you don't fill your stomach up with something, you're gonna feel worse." You sighed, taking the spoon to drink the soup. Your bestfriend waited till you drank everything before leaving for work.

Three minutes later, your doorbell rang. You rolled your eyes, quite sure your best friend forgot something as usual.

"What did you forget now?" you asked while opening the door. "I bet it's your—"

San stood at the door, wearing his usual grey sweatpants and a black hoodie. His mouth and nose were covered with a black mask, and his wet hair was nearly covering his eyes.

"Y/N, can we talk, please?" he asked a little shakily. He was visibly shivering and you wanted to yell at him for not dressing warmly when it was freezing outside.

You immediately let him in, running to your room to get a blanket. He sat on the couch, eyes never leaving you while you wrapped him up in a cotton fleece blanket. You quickly made him some warm tea; you breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped shivering.

"Y/N," he started, sipping on his tea. "I overheard your conversation with Hongjoong hyung." You opened your mouth to say something, but he placed a finger against your lips. "Let me finish, baby."

"I was on my way to your apartment last night, but I was drunk and passed out in the cab. The cab driver tried to wake me up for almost an hour until Seonghwa hyung called me and the driver brought me home," he said, finishing his tea and placing the empty teacup on the table. "The guys and I had a long talk today morning. They apologized for being immature and judging you, but anyway, they will call you later to apologize as well." San cupped your cheek. "Y/N, I know you broke up 'cause you didn't want any problems to occur between the boys and I, but baby, please consider my feelings as well. Your happiness is my happiness. So if you sacrifice that, how will I be happy?" He stroked your cheek with his thumb. "Y/N, I love you so much. You mean the whole damn universe to me. I fucking love you to the point where I literally cannot live without you. Please don't put me—put us through that again. I can't and won't ever stop fighting for us." You choked on a sob, bursting into tears. He pulled you into his arms, crying as well. You apologized for whatever happened while he placed soft kisses on your head.

"I love you, Sannie," you whispered, wiping his tears away.

"I love you too." He took your hand, intertwining it with his, placing a kiss on yours. "Promise me that you won't ever stop fighting for us."

"I promise."

[baejl]

caught

twice 10th member au

jade’s reaction to being exposed 

[a little thing before we start: jung wook is the actual ceo of jype. enjoy jade eating their asses.] 

masterlist 👽 requests are closed feedback is awalys important to me!

"Why am I not surprised?" 

JYP said as soon as Jade stepped inside the meeting room. She smirked at him while she pulled the single empty chair between her manager and the general manager. 

"Trust me, Jinyoung, I can't stand looking at your tired face anymore." she bickered him with the same sarcastic tone he used. 

"Then stop getting yourself on polemics that we need to fix. " he said with a smile, crossing his arms.

"What polemics?" Jade asked looking at the other people inside the room with furrowed eyebrows. No one said nothing. "I released a mixtape, and, as long as I know it helped the company's shares a lot. People thought I was dating someone else, and now is it my fault that people are obsessed enough to follow me and my actual boyfriend?" she pointed out, not breaking eye contact with JYP. "I don't understand your concept of polemic." 

"Everyone," Wook interrupted them. "calm down. Let's talk things out so we can get to the conclusion of what to do."

Jade puffed and leaned back on the chair, closing her eyes to calm down. Out of a sudden, a sunny day turned into a nightmare, and everything was happening too fast.

She woke up and went straight to the MNET building to one more day of rehearsals for DetentionClub. After almost two hours, her phone started exploding with massages and calls of Johnny, her members, her manager, even her mom.

And she feared the most happened; they got caught.

"Now, let's go from the top." the CEO said when he realised she was more relaxed.

One of the general managers got up and went next to the monitor, where some pictures of Jade and Johnny were being shown.

"It's been almost a month since Dispatch has been calling us to warn us-" Jade interrupted him.

"To bribe us." she corrected him.

"Jade." JYP stopped her.

"Okay, sorry." she pouted and bowed her head to the manager. "Go on."

"To warn us that they knew about Jade's relationship with Johnny from NCT." the manager continued, swiping the screen to show more pictures. Jade frowned seeing pictures of dates that she couldn't even remember.

"We chose to ignore because we thought it'd be the same as Jaein and Jaebeom." another manager complimented. "We thought they were just threatening us with no real proves and we might get into their game again."

Jade took a deep breath and massaged her temples, resting her elbows on the table. It looks like her head was about to explode.

"Jeongyeon is out. Jihyo and Daniel had just broken up. We're trying to hide Chaeyoung..." Wook listed. "Too many things happening in a single group."

"Jade," she looked at JYP"did you know you were being followed?"

"Sure, oppa!" she said with a forced smile and pointed to the monitor. "You see that picture I don't have the mask? It was because I knew there were some lunatic following us, and I just decided to take it off." she nodded. "Cool, right?"

Both rolled their eyes at each other.

"The worse is because there are some pictures of his members leaving her apartment." the man said and, at least, ten pictures of Mark, Haechan and even Doyoung leaving her place showed up.

Her eyes winded, and she choked on her own saliva.

"What?!" she exclaimed. "They know where I live?"

"Not exactly." her manager tried to relax her. "They know the street, but not the exact building."

"These people are psycho..." she mumbled, still shocked.

"Did SM already call or say something?" JYP asked Wook.

"They said they'd agree with anything we decide." Wook looked at Jade. "Now, that's up to you."

"What do you mean that's up to me?" she said, in a nervous laugh. "You are the managers! You tell me what to do."

"Do you want us to tell the truth? To ignore?" the manager stand asked. "We have until tonight to tell them. If not, they're releasing more pictures."

The girl looked at the other managers, begging for help with her gaze. As anyone said anything, decided to do what she told Johnny she would do.

She looked at her manager and nodded, the man already understanding what that meant.

"We're confirming it." Jade said in a sigh. "I am dating."

The whole room was tense, and she could feel that silence and tension swallowing her minute by minute. She just wanted to run.

"I think this meeting ends here." JYP said.

"The public relations manager will write a statement, and your manager will send it to you, just in case you want to add something." Wook said, looking at Jade and getting up, with the other managers following her. "Good luck."

Jade mumbled a 'thank you' and also got up, ready to go to the dance room and lock herself there until she was tired enough to forget everything. But last, she had to do something.

"Hey," she called JYP, who looked at her. "have you ever thought about getting a girlfriend?"

The man cracked up.

"Jade!" he exclaimed. "Can you, please, leave my personal life alone?"

She gave him a sad giggle, getting up and taking her phone with her.

"Or boyfriend, I'm not here to judge."

[fy-2pm]

[INFO] 2PM Discusses Their First Comeback In 5 Years

2PM is finally back after almost five years!

On June 28, 2PM held a press conference for the release of their seventh studio album “MUST.” The group has returned after a long break due to the members having to complete their mandatory military duties.

The members expressed their excitement about returning as a full group in front of their fans. Jun.K shared, “Last year, ‘My House’ unexpectedly received lots of love. I was discharged from the military in January 2020, and right when I was discharged, people around me told me that ‘My House’ was receiving lots of love. The song was released in 2015, and I’m very happy that it was loved by so many people five years after its release. Because people mostly think of ‘My House’ when they think about 2PM, all of the members and the company contemplated a lot about how we can show a sexiness that exceeds that of ‘My House.’ We worked hard and returned with ‘Make It.’ Please show it lots of love.”

Junho, whose viral fancam served as the beginning of the resurgence of “My House,” commented that he enjoyed the popularity while also feeling bewildered by it. Referring to the song’s lyrics, “It’s alright, let’s go to my house,” Junho wittily added, “Many people were debating whose house they should go to. There’s six of us, so you can choose whoever you want.”

“I think the YouTube algorithm played a big part in the resurgence,” Taecyeon added. “While we were in the military, there were such big technological advancements that it was possible to show our hidden sides, and I think that worked as a foothold for the resurgence.”

The new album “MUST” contains ten total tracks, seven of which were worked on by Wooyoung, Jun.K, and Taecyeon. Wooyoung wrote both the melody and lyrics for the title track “Make It.” The Korean title of the song is “Haeya hae,” which translates to “Must do it.”

Wooyoung said, “I’m thankful that ‘Make It’ was chosen as the title track.” On how the song came about, he explained, “The song originates from two questions that I want to ask and ‘must’ ask, which are, ‘If love comes to me again, what should I say?’ and ‘If now is the time for 2PM’s album, what should we do?’ I thought I should leave everything out and just write, ‘Must do it,’ and started from there. The members responded to my song with sincerity. They trusted in me and followed my lead while preparing for the album and recording the song, and seeing that, I worked hard until the end with eagerness to create the best results for these people.”

2PM is already nearing their 13th year together since their debut in September 2008. Throughout the years, 2PM set themselves apart as a physically fit, “beastly” group with powerful performances. While discussing the way they continued to stay fit throughout the 13 years, Wooyoung mentioned Junho’s self-discipline as something he admires in him. Junho explained that he wanted to appear similar to the way he did in the past even after his return from the military.

Asked how the concept of their new album was different from their previous sexy image, Taecyeon responded, “This is the first album we’re releasing after entering our 30s. I was 29 when we released our last album. In our 20s, I think we gave off a stronger feeling of the passionate vigor of youth. I believe the album itself portrayed an atmosphere that the 2PM of that time could show without limiting ourselves to simply being sexy. In the beginning, we radiated a showy, youthful energy with refreshing concepts and acrobatics, and in our 20s, we emphasized the sexiness we could show in our 20s. I think there’s a different sexiness that we can only show in our 30s.”

Regarding a different title they’d like to earn for themselves other than the usual ones like “beast-dol” (beast idol) or “K-sexy” (Korean sexy), Nichkhun said, “I really like ‘beast-dol,’ but I want to say just 2PM. We didn’t make the word ‘beast-dol,’ and the word was created because our fans looked upon us nicely and gave us love, so we always work hard, are humble, and do our best to become the best artists we can be. I think it would be right to say, ‘2PM is 2PM.'”

In response to a question about whether there were any junior groups that caught their eye, Chansung said, “I don’t think there are groups that are similar to us, since every group has their own style. Our juniors Stray Kids really caught my eye. I want them to succeed.” Jun.K added, “I think they are showing great performances as a performance-oriented group.”

Taecyeon, who left JYP Entertainment and joined 51K in 2018, proved that it is possible for an idol to continue promoting with their team even when they are no longer part of the same agency as the other members. He explained, “I think the most important factor is communicating and building trust with each other. In my case, I left JYP Entertainment and became part of a different company, but the most important thing is how we think of each other. We continuously showed understanding and consideration for each other’s circumstances like family rather than work colleagues. So even when I left the agency, it wasn’t like 2PM wasn’t 2PM anymore. I think it’s possible to continue group promotions even after changing agencies as long as you have pride in your group and your members are considerate.”

As for their goals with this comeback, Jun.K shared his wish for more people to know what kind of group 2PM is and the different charms each member has. Junho thanked fans for waiting for them and expressed his hope to promote happily while communicating with fans.

Watch 2PM’s new “Make It” music video here! 2PM is premiering their first performance of “Make It” during their Mnet comeback show “MUST,” which begins on June 28 at 7 p.m. KST.

Cr: Soompi

[changbeens]

I like sugar, but (in comparison to a song like red moon) it doesn't make sense as to why it's beating the other songs which you think would've won... shady things are happening that is what's up

exactly. EXACTLY. this is why i posted that whole thing about being anti music show wins (not the shows themselves cos i think they’re wonderful for promotion, just the actual win part), i dont trust any of these networks to be genuine anymore

we all know that certain shows accept bribes and certain shows bend rules to please certain companies and i’m gonna come back to again because i always do on this subject, but why should we believe or accept these wins are real when a song that wasnt even released for the korean market won 30+ times? not a drag against the group, its a drag against the networks/shows. its making wins meaningless to everyone except the companies and we all know that companies use music show wins as leverage to make groups work harder

so did flopmed somehow scrape together enough money to buy wooseok a music bank win? mubank have no reason to give him a guilt win like mnet do, but.... i just cant make it make sense that wooseok beat iu. i feel horrible for it because i love that guy and i do like the song but... it doesnt settle right

[wickymicky]

I get the feeling that Weki Meki was supposed to be a nugu group. 

Fantagio had some notable groups, but Hello Venus are known to be pretty underappreciated I think, and Astro are doing alright but they didnt get their first win until 2019, so at the point when Fantagio was putting together a girl group, they might have expected things to be a little bit smaller. I know that the company had bizarre issues too, I don’t know the details but I think the CEO was running the company illegally? idk, he’s not there anymore, i’m pretty sure. When they sent six trainees to Produce 101, I wonder if they knew how much that would change things, lol. I’m sure they hoped they’d do well, but how could you predict that two of them would get into IOI? Well unless they bribed Mnet, which is possible and that wouldn’t be surprising at all lol, but it’s not like they didn’t deserve it, especially Yoojung, whose talent was clear for everyone to see... 

So then Yoojung and Doyeon were in IOI for a while. Fantagio probably made a lot of money from that. When it came time to actually debut their group, they had a lot of eyes on them, and a fairly decent budget. Unlike most girl groups, Weki Meki were able to debut with a mini album. That like never happens unless you’re from a big 3 company lmao, only boy groups debut with mini albums usually, unfortunately. Their debut got a lot of buzz, people loved seeing Yoojung and Doyeon and their group, people loved the choreo, but... not everyone was on board with the song. To put it mildly. When they had their first comeback, it was also a mini album, but even more of the IOI holdouts who were just there for Dodaeng were pushed away by their second title track (for some reason... they must have no taste). Then Crush, their first single album, came out and it did pretty well. It got them attention for being a group, instead of just for having two IOI members. Crush was a popular Weki Meki song, not just something many people listened to out of curiosity. 

Things have gone relatively okay so far. Not ideal, but manageable. Like okay, maybe a large part of the IOI crowd weren’t sticking around anymore, but they were building a fanbase of their own. Picky Picky came out next, and while a lot of people love this song, it’s the song that got me into Weki Meki for instance, still... it felt like the budget had dropped a bit since Crush. Tiki Taka, the repackage of Picky Picky, was even more noticeably smaller, and I think that a lot of people who aren’t kilings don’t even know this comeback exists. The sets were smaller, the outfits were even simpler, the song sounded less expensive... and then Dazzle Dazzle, their most recent comeback, is the lowest budget they’ve had so far. The teaser photos looked like a nugu group, the music video looked like a nugu group, the outfits were mostly just solid colors... And all that brings us to now, with Weki Meki having a comeback soon this month, in about 12 days. The teaser image announcing the name of the album looks like it was made in 5 minutes. It’s just white text on a black background, with various fonts that all kinda clash with each other, and what looks like a stock photo jpeg of a rifle above the top of the image. I’m worried about this comeback.

There’s nothing wrong with nugu groups, I like a lot of them lol. All I’m saying is that on some level it kinda seems like Fantagio is currently investing in Weki Meki at about the level they probably had expected to before Produce 101. Maybe that sweet sweet IOI money finally ran out... and so did the pre-existing IOI fanbase that they counted on to support IDLYG and La La La before they really had a decent-sized fanbase of their own. I get the feeling like they were sort of expecting Weki Meki to be a group like Elris, Dreamnote, Saturday, Momoland when they debuted... something like that. Weki Meki’s still doing pretty well all things considered, they’re definitely doing better than three of the five IOI groups, so why is Fantagio seemingly managing them like they’re not that popular? That’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, cause I worry that the more they treat them like that, the more it’ll become true :(

Obviously the songs are still good, they’re still really talented, their fanbase actually seems (to my eyes) bigger than ever... and I don’t mean the amount of fans who will check out a comeback, I mean the amount of fans who consider themselves kilings first and foremost, who are really invested in and loyal to this group. That community seems bigger than ever! So... what’s going on?

They’re coming back with a mini album soon, and that’s awesome, I really hope it’s good and it does well for them, but it’s been two years since their last mini album. That’s worrying. Sigh... I believe in them and I trust them though. We’ll see.

[rkmason]

 ▰▰▰▰▰▰ MNET GLOBAL AUDITIONS, SEASON 5 ˟  EP 7 PERFORMANCE ▰▰▰▰▰▰

he went from filling out the paperwork with some hesitation to preparing for the live finale. if he thought everything else felt surreal, he had no idea until now. inside the studio is a bigger crowd, bigger stakes, and a final verdict that everyone is both anticipating and dreading. at least, that’s how he feels and he remembers this feeling the first time around, how he was too quick to go from nervous to excited and practically jumping around. this time, minho’s certain it’ll happen again and that scares him the most, that things will repeat themselves.

life has a funny way of throwing things at you after all. speaking of—

      ●●●●●●      LAST WEEK, ON THE SIXTH EPISODE OF MGA S5 — 8월 1일      ●●●●●●

top three this week doesn’t have quite the same tone or weight as it did before. in fact, it’s not even considered top three. three out of five. for once, his lack of mathematical skills don’t fail him. three out of five, sixty percent, a failing grade by any other standards. in there, between five teams, they’re just middle ground and that kind of news hits him hard. judging by the looks on everyone’s faces, it hits them all hard and he thinks it’s more of a wake-up call than anything else. this week, they have to strike back.

that’s what he wants to focus on, that’s what he wants to keep thinking about, to willingly let his mind run a thousand miles a minute if it means he can think of something constructive, but he can’t. instead, he’s thinking of how seunghun just got eliminated from the nova team. when first and second are announced, he starts thinking of how kyul is eliminated too. he should feel happier than this, should be glad he’s still moving onto the final episode; but all he can think of is how seunghun trusted him enough to work in his studio, how powerful seunghun’s high note was for their performance, how funny it was that the flower hyunggu threw went to the wrong person and technically hit them, of how protective he and kyul were of heejin that whole week they were working together, how kyul easily threw her image away for heejin, and how kyul’s dancing is among the best he’s seen so he’d love to work on a routine with her again.

truth be told, he’d love to work with any of them again.

seeing that ryujin has to go home after this, knowing that he won’t get to hear more of her lyrics and suggestions, that she won’t be the one to help chaeryeong if she has any concerns with rap [because he’s not naive enough to think chaeryeong would be more comfortable with him over ryujin, someone who’s a female and closer to her age], he thinks: should i be here?

he thought he’s gotten over it, thought he let go of it, but his sister’s theories and concerns come back to him again and he slowly realizes they’re also his, just for a very different reason.

heejin and nak are safe. they’re doing beautifully, actually, because their teams placed first and second and minho’s thrilled, proud, glad to have been part of that journey on the mgas because he knew it even before they worked together: they’re talented. so potentially endlessly talented.

that’s the problem, he thinks, because what if he was part of why seunghun and kyul couldn’t continue? just as much talent, just as much potential, just as much willpower and thinking about all of this at once drains him of his own.

ah, that must be it.

he feels drained and, honestly, it’s not a feeling he’s fond of or used to. but he has no time to recover from it now, not when he thinks they need to do something, anything to recuperatetogether and his brother is waiting for him. his brother who flew in to see the show live and the team placed third. pulled this way and that way, he doesn’t know when his emotions settle by the time they reach the restaurant but he knows the role he’s been playing his entire life so he falls back on what he knows how to do best, almost more so than dancing or rapping.

an article or something like that, that’s where he swears he read once that pretending to smile makes you likely to genuinely smile or he could’ve heard it in a movie. it pulls him through the night all the way til chris knocks out on the bed that minho’s forced him to take as the guest. he doubts he’ll sleep much anyway. nights like these feel normal again and he chuckles at that thought, at how he kept going back and forth from having too little time to having more than enough but never sleeping anyway. guess he could’ve went to university after all like his dad wanted, would’ve been a similar sleeping pattern right?

right… he’s not just thinking about it because they’ll be performing for the last time this season in a little over a week. he’s not just thinking about it because his students messaged him asking how he’s doing and if he made it to the final. of course minho can’t tell them but it gets him thinking. what does he say once it’s out? what does he say once the show is over? what does he say if he does or doesn’t get signed?

could he go back to it again? would it make sense to when he keeps leaving once he’s with a company? he’s seen some of them grow up over the years and he’s been trying to keep up with them, trying to grow and mature just as much but he sees it in some of their eyes, how realistic some of them are, how idealistic some are, and even how pessimistic one is about the future, to the point that minho thinks well i can’t leave him on his own. it’s just english lessons, he knows, but it’s more than that to him.

so is this.

so is this and he thinks of how much his greed was already there in the first place. he couldn’t blame the rankings each week at all, not when he’s been trying to have it all for years. even when he thinks of convex, he realizes just how much he tried to hold onto everything.

with his previous students, with the guys, with mijoo.

he told his sister to let him make his decisions, to take the path he chooses for himself, but can he really blame her for treating him like a child in the end when he’s like this? because she does have a point about his lovey-dovey eyes, about how he wears his heart on his sleeve, and his thoughts in every muscle of his face.

it’s just as childish for him to refuse to talk about it with someone, to not bring his concerns to his teammates, to his family, or even to his girlfriend. childish of him to have not finished cleaning his room like he told his mother he’d finish after she left. his studio is still left in pieces and going through the mgas doesn’t make it any better. when seunghun had come over, he kept things tidier, but now they had the use of the studios in the company buildings, the use of equipment he got familiar with before and it gives him an advantage he can’t deny.

he has years on some of the other contestants in years alone. enough years that he remembers his first audition for trc, the first time he was in trc and royal, being five years ago. enough years that season three feels like three lifetimes ago, that living in the dumbtainment house at the time didn’t feel real, that learning from the hyungs he lived with then has brought him here, to a time when he can produce his own song like he did earlier this season.

in the end, does this mean he’s grown or that he’s too old for this? in the end… does it mean he can finish another song by morning and present it the way he’s wanted to for months now? an idea dancing in his head, playing in his head, but nothing he could commit well enough to pen and paper, into explaining to someone else, even seik or dabin. he has all these videos he’s wanted to do with the guys and their new production process, all the people they’ve brought in during the months he was preparing to debut and then did. but nothing. he’s finished nothing.

in the end, does it mean he did peak already?

the idea is appealing, terrifying. he doesn’t understand how anyone can train for years and not feel like there isn’t more to learn, more to do, so how does someone peak at all? how can someone peak if they’re willing to keep trying and going?

who’s limiting who that way? is it the person who passes judgment or the person who foolishly believes it?

consciously, he feels wide awake now but he feels asleep at the wheel. he feels like he’s not moving forward anymore and he doesn’t get it. he doesn’t get it because he stopped trying for a moment. a brief moment, but he had it. earlier, he had it.

fingers glide over the keyboard but nothing sounds right. he’s knocked off tune, off pitch, off the path by loss he didn’t feel the right to grieve at all. he was lucky the first time around. ty made it to the finals with him. so did the friends he made along the way. hell, some of them are still with the company they signed with, one has debuted too.

all the songs he’s performed blend together and all he hears again, all he knows again, isnoise. like an idiot, he’s spiraling once more, thinks of all the wrong he’s done since he was young, from broken vases to broken hearts.

team antidote, he chuckles when he thinks about it again. he felt more like the poison in this case. in the past, he compared himself to water but he’s more like fire, destroying what’s in his path and leaving others to deal with the aftermath.

it was a moment of dragging himself that he didn’t expect to lead to just what he needs.

he’s been playing with fire. they all have been. shows like this, evil editing like what mnet is so known for, it burns but that doesn’t have to always be such a bad thing.

no, in fact, he thinks it’ll be a perfect way to show off their creativity. if he could find that file…

singing lessons, pick-up basketball games, tutoring english again, stopping by the restaurant to help out when he can, skateboarding. he did whatever he could in the months after leaving convex to try and do more. whatever he could until the triple threat audition and he felt like he was back in it, back in the game, back on this road, whatever you want to call it. he felt like he was back and since that day he couldn’t stop trying to piece songs together, making sound bites here and there, writing. he was writing again. piano, guitar, drums. he familiarized himself again slowly, with the guitar, with the drums, with a keyboard but, most of all, withhimself.

he prided himself on it in the past, for being creative. for trying to surprise people every time on the mgas when he did it before. why does he lose that version of himself more than he holds onto it? he guesses the real question comes down to this: how long is he gonna hold onto the wrong things? onto the pieces of himself that don’t quite fit anymore? it’s not about transforming, about creating new pieces, but rediscovering the way he used to be: less concerned with everyone else and more concerned with the performance, letting creativity reign instead of letting fear hold him captive.

huh. that’s an idea too but not one that could work on stage, he’s betting. back to the drawing board and damn does he feel better knowing that it’s messy but brimming with ideas again.

there’s no sign of being nervous when he comes in with the idea the next day, presenting it the best he can and letting them listen to the rough copy of what he’d had before. polishing the audio could come for later, if he knows it can come into fruition, nothing will stop him from finishing it. ideas come together in a flurry back and forth and he loses track at some point, mind drifting to how weird it is being with the same teammates for more than one week now. he’d thought they needed more time to get to know each other, he knows he believed it, but it’s hard to ignore that they’re back with one person less and that quickly sends him back down the slope he slid down the night before. so much for that burst of creativity and energy lasting through the day.

when doyeon sits next to him during one of the breaks, he doesn’t know what to expect. she’s been a great coach so far but he’s just… not so good with words, not when it comes to his feelings. you need cheesy lines? oh man, minho’s your man. you need dumb things to say? headassery? he’s got it in the bag, even if he doesn’t understand what that phrase means but he thinks it’s probably some older version of ariana’s “i want it, i got it” or maybe not… yeah, don’t think it works that way but good enough, right?

he ignores the age difference again, ignores that he was once her sunbae or would’ve been and isn’t anymore, ignores that he’s itching to ask her what she thinks of the songs so far, and surprises himself the most when he asks, “did you know any of the other contestants last season? ya’no, before going on the show together. it’s…” minho chuckles, shaking his head and leaning his head back for a moment before looking at her, trying to be respectful when he knows she’s probably concerned about him. going quiet was too obvious for someone like him, for him.

“i know people are tired of hearing about it, yeah? that i’ve been on the show before… but it’s different this time. the pressure’s different. the stages are different. the people— i didn’t lose this many friends last time. seeing ‘em get eliminated, it’s…” don’t swear, he wills himself. shit, he thinks and, just like the first few weeks of interviews this season, he’s already messed up. good thing he caught himself but he has the fact that it’s doyeon he’s talking with to thank for that. if it had been one of the friends he was thinking of, he might not have caught it.

she’s a coach, yeah, but he knows she doesn’t have to say what she does to him. compared to how considerate she is of his feelings, of his blatant guilt, she could’ve taken the tough love route. he’s heard a variation of it several ways whenever he stops by the studio after practice and dabin or seik think he’s sad when he’s just trying to make sense of everything for himself.

it’s usually ‘you’ve earned it’ or ‘you worked hard for it’ but that doesn’t work for him. he can’t think of any other contestant working any less hard than he is. saying shit like people deserve anything doesn’t make things right in the world. he thinks of it as more of an excuse. but this, this helps. because it’s similar to what he told people when he left convex, it’s similar to what he’d say when people asked if he was okay or if he was giving up or if he thought things were unfair. he didn’t see it like that. he thought of it as nova and sphere, convex, were all part of his journey and he’s taking another path again. but he didn’t apply that logic to this, to eliminations and how far he’s gotten compared to some of his friends.

earned it were two words that just couldn’t settle well with him. deserve falls in that same boat but it feels different in the way that doyeon explains it. the way she says it reminds him thathe is the one who needs the most convincing. alright, maybe the ceos too but that’s just common knowledge right? that one deserves a pass, 4th wall minho demands it from anyone reading this right now.

he thanks her with a deep bow and his voice drops lower when he thanks her one more time for seeing him as choi minho, a contestant, and not anyone else. because the opposite of tough love that he’s received from his friends and family feel like a different type in punishment. he didn’t want to hear that he’s an ex-idol so he must have what it takes, must have the experience, must have the skill. it was like saying you have to be perfect to be an idol and that’s not the case. when he thinks about it, he bets doyeon gets that too. jinsoul and sana too. before they leave for the day, he’s thanking all of them and saying one more time how much he liked their performances the last season. when it aired, he’s sure no one thought this situation would be happening. but like doyeon said, this is his journey, and he’s glad he met them while on it.

there’s another person he’s met so far on this particular journey and while he’s glad to see her the circumstances leave him a little weary. it’s a lunch break that he excuses himself for, apologizing to the team when he slips away and he realizes it seems more sketchy than it is but, hey, a promise is a promise. he’s not gonna flake on it now, especially when it’s kyul. all the sadness and guilt he felt, he leaves behind, pretends it was never a thing when he meets her outside the salon, face mask and all.

the purple hair is shocking [wouldn’t have been if he checked instagram but hey at least it’s proof he’s focused on practice and working hard with the exception of this break] and he’s all compliments about it until he suddenly wonders, “wait… you’re not planning on doing that to my hair too, are ya? i know i said i’ll go to the salon with ya and dye my hair but—” they don’t need to act to seem like they’re fighting this time around and he swears she’s helluva lot stronger than she seems when she’s dragging him inside by the arm. sure, he was faking that he couldn’t stop her completely but damn remind him not to diss ballet muscles ever— he doesn’t but ya’no.

leaving the salon with a new hair color reminds him of convex days again, of course it does, but it also reminds him of coming home in high school with botched blonde hair and his mother’s and sister’s screaming sounding like a chorus as they tried to figure out how to fix it. ah, the good ole days. maybe he should’ve said something about it to the team first— but hey hyunggu has bright hair too. it’s only fitting that both demons do, right?

tweaking and making adjustments where they need to for the choreography and lyrics comes naturally and he’s sadder in a different sense that it’s coming to an end. he feels sentimental and, as different as each of them were, he knows dance unites them all so working together brings his mood back sky high, til there’s no air. ha, get it?

what worries him more as they get closer is their plans for the stage: props, decoration, thespecial effects. he doesn’t have much experience with them either but he doesn’t want to be caught off-guard so he hypes himself up at odd moments reminding himself that if he can survive australian wilderness, how could be he concerned about a few flames?

they’re taking playing with fire almost too literally now.

everything falls into place and he feels at ease when he thinks of how it’ll be on the day of— how they’re ready, how they’ve timed everything, played it all out, practiced and practiced. the singing tips he received from doyeon and jinsoul stick with him the most when they practice for the nova stage and he’s glad to have had coaches who’ve been on the show, who know that thrill that’ll be coursing through their veins as they sing, because, for some reason, minho feels like it’s different.

there’s just a different vibe, a different method, and he struggles to get a certain airiness to his voice in the first few days of running through it. great that he’s on theme but he’d rather not be that literal for this stage too. people might’ve thought it was harsh but running while singing is good for the lungs, for stamina, and so he tries it in the mornings when the others haven’t arrived yet, tries it on his runs before getting there when he thinks no one is around, and he’s not really ashamed to admit he’s been caught a handful of times already.

when the day of surprise interviews come, he thinks he should’ve seen it coming and it really is a shame he didn’t have a rose for the interviewer on the last day but… there’s a tinge of sadness to things for an hour or two. it really is all coming to an end. just to think, he was wondering each week when it would be the end for him. now, the end is coming for all of them.

       ●●●●●●      THE TIME HAS COME, WAITING BACKSTAGE — 8월 10일      ●●●●●●

he saw it before they came in, the lines outside, the signs, the people busking or filming dance covers and he chuckles because it’s perfect timing really and he questions how many of the three thousand in the audience are also idol hopefuls, have also been on the show. he wonders how many are friends and family and how many are genuinely here for a good time. on the third season, minho thought he could’ve said that— that, for the most part, he was here for a good time. today, he believes they’re here to win. it’s like what doyeon told him, he has to decide for himself and he decides that a little greed, a little hope, is good today of all todays.

while they’re able to watch the performances before them, he isn’t sure if he ought’a. if it’ll psych him out or if it’ll make him more jittery, if he’ll be— damn. this mashup is… he’s trying to count all the songs but it surprises him more in the end, like how one is a solo song by a royal artist, another is by the first girl in whiteblue to release a solo and while the songs match each other, he’s confused by the other songs, trying to find the message among the changes in songs but he’d be damned if he didn’t think the choreography looked good. the song reminds him of sphere but the dance makes him think more of nova and he wonders if it’s intentional but it couldn’t be… isn’t sphere also doing trc and he was right to be worried about them.

to see the other teams bring their all, he realizes it doesn’t make him nervous after all because he’s excited to see everything, to see how each person is giving their everything for this. that’s all that matters at this point. giving it your all.

he’s about to ask hyunggu something while nova’s performance is starting when—

holy shit, and oh wait no he should take back the “holy” part because this is the opposite. did they just throw bibles? he can’t believe he thought having rosaries for the “heavenly” decorations would be too sacrilegious.

but he can’t think of that anymore, instead his head is throbbing because they’ve done a similar theme. angels and demons. can he swear now? sorry, cap.

it’s okay, minho, he tells himself. find that excitement again because, if anything, it means eyes will be sharper now, trying to figure out what makes them different. gotta love a surprise, added challenge.

      ●●●●●●      NEXT ON STAGE, PRESENTING TEAM SIRIUS,  EP. 5 — 8월 10일      ●●●●●●

in their outfits, minho feels as if they’re transformed and he hopes it translates to the stage— he hopes the theatrics of the performance translates to the ceos and the audience, that it’ll appeal to just how much trc focuses on creativity, on charisma, on exceeding themselves each time.

they have to see it, feel it, how they’ve exceeded themselves as a team, that this stage is nothing like the last they showed, and neither will their performance for nova.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ PLAYING WITH FIRE x PIED PIPER ♫ NOTE: THE GESTURES & EXPRESSIONS IN VIDEO ARE SIMILAR IF NOT WRITTEN !

the stage is black, no light to be seen until spotlights reveal the four sitting on both sides of the stage in “thrones.” feathers from the angels’ thrones cling to them, falling and trailing behind them when they stand to walk to center stage, to the runway carpet to the “gate of heaven” but they’re stopped by the demons who walk from their own thrones, black feathers having already fallen to the ground surrounding where they sat. the white of their tops, of the roses that adorn their heads, of the wings behind them contrast starkly with the black and red of the suits the demons wear, their clothes visibly more binding.

there is a struggle, a push and pull between angels and demons, because they’ve fallen for the demons who only wish to tempt them into giving up their wings, into becoming captured by them and falling into hell the same way they are, the same way they’re stuck in its fiery pits.

flames have already lit up the stage as the song continues and he feels at home compared to being afraid, as if he’s taken on the persona of his character for the song. it’s not poison, this is your paradise, so don’t close your eyes. the lyrics tie in perfectly in his mind and it’s fitting in some way that paradise is part of his lines, that he’s the one to dance the nod to the MYNAME song when he was once part of the company.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ YOU’RE NOT BEING POISONED COME HERE, I’M YOUR PARADISE CLOSE YOUR EYES, DON’T REJECT ME ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

mirroring the lyrics, the song, the lights, the effects, everything from how he and hyunggu help the feathers fall and disappear from the girls’ wings, each step well-calculated so the choreography shows the angels’ fall from grace. like lucifer, like the name hyunggu first suggested, they’re tempted and the both of them are devious in their actions, sinners by the song.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ MAYBE I’M A BIT DANGEROUS LIKED THE PIED PIPER, I’M TESTING YOU LIKE THE FRUIT FROM THE TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL THE SOUND OF THE PIPE AWAKENS EVERYTHING* THAT SOUND BURNS YOU UP EVEN MORE YOU’RE BEING PULLED BY IT I’M ENDLESSLY BLOWING I’M YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

the smirk is undeniable, especially when hyunggu finishes their verse by taunting them, there’s no escape. after all, the demons already know the fate of the angels, of the poison that’s taking its course.

each touch of the demons’ red gloves, each “interaction” brings them more to the other side. the girls avoid the red apples without knowing the poison was in the thorns of the roses given to them earlier and minho wishes seunghun could be here too, could see how minho still makes use of red roses in the finale. the daisy should be here too. actually, he shouldn’t think of that right now, not when it would work so well with the angels.

as the angels’ wings become tattered, the work he and hyunggu have done has been revealed once they claim the crowns of white roses to replace them. tossing his red gloves, the crown of white claimed and taken, he replaces the flower crown atop yeji’s head withblack roses. the angels have fallen and the demons have taken over.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ NO AIR ♫ NOTE: THE GESTURES & EXPRESSIONS IN VIDEO ARE SIMILAR IF NOT WRITTEN !

coming off the stage, his only regret is for the stage runners, for those who have to prepare the stage between each take and he knows how it feels. he’s been there, done that, did it foryears in high school to the point that he could figure out exactly which props are the most inconvenient but man is it beautiful. it was more astounding than he could’ve ever imagined and he thinks it must also be the power of mnet.

when he changes into a school uniform, too distracted with all the changes and touch-ups to watch the remaining performances, he can’t believe he’s doing this again and he thinks of the convex members that have expressed support, of whether or not they’ll watch this performance and think of mansae, of when he was still there, and instead of feeling sad, hesmiles.

it was a part of his journey, after all.

when the time comes back around for them, he’s thanking any staff member he can see— hehas been til now but this feels so final again. while this was the second concept they prepared, this was it. this was the last performance they will give for the night and it’s bittersweet, just like the songs compared to each other. the bite of poison, the sweet innocence of young love.

the dance intro felt like they were going back to what they had with whiplash but with a twist, with a breath of fresh air— not the best choice of words since it’s no air but hey let him have this one too, okay?

he’s nervous to sing, to only sing as his second skill displayed in this performance but with the words of doyeon and jinsoul, with the support of his team, of his friends and family, he thinks he could do anything. like his first line after the dance break, because i have you.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ I BELIEVE IN YOU, WHEREVER YOU ARE YOU ARE LIKE THE SUN TO ME, THE ONE AND ONLY ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

the line he wanted the most, because it reminds him of home, both physically and metaphorically, of standing under the sun in australia, of seeing the sunset and sunrise, of hisone and only. he hopes she believes him more now, that his last stage won’t be for a while, that this is not the end for him. his journey is taking a few twists and turns but he’ll enjoy every second of it. there’s no antidote without there first being a poison.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ I’M SHOUTING OUT TOWARDS YOU IF ONLY MY LOVE COULD REACH YOU ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

if the last performance was poisoned love, this was pure love. young love. love that hadn’t felt the bitterness or cruelness of the word. love that is heaven, no gate of hell in sight.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ MATCHING OUR FOOTSTEPS, LET’S WALK AND FEEL THE MOMENT ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

it’s a song about love but when he can take a look at his teammates, when formation allows it, when he can manage a glimpse, he thinks this is about them, about matching their footsteps, their breath, their hearts because of this stage. because they’re able to be on stage.

in the end, that’s what truly makes him feel like there’s no air.

PROFILE / SKILLS / AUDITION / EPISODE 3 / EPISODE 4 / EPISODE 5 / EPISODE 6 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ EP. 7 — THE FINALE: PERFORMANCE / INTERVIEW

[danielxrk]

                   ✞ SOMEBODY COVER UP MY EARS *                       SOMEBODY SAVE ME FROM MY HEART

daniel isn't nervous. that's what he tells himself, anyway, with some marginal amount of nerves in his stomach. they built up over time, as he watched singer after singer drain from the room, leaving fewer and fewer in their wake. every time a staff member enters the room to bring someone else to the judges, he practically leaps up, but it's never his name, so that familiar feeling of anxiety he thought he bested grows until his fingers start getting numb. by the time it's finally his turn, he stands up slowly, like he's hesitating, but he heads out anyway, trailing after the staff member obediently, and tries to shake himself free of the weight he somehow found himself beneath, and he wonders if he's really changed at all.

he tries to remind himself of how much he's grown again-- the thoughts he had not long ago, the last time he was outside of this practice room, and it helps, or at least he thinks it does. when he stands in front of the judges, however, he feels like the same daniel from last year: that scared, unprepared boy, in far over his head, wanting nothing more than to leave. no, that's not true. he wants to be here. the mgas last year taught him that he has a place here, even after almost getting eliminated. he survived until somewhere close to the end, and if he made it that far, he sure as hell will make it through this. he'll make sure of it. if he orchestrated this audition of solidarity with all of the band, he has to do well for them. that brings some additional pressure and additional strength simultaneously. he repeats it like a mantra: i belong here i belong here i belong here, but that doubt still lingers, as it always does.

he knows, even among the empty enigma members, he probably has the least talent. woojin and kenta can apparently dance of all things, and both can sing, too. minhyun can also sing, and though he hasn't heard him sing often, it doesn't take much to be better at singing than daniel. maybe his experience with this show will make up for his lack of talent, or whatever carried him the distance last year will do the same this time. he was so certain he improved before this moment.

luckily, daniel has always been good at pretending. he flashes his brightest smile, and he bows to the judges. he didn't prepare anything to say-- planned on just singing and not wasting anyone's time, but he catches the camera out of the corner of his eye, remembers this will probably be aired, and says, "kang daniel. you didn't forget me that easily, did you?" a playful glint in his eye, but the smile doesn't fade, expression evening out into something more sincere with a hint of determination. "i'm back to show better sides of myself and become a kang daniel you can be happy to watch perform, and i aim to start that today. i'll be singing i'm so tired by lauv."

he almost feels embarrassed after saying it, and for a moment he worries that he won't live up to the expectations he set for himself-- worries that he doesn't have better sides to show, or that everyone watching won't be able to see them. no, he knows he's improved since last year; he's certain he's better now than back then in every way, and even if he feels weakness now, he has to trust the daniel that believed that when he first walked into this building. he practiced this song enough. he still feels it somewhere settled into his bones. he's far from the meek, unprepared boy that auditioned last year, frazzled that they wouldn't let him play his guitar, singing the only song that came to mind, voice shaky and unpracticed.

this time he knows what he's doing, and his confidence rises. it's just another performance, and he and cameo have done this countless times. he doesn't have to hide it anymore, even if it's a bit different this time. no guitar riffs, no heavy drum beat, no bassline as comfort, not sungwoon's voice to guide him, just daniel, three judges, his voice, and the empty air in this room. he breathes it in, and begins.

i'm so tired of love songs, tired of love songs tired of love songs, tired of love just wanna go home, wanna go home wanna go home, woah

his performance begins near the end of the version of the song he chose, planned intentionally so he can sing out the lyrics he feels in his heart. he had somewhere around 15 potential song choices for this audition once all of the empty enigma members decided they would try their hand at the mgas this year, and an inability to narrow it down. something compelled him to keep searching though, and when he remembered this song and looked over the lyrics, he decided on it easily. the beginning half is a breakup song, for the most part, but in the context of the one minute allowed, he can make it something different: a manifestation of his conflicted heart in recent months.

he would like to say that yesterday, and confessing his feelings to sungwoon changed this-- made it less relevant, or made it speak to him less, and maybe it did. he knows deep down, however, that it didn't really; if he's honest with himself, he still feels it.

so tired of love songs, tired of love songs tired of love songs, tired of love wanna go home, wanna go home wanna go home, woah

it comes from a place of emotional exhaustion, still present even after the sudden, borderline desperate admittance of how much he truly likes sungwoon. with it came warmth, and relief, and some freedom, albeit temporary-- this lack of need to deny himself anymore, this ability to bask in sungwoon's presence and all of his inflicting joy and comfort and acceptance and love and something edging on home. for a moment, he could avoid the conflict in his heart and settle into some sense of stability and promise of some potential, unspoken future, and all of the possibilities he felt but was still a little too afraid of. yet that's not all, and he knows it. there is still a girl, and her familiarity, and her fingerprints all over every meager year of his life. even the ones that lacked her directly still carried her somewhere in his heart, never really over her, and maybe it's still the same even now. there's a war between the parts of him that want to move on and want to hang on, and he doesn't know whether to drift to the love he knows he has or the love that might be easier. he's not guaranteed an easy path with either of them, and it makes him tired, even now. before, he chose this song because he didn't want to think about it anymore-- he wanted to avoid it, and even now that he's confronted it, he wants it to end. he wants an answer without breaking another heart, a decision without cruelty, to know if what he deserves is neither of them. he just wants to go home, but he doesn't know where that is anymore either.

so when he sings the next lines, he means it more than any he's uttered so far. (it's always been his favorite part.)

somebody cover up my ears somebody save me from my heart somebody take me far from here and rip the speakers out my car

there's not really any saving him from his heart; he knows. it's what he gets for singing a song he put on the mixtape he made joohyun for her birthday the day he bared his heart to sungwoon, but that reality says more about him in this moment than anything else could. his voice caries him through, more stable than his emotions, strong in the face of this turbulence, more staying power than the last time anyone with mnet heard him sing, and he doesn't doubt that anymore-- not now.

'cause i'm ready to love you, but not ready to lose you but i can't wait here any longer

he changed an or i'm ready to lose you to a but not ready to lose you, an easy alteration after all the lyrics he's written for empty enigma's album, made to better reflect him. there are parts of the song that hit harder in this moment than before-- how he couldn't wait with his feelings weighing heavily on him anymore, like he needed to get them off of his shoulders and out of his rib cage, needed to pour them into someone else: sungwoon. he wonders if it could've been anyone, thoughts swirling in his mind regurgitated into some mess-- if it could've been joohyun instead, but no, it couldn't have, for reasons he still isn't sure of. it needed to be sungwoon, and he knows that's still the case because yesterday, the day of that confession, his feelings for him were the only thing he was sure of.

i’m so tired of love songs (someone take me home) just wanna go home ('cause i can’t be alone)

he tries to clear his mind, knowing the song is nearing its end-- that his voice will soon be confined to his throat again, and that these feelings will be hard to admit anywhere outside of this room, but maybe he doesn't need to. this feels like enough. there's something gentle in this part of the song, though that's the nature of all of it, and part of the reason why he chose it; there's no real need for power, just a certain vulnerability that daniel has always possessed, only been a little afraid of. it feels better to get it up, and his voice builds up a little for the end, as each note steps a little higher.

so tired of love songs (and i'm so tired) tired of love, tired of love, tired of love, tired of love

he breathes out the final note. maybe the conflict shows on his face for a moment before it evens out, and the air of the practice room is so still. it's almost peaceful, and something washes over him then, like resolution, like gratification, like extrication, even though the weight is still there. he bows again, utters a "thank you," that he means, even if it sounds small.

[rksungho]

It’s still early in the morning when you’re called into Katie Lee’s office at the Seocho facility. When you enter, you’re greeted by very serious looking men standing along the walls while the CEO stares at you from behind her desk. She gestures to the chair in front of her, and something in the way her eyebrow arches tells you that you shouldn’t make her wait. 

After you’re settled on your seat, the woman carefully studies your expression before beginning. “So,” she holds her gaze right at you. “I hear you’re displeased with your stay at my company.”

She lets her opening statement hang in the air a few seconds for the full effect. “Word around this facility is that you’ve been complaining behind our backs to other trainees. Some… Hwang Inho person has shared his knowledge with his own CEO, who has in turn passed it on to me.” Her lips purse into a thin line. “I suppose you don’t know this, but I really, really hate gossiping.”

“Now, I am a very busy woman and I’m already late for Mnet’s recording, so I will try to make this quick.” She moves an open manila folder across the table in your direction. “This is a mutual party settlement on the termination of your contract with KT Entertainment. If you sign this, your time with us will come to an end effective immediately, and these fine gentlemen will escort you outside.” She makes a brief pause, and her face softens a little. “I understand it’s not easy being a trainee. You may not always fit in; you get homesick; and you constantly second-guess all the choices you’ve made this far. Trust me, I know. I’ve been there myself, once upon many years ago. But I toughened up; I held my ground against all the difficulties because I believed in myself and in my dreams, and now… Well, now I can help make other dreams come true.”

A man politely interrupts the conversation to let Katie Lee know her car has arrived, and she stands up with a nod. “I believe in you, Sungho-ssi. You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I can make your dream come true, but for that I’ll need to trust you, and right now I feel betrayed instead. I’ll give you a second chance to reconsider your attitude to this company, and I promise you there won’t be a third.” With a sigh, she picks up a pen, signs her name on the dotted line and then hands it back to you. “If you’re ready to commit yourself to your goals, just let these men know and they’ll file this folder away. Otherwise…”, she glances at the pen one last time, then leaves.

“The choice is yours, Jin Sungho.”

[ Should Sungho decide to stay in the company, the lawyers present in the room will escort him back to practice and instruct all of his trainers to be particularly harsh on him for all of August as punishment for his behaviour. 

Should Sungho sign the agreement and leave KT Ent, he will be immediately removed from the trainee roster and returned to the status of ‘rookie’, and his decision will be filed along with his records in Samsung’s archives for future reference. 

There aren’t any points to be collected for answering this prompt. You have until Sunday, August 11th, midnight EST to post your reply, or Sungho’s choice will be defaulted to leaving KT. ]

the moment he’s called to the office he knows something’s wrong. he’s had these moments before, the second a coach drags him aside or when they were talking about the kt rookies announcement. each time sungho was convinced that this is it, this is the part where they cut me loose, tell me i’m not wanted here. i get it, i’ve been here before. each time his anxieties have been immediately quelled, something different than what he expected being the cause for singling him out if just for a moment.

but this is different. he hasn’t been to this office since he signed a contract. this is wrong.

men in suits confirm his suspicions. this is the end. what had been the final straw? a fight with taemin that had become too loud? had news of his scrap with that royal kid belatedly made it to his ceo’s ears? or was it worse; did jaehyun actually tell someone important what he had seen in the supposedly haunted bathroom over a month ago?

“So,” she holds her gaze right at you. “I hear you’re displeased with your stay at my company.”

she makes it sound like a bad hotel review. a bad stay at her company? sungho doesn’t dare speak yet, his jaw clenched so tightly that it aches already. but he thinks. he thinks of all the times he’s been ostracized by trainees ( how many times he’s fucked himself over with his unlikable personality ), how many times he’s been criticized by coaches and asked to leave the practice room ( how many times he’s worked until he’s felt sick, and then worked through that, through literal blood, sweat and tears ). the literal bones he’s broken since signing her contract. a bad stay? what an understatement.

She lets her opening statement hang in the air a few seconds for the full effect. “Word around this facility is that you’ve been complaining behind our backs to other trainees. Some… Hwang Inho person has shared his knowledge with his own CEO, who has in turn passed it on to me.” Her lips purse into a thin line. “I suppose you don’t know this, but I really, really hate gossiping.”

sungho’s blood runs cold and the tightness of his jaw is joined by a tight grip of both hands. fists curl, fingernails dig into the soft flesh of his palms as he tries to keep his cool. inho had said something. to his ceo. hwang inho marched up to tiger jk’s office and told him that sungho’s unhappy at kt entertainment. the worst part is sungho can’t even doubt it. he sees it so clearly in his mind, that annoying confident saunter and that self-important air as he tells secrets that sungho had whispered in strict confidence.

this is what he gets for trusting someone with too much. he should have known better than to give someone his dreams, even the foolish ones, alongside his heart. his thumb presses over a ring on his finger, a birthday gift he had treasured at the time of its giving, as he fights the urge to rip it off and shove it in a pocket right now.

he still can’t speak as she explains the contract in front of him. he’s seen it before. he knows this part. he can’t talk around the lump in his throat, the memories of a younger self, hardly more than a child, being told very seriously how he had no place in the company anymore. he feels the aches and pains from then all over again, the bruises from a fight where he had won a battle and lost much more than a war. in a moment he’s nineteen again and regretting every decision, every well-meaning action that had lead up to his ultimate demise. it’s his worst nightmare come back again as it has many times in dreams. but this time he can’t wake up.

“I understand it’s not easy being a trainee. You may not always fit in; you get homesick; and you constantly second-guess all the choices you’ve made this far. Trust me, I know. I’ve been there myself, once upon many years ago. But I toughened up; I held my ground against all the difficulties because I believed in myself and in my dreams, and now… Well, now I can help make other dreams come true.”

how could she understand? doesn’t she know what he’s been through once already? does she know the way he feels other trainees’ eyes on him, the snide remarks and the pointed way they don’t approach him? yeah, he’s a dick. he tried not to be so unlikable when he came here, he tried to be the perfect little puppet for the company to mold into an idol. nothing had worked. here he is, after a year and a little extra of trying, being told to get out again.

but hadn’t he wanted this?

hadn’t the intention always been to finish out his contract and reject another from kt should it be offered? hadn’t he wanted to get away from the pink and taemin and the children and everything else he can’t stand about this place? this is an escape as much as it is a punishment. he could be freed, but at what cost?

he doesn’t mean to but he thinks of taemin. he thinks of how every fucking time he’s snapped, he’s yelled, he’s threatened violence against someone or something he’s been there. he’s been god damn awful to taemin, but he’s never given up on him. he doesn’t know why he thinks of it. sungho will deny ever having the moment of consideration later.

“I believe in you, Sungho-ssi.”

“can i have time to think about it?” the words are out of his lips before he can stop them. perhaps not the wisest thing he could have said, but it’s there. one of the suits shakes his head, telling him he has ten minutes to reach a decision. sungho can feel the sweat on his palms, cold. no phoning a friend or anything here.

he doesn’t reach for the pen immediately. he doesn’t so much as move. she said she believed in him. despite it all. despite how he’s given her literally no reason to so much as like him. after all the problems he’s caused, all the displeasure he’s made evident. why? he doesn’t understand. his own mother hasn’t put this sort of faith in him.

the plastic of the pen is cold in his hand when he picks it up, just holds it without going anywhere near the line he’d have to sign. he skims the words. if he signs this he doesn’t owe them anything, right? no debt to pay back, just an offer of freedom.

katie lee would be disappointed if he signed this. oh well, she’s already disappointed in me. would the other trainees be happy to see him gone? maybe. maybe relieved.

sungho can feel the minutes ticking by as he deliberates. they’re long, and too fast at the same time. he needs more time. how is he supposed to make this decision on the spot? he glances at the clock. he has three minutes. for just a moment he lets himself wonder how this would play out.

if he signs the contract, he gathers his things and leaves immediately. he goes home to an empty apartment. what does he do then? start searching for a job? beg his boss for his old spot back? sit at home and do nothing while inho goes to and from trc every day? sungho doesn’t like that idea much. he lowers the pen away from the document.

if he doesn’t sign, he goes back into a practice room. rumors spread, inevitably. trainees always talk. but how is that any different from before? sungho has endured it this long.

he drops the pen.

“i’m not leaving.”

a minute to spare.

[rkjoohyvn]

↠ * mnet global auditions season 4 ,                                        ♥«´¨`•°.. » episode eight ! seniors / semifinals »                  ¸.•* TELL ME by INFINITE MYNAME ! ( LINE DISTRIBUTION & STYLE ) `*•.

it feels surreal.

when she’d first auditioned for the show, she’d lacked so much confidence that she nearly didn’t audition, had to rely on her friends and her family to support her in order to go through with it. now she’s here, absolutely dumbfounded---but, of course, eternally grateful---that she’s made it so far, with only one more performance between now and the final episode.

her nerves are worse than ever.

but she can’t stop now, not when she’s so close. last week had been a roller coaster, having to compare herself to so many other great singers, many of whom were better than she was, with better experience, better technique. but all her practice during the previous week hadn’t gone in vain. despite the slew of eliminations done that week, a few that were such a plot twist that even she couldn’t believe it, she still stands, ready to tackle another challenge.

for this week, they’re once again given a list of songs to choose from, and it’s almost a little too easy for her to choose. she’s been a fan of myname since their debut, and she would love to do justice to one of their songs on a show as grand as the mga’s, so when it comes time for her turn to make a choice, she’s more than ecstatic when she finds that there are still spots left on that team.

when everything is said and done and all the teams are settled, she finds that bin is in her group again for the third week in a row, and she’s grateful for the familiarity after all the changes that have been happening quite rapidly over the past month and a half. even though she’s unfamiliar with the other three, the group as a whole settles into an easy comfortableness, likely spawned by the mutual understanding of the experience they’ve been going through over the course of the show and the mutual understanding that they must all do well not only for themselves, but for the overall group performance.

for some reason, choosing a team name always seems to have a bit of playfulness to it, and that continues on even into the semifinals. they linger a lot on the idea of pasta due to bin’s inherent playfulness, but eventually settle on the name rest, which they agreed would be stylized as RE5ET. it’s a meaningful name, not only for the song they’ve chosen to perform, but also as a concept for them as contestants on the show. they want to reset the audience’s perceptions of them, to show a new side, and it resonates with seola much stronger than any of the team names she’s performed under before. it immediately makes her feel connected to this piece more than any others despite not having had any practices for it yet.

lines are divided, and although there are no teams for this round, jei seems to carry herself with that aura, and it’s quite admirable. she reigns in the tomfoolery when she needs to, makes sure everyone’s on the same page before they move on to other details. it makes the process so much easier, and she honestly believes that it’s because of the other girl that everything is running so smoothly.

she’s more than satisfied with her lines this time around, feeling as if she’s being given parts that show off her range and technique, and it makes her feel appreciated and recognized, giving her all the more reason to want to do well. they trust her to be able to pull this off, and she doesn’t want to let them down, especially when they’re all so close to the end. she has to not only try her best, but do even better.

so she spends every waking moment practicing. even when she’s at work on the weekend, she’s practicing. cooking with her dad? singing. giving dogs baths? singing. taking them out for walks? singing. training them? feeding them? picking up their poop? singing. she even stays up late into the early mornings when the sun is about to rise, practicing choreography until her body can no longer stand and she knocks out cold on one of the benches in the practice room. these spacious rooms with mirrors for walls have become her second home in the past weeks, and though she’d previously struggled falling asleep on the hard surfaces, she no longer has any trouble finding dreams as she lies on the hardwood floors.

performance day draws closer and closer, and she gets more and more anxious by the second. it all builds up more and more until eventually it all unloads on poor, unsuspecting hyunjin. fortunately, rather than it being a burden on her teammate, it appears to be cathartic session as he, too, reveals his troubles for the upcoming performance, confiding in her that he’s nervous about doing another myname song when the first time he’d performed it, he hadn’t done so well. she can understand where the worries are coming from, but what she’d seen from him so far during practice, she’s fairly confident that he’ll be able to show how much he’s improved since the last time.

she has never been one for revealing her weaknesses, always hated doing so as a perfectionist, but with both their worries out in the open, she feels there’s a need for something more light-hearted. she suggests a rap battle, knowing he’s far more skilled in the skill than she is, but hoping it’ll help boost his confidence anyway. they throw on a beat, and as expected, he’s quite impressive. she feels almost embarrassed to follow it up with her own “rap.”

uh, yeah ramen, corn balls, udon chips, chocolate, jelly candies too chocolate milk vitamin water and hot dogs don’t forget to buy your lotto tickets! yeah

she tries to keep to the beat as much as possible, but rather than coming up with a rap that makes any sort of sense, she merely lists off ingredients found at a convenience store. isn’t it always said that you should rap what you know? in the end, she dissolves into a fit of laughter, but despite the abysmal showing, hyunjin gasses her up nicely, giving her a much needed confidence boost as well and making her glad they’d talked.

on the final night before the rehearsals, the entire group agrees to a sleepover at the practice room, and with her stuff already there from the previous night, she doesn’t have any extra preparations to do. instead, she ends up buying snacks for everyone just before the rest arrive and, after another rigorous day of practicing, they all settle down for the night. however, instead of sleeping, they spend time together laughing, joking around, enjoying each others’ presence. it’s the last night they’ll have together, and they want it to be memorable.

pasta comes up as a topic of conversation again, and they end up talking about what pastas they would be, taking quizzes to help them make decisions. in the end, seola picks noodles, “because it’s my favorite.”

after another hour or so, they all finally fall asleep in preparation for the following day.

on the day of filming, her nerves are on fire. once again, she’s in a team that’s going last to perform, and she isn’t quite sure she’s going to make it all the way through to their turn this time, especially now that they’re performing outside. she still spends much of her time pacing around the backstage area, hands wringing, mouthing along to the lyrics of the song, performing the choreography with as little movement as humanly possible. she’s fairly certain she tries to make conversation with some of the other contestants, but it’s hard for her to focus on what they’re saying when she’s so preoccupied with performing in front of such a large crowd.

finally, their time comes, and she follows her team up onto the stage. they’re a vision in white with black accents, a clean and crisp monochromatic stage concept that fits in with both their team name and their song. they introduce themselves as a group first before following with their individual introductions.

“hello! we are team re5et!”

when it’s her turn, she steps forward, bows deeply, and speaks. “i want to keep on showing a better, more improved version of myself to the public, and only go up from here. i’m contest #4025, kim hyunjung.”

once everyone is done introducing themselves, they fall into their starting positions. she gives herself time to take one, long calming breath, eyes closed, her father’s words still as clear in her ears as the first time he’d said them to her so many weeks ago.

remember to have fun.

hyunjin starts off the song with some spoken lines and a bit of center focus, followed by bin’s singing. it feels like an appropriate way to begin, the both of them quite charismatic.

her first line doesn’t come until the pre-chorus, so she spends the first verse focused on her dancing, making sure each movement is not only sharp and precise, but that it also tells the story and conveys the feeling of the song. after all, body language speaks just as much, if not more, than words sung or spoken. she does the same with her expression, brows furrowed, bringing up painful memories of her own past to help emote.

she hasn’t thought about her mother leaving in such a long time.

i know you in my heart 날 위로했던 말 i know you in my heart; words that comforted me  -------------------------- 다시 뜨거웠던 때로  just like the days when things were hot 

she takes center stage for her first line, singing strong and clear even as she hits her choreographed moves with strength. she focuses her gaze out into the audience, engaging them in the story she’s trying to tell of wanting to reignite a past love that’s dwindled, of wanting an old love to return. her first line is fairly short, but she hopes she’s made an impact as she moves to the side to allow bin to take center stage again.

어딜 가든 어디 있든 wherever i go, wherever i am 네가 그리워 못 참겠어 i miss you so much, i can’t take it anymore 제발 다시 내게 내게 돌아와 줘 please come back to me again 제발 다시 내게 내게 돌아와 줘 please come back to me again

once bin has finished singing, she once again returns to the middle of the formation, voice loud and clear as she sings the second part of the chorus. she focuses on keeping her voice steady and lines sharp, all the while trying to remember to show the emotions of the song with her expression. she reaches out toward the crowd as part of the choreography, making it seem as if she’s reaching for what she’s lost.

tell me tell me tell me tell me

she harmonizes a bit with hyunjin for part of the chorus, but takes special care not to overpower him so that he shines more than she does during the short segment. instead she focuses more on keeping in time with the beat and musicality of the song so that she’s synchronized with the rest of the group knowing that it’s what myname is known for.

the song flows effortlessly into the second verse, starting off with hyunjin’s rap.  she puts her best effort into the choreography, demonstrating power when needed, and softer lines when they’re called for.  her expressions remains both focused and pained as she dances, even as she falls to the back of the formation. 

돌려볼게 안아볼게 i’ll look back, i’ll hold on 다시 뜨거웠던 때로 just like the days when things were hot

for her next lines at the end of the pre-chorus, she makes her way back up to the front but doesn’t take center position, allowing for a more seamless transition for bin to do so for his own lines.

어딜 가든 어디 있든 wherever i go, wherever i am 네가 그리워 못 참겠어 i miss you so much, i can’t take it anymore 제발 다시 내게 내게 돌아와 줘 please come back to me again 제발 다시 내게 내게 돌아와 줘 please come back to me again 

tell me luv

once again, she moves into the center for the second part of the chorus, repeating the same choreography with the same gusto and emotion, reaching out toward the audience again in short bursts, expression full of longing. she sings  with hyunjin again during the short line that follows, moving back in the formation to give him center once more. she keeps the focus on dancing and synchronization again during the rest of the chorus, including during the short line she has in between, up until the start of the bridge where they fall into a line of sorts, unmoving.

내 귓가를 가득 울린 melody the melody that rang in my ears

during her line, she walks a few steps across the stage, each movement with strong intention as she sings, eyes focused on a camera that moves along with her. she moves along with the formation during bin’s line as the song eventually begins the chorus once more, though more slowed down and intentional than the first few times it was sung.

제발 다시 내게 내게 돌아와 줘 please come back to me again 제발 다시 내게 내게 돌아와 줘 please come back to me again

she sings her next lines with longing, each word extending into her dance lines, a perfect harmony, and, matched with her expression, conveys the song’s meaning well.

tell me luv (adlib)

she has one adlib in the song, but it’s a powerful one, and one that she’s practiced over and over again throughout the week, both in and out of the practice room. she moves off toward the side of the stage, stopping choreography for a bit in order to pull off the note. she doesn’t forget to maintain her expression as she opens her mouth wide enough to sing the note uninhibited though controlled, shutting her eyes tight to add to the effect of anguish for the song. it’s clear and strong and in tune, and she could not have asked for a better outcome of it, and it takes everything she has not to smile out of pride as she falls back into formation.

luv luv lu lu lu lu

her last line is short, almost imperceptible in the whole grand scheme of the song, but she treats it just like all her other lines, sings it with purpose and technique. she spends the rest of the song dancing, having fun with it even as she focuses, even as she emotes the song’s feeling on her features.

the song then draws to a close with bin’s final line, a fitting ending as she stands at the outer end of the formation, gaze drawn toward the ground. she stands there in her ending pose for a few seconds, the cheers of the crowds coming in as if she’s driving through a tunnel, gradually growing louder until she’s back to reality, no longer just performing on stage, but remembering she’s still a contestant on a show and that a high-five is next, followed by the eliminations. she only hopes she can properly thank all the people who’ve supported her, even with eliminations in the back of her mind.

the future is out of her hands for now. she hopes fate treats her kind.

[jimiyoong]

Some people seem to worried bout the picture of Taylor Swift and BTS 😂 I wonder why 😂

Hmm I wonder….. 😂 they even followed her on twt. Watch them unfollower her after some time lol

Anonymous said:Am I the only one who finds it absolutely disgusting how some celebs (and especially ones which are literally only famous in the USA, like who are you?) “snuggle up” to BTS? I get it’s kinda part of American culture to act like besties after talking for five seconds and call people your friend instantly, but I’m just so weirded out by all of this. Watching it makes me feel so uncomfortable. By next week they don’t give a crap about our boys anymore, I hate this.

I wouldn’t say it’s disgusting but it is true, it looks like some took the pic just because they are bangtan and ‘uu they have lots of fans, it’s insane’ And they appreciate and recognize them just because of that….

Anonymous said:I can’t wait for them to get back to Korea, and I’m saying this as an I-Army. Their appearances in America always leave this bitter aftertaste, because so far something always went wrong or they didn’t get enough respect/weren’t taken seriously. I’m looking forward to the Mnet comeback show. It’ll be full of love, respect, trust, beautiful performances and lots of fun!

Yeah, that’s true. Me too anon, me too. Mnet will gives us what we deserve.

Anonymous said:I haven’t watched the bbmas yet but army….. you better have supported Janet and salt n pepa!!!! they have done a lot for the music industry

They received lots of support👏👏

Anonymous said:I hope army supported other artists there too! What was your favorite performance of the night, other than BTS? Mine was J.Lo :D

I’m pretty sure they did! I really liked ariana’s performance, i was really excited for her performance 😃 But damn christina killed it too.

Anonymous said:i know everyone has been talking about it, but i’m so so sad they didn’t show more of the choreo! like the mirror effect or even the split jimin seemed to have been doing and i saw it on twitter because someone shot it. and now my dash is all about jk abs. trust me, i’m not hating AT ALL (i love jk to the core, he’s my fav with jm), but i just feel like everyone has been missing out and all we cling on is jk abs when even his parts in the choreo seem to be so cool ;(

Same, I really wanted to see the full choreo. And I agree, luckily there are some fancams that show their choreography better ;;;

Anonymous said:lmao they really out here being ignorant enough to censor a whole korean word lmao

It’s because it sounds similar to n word, but then again it’s korean, it doesn’t make sense if they use that word. It ruins the flow of the song but what can you do…

Anonymous said:i think army are getting a little too cocky with this american popularity/award stuff.. no need to put other artists and their fandoms down.. you’re making us look ugly.

Yess!! 

[eris0330]

Poker face

☽Pairing☾ ; Yoongi | Reader

☽Genre☾ ; Angst | Fluff

☽Word Count☾ ; 2k

☽Summary☾ ; Being together with Yoongi as a couple, meant to be showing the affection in private places, to where no one is able to see. But what happens, at a party where Yoongi reaches his limit. 

Invited to the biggest after party at MNET, there was something about the way Yoongi bluntly invited you to come with. There wasn't anything meaningful in it, at least not in the way he said it.  

"Are you coming with?" Is what his exact words were, when he asked you in front of the boys at their dorm. Getting together to have a casual night talking in the living room, and you couldn't possibly say 'no' to him. Being together for two years, it was like the magic went away when it came to things like this. Even Jimin were curious if you ever shared a loving kiss or holding hands in public, where it was almost a certain 'no'.  

Standing alone in a group of different individuals of staff members and singers, you surely enjoyed your time being there at the party. Jokes shared in between, while meeting the idol’s significant others. Being set up in public under an alias, you were never the type to be showing off that you were dating a feisty rapper. Though, a lot of people couldn't help but ask what he was doing this time of the night. You have been spending it alone, or with the other members sharing a drink, to walk around another 100 metres in high heels, to see your beloved boyfriend share a few tips to a group of people. You loved it, when he smiled your way, showing he was thinking of you, as you did with him.  

"Who's this pretty lady standing on her own?" A clean brave voice from behind, made you turn your heel to be met by Jin. His wine glass nearly emptied and the way his smile brightened, when he saw yours. It was always a thing for him to be like this around you, thinking Yoongi would never do such a thing.  

"I'm disappointed you don't already know my name, worldwide handsome" You joked, sipping on the sweetened drink to feel the alcohol run down your throat to the tips of fingers. Raising his brow to knowledge your joke, he swung an arm around you.  

"Where's Yoongi?" He questioned scanning the room of crowded people, with either too much alcohol or too little. You nodded your head to the direction of people a few metres away, to let Jin observe himself. "Over there"  

"Is he really your boyfriend if he leaves you like this?" Jin continued to ask, sipping on the drink. Normally it would bug you, but hearing the playfulness on his vocals made you only giggle in response. "Trust me I'm fine wit-"  

"Did you guys try the punch, because I'm certain it's without alcohol" Namjoon interrupted with Hoseok by his side, their glasses filled with the red liquid having the same discussion for the past twenty minutes, figuring out if they could get drunk by it or not. Their eyes landing on the arms surrounding your shoulders, made them wiggle their brows furiously. "Getting taken care of when your boyfriend isn't here?" Hoseok questioned with a smile, looking around to find the real boyfriend. You only shook your head, to have Jin hold tighter around your warm body.  

"Someone has to, when he's not around..." He sighed to tease, making you giggle once more as Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook came along to join the group. Their eyes giving the same question as you were used to, before you only shook your head for their delusional imagination. "I just saw him at the bar not too long ago, is it really okay or you two not being around together?" Taehyung blurted out, watching the people pass by with their dates and friends. You only shrugged, to the point it didn't matter anymore. You were never the type to stick to your significant other like glue, but you wouldn't mind doing it more often.  

"The most affectionate we have seen, is probably them sharing a quick hug?" Jimin added, as the others were trying to remember that one time. They could only agree, that they have never seen you being like a loving couple. "But, they have been together for two years and probably the strongest couple around. Yoongi must be doing something right." Namjoon spoke with a smile, making your stomach get filled with butterflies at the thought, of being a strong couple in the industry.  

"What am I doing right?" A seventh voice coming from behind, feeling the warm arm be replaced by another as the familiar scent of a cologne, tickled your nostrils. Yoongi were done talking with his friends, to see his girlfriend being surrounded by hyenas and were only curious enough what it was all about.  

"You know, the way you two seem so cold with each other, yet you continue being in a relationship." Hoseok answered, making Yoongi scrunch his brows at the comment, only moving his placement of a hand to your waist. There was a clear tension between the way you behaved, and how the boys analysed it.  

“Do you even love each other?” The youngest of the group asked, taking advantage of the atmosphere while the grip formed a burning mark on your devoured skin. Jungkook gave the burning eyes towards Yoongi, which only you knew were going to annoy him later on. A deep sigh was made by Yoongi, clearing the tensing air in the circle where everyone was afraid what would happen.  

"We do love each other. Now, let's go home. I'm tired" With that, you were dragged towards the exit as the others followed suit. The end of another discussion, and only let to be left in their imaginations why you and Yoongi were still together. Even in the car ride home, there wasn't a lot to talk about, but glancing at your boyfriend, there was something that bugged him. His pursed lip and the circles he did with his thumb on your thigh, assured you he had something bottled up, like always. You knew him too well, and he knew you. Maybe that's why, you two were destined to be perfect. 

Arriving at the dorm to be teaming up about bathroom schedule, you were seated in the guest room, where you and Yoongi were meant to be sleeping. Or at least, that's what you always did when you came around to not bother Jin. But sitting by yourself at the edge of the bed, the feel of your non-existent boyfriend felt quite lonely. More of all, it sounded like everyone was done doing their thing before bed, but Yoongi never returned. As always, you knew where to find him.  

"Weren't you the one that claimed to be tired?-" You leaned against the framed doorway, to see Yoongi with folded arms upon the PC, you knew he had troubles in his head. The familiar sound of a grumble, making you walk over to pat his tense shoulders. "-You're obviously bothered by something... what's wrong Sugar cube?" You continued, finally making him swift the chair to meet your body. His tired eyes looking up to yours, feeling a type of gravity pulling him down on the floor.  

"Do you think, that I don't love you?" He bluntly asked, making you smile lightly. His arms wrapping around your waist to pull you in between his legs. His hot breath soothing on your ribs, to only run your fingers through his soft locks.  

"Don't let them get to you..." You muttered, feeling his warped arms tighten. Tonight, has been one of the thousands that the boys had discussed your behaviour with each other, and it always came to the same thing.  

"I really love you, you know." He confessed, letting his face show lightly to have eye contact. It wasn't that Yoongi was doing it on purpose, holding back his excitement. It was just embarrassing to show that side of him in front of the boys, and shockingly, you didn't mind. You understood him like no other, and never pushed him to do something he wasn't comfortable with. But the continuance of doubt with his love for you, always took a toll on him. He loved you, a lot. Knowing people were thinking that way, was just breaking him, for what you would think.  

"When I saw you in that black dress... and Jin's arm around you at the party. I was about to go nuts. You looked absolutely stunning, and the fact that it looked like Jin were more capable of being your boyfriend, it was just too much for me to handle-" He continued to speak, while you hummed along to hear his words. Yoongi might have gotten too much alcohol, but this moment, was something you saw every day. He was insecure and a huge cuddle bear around you, that it would definitely be a shock for the members to see. "-You're just too fucking good to me, that if I don't control myself like this, I might go crazy on you. I want to hold your hand, but I'm scared people will see us. I want to kiss you every time I can, just because. I want to show the whole world your mine, but I'm just so fucking scared. I want to protect you."  

"Yoongi, there is no way, that your love for me is false. You tell me every day how much you love me, how beautiful I am. That I'm the happiest thing that is in your life, and that you wish to be my husband. I love you, and I wished you would never doubt that" There was something about your voice, that made him stand up to embrace your features. Your curved hips against the palm of his hands, and even the way your heart was beating harder than his own. The scent of flowers and candy, that only made his mind run wilder than horses.  

"Out of all the people I have met, I'm glad it's you, that my heart is aching for" Yoongi spoke into the crook of your neck, making chills form on the skin to only giggle lightly. His fingers intertwining with yours, to sway against each other like a dance. Kisses planted along your delightful jaw, to get teased before reaching the desired place. "Who's the best guy in the world for me?" You questioned with a smile, catching him off guard to steal kiss from him. His eyes growing wider but ending up with matching yours, to reach for the second kiss; "I am" His raspy voice sending electricity through your body, to make the aching between your legs increase.  

"I told you there was something fishy about their attitude!" A voice interrupting your shared kisses, to find all of the other boys surrounding the door frame with their heads. A sheepy smile and wildly wiggling eyebrows, you were feeling your cheeks flush with heat. Yoongi's posture in utter shock at the members finding you, and even too surprised to say something.  

"W-Why are you spying on us?!" You yelled, making Jin wink in response. "We just walked by an open door and saw this, totally not spying~"  

"It's way better to see you two, than watching a romcom" Jungkook teased, making you hide in the chest of Yoongi. His heart beating faster and his hands shaking around your body, to even realise that it's too late to make any excuses.  

"I'm going to hit you, if you don't leave right now" Yoongi finally spoke, trying to calm down his own blushed cheeks to where the boys only shared a laugh. The confusion grew on Yoongi's expression, as they all whistled and cooed in symphony.  

"Is our Sugar cube going to hit us now? Maybe Y/N can kiss it better if you leave a mark~" Taehyung echoed, making you look up to meet Yoongi's closed eyes. An exhausted laughter released, to only plant a sleepy kiss on your forehead. The boys awed at his actions, making you feel ten times more flustered than you had imagined. It was at this point, none of you would do anything like this. Even hugging is a rare thing, but it seemed liked Yoongi had reached a point. You could tell, in the kiss he shared while the others were watching.  

"Looks like our cover is blown, Baby..." He whispered in between your lips, to where you felt no regrets to respond with an obvious; "I love you"

[vskpop]

My 30 favourite songs of 2017

YouTube playlist ⋅ Spotify playlist

30. Don’t Recall – KARD

I’m upset with myself that last year I didn’t put Oh NaNa in my best of 2016 list because, reader, it was: it ended up as my second most played song of 2017. I didn’t listen to the follow-up Don’t Recall quite as much, but it was the song that cemented my love for KARD’s hip-hop/dancehall/pop jumble. Whoever is selecting their songs has such a flair for dance songs with a melancholy vibe, and Don’t Recall is unparalleled so far. It’s still too rare to get proper idol groups that are mixed gender, and it’s almost impossible for them to succeed. I’m so pleased that international success has been enough to keep KARD alive, even though their numbers are still abysmal at home. Live: M Countdown 17/07 – Yu Huiyeol's Sketchbook 30/08 Other songs of note: Rumor – Trust Me

  29. Heaven and Earth – Laboum

I went through a phase in which I found Laboum adorable, and then for some reason I stopped liking them as much (the reason is that ZN gets on my nerves, I’m sorry, I know). I still listened to their album Miss This Kiss for the nostalgia effect – and because lead single Hwi Hwi is damn good – and I just fell in love with 천지차이. As far as I can tell, it was never performed live, or at least not in venues where it was filmed. I hope that this kind of song keeps being given to them, and that eventually it becomes their lead single. They deserve to take a break from the cuteness. Other songs of note: Hwi Hwi

   28. Tomorrow, Today – JJ Project

I realise that I already said it when JJ Project made their comeback a few months ago, but Bounce is a modern classic in the trashiest way possible. The styling and sound that Jinyoung and JB went for in 2017 are completely different from their origins, but just as great. Tomorrow, Today is what I love about GOT7’s Fly with a dash of my favourite JYP group, DAY6. They get to show off the vocal skills they developed since we last saw them as a duo and, most of all, their range of wistful looks. Also, I love that for once they didn’t have to sing about love and how right a girl is, but rather about having to face tough decisions as they grow up. Live: M Countdown 17/08 – Genie showcase Other songs of note: Coming Home – On & On

  27. Palette – IU ft. G-Dragon

I don’t know why, I’ve never been a huge fan of IU until I watched Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo and found a sudden connection with her that I had never felt before. Her most recent album has helped bringing together my love for actress IU with singer IU. In an industry where being honest and clever is nobody’s priority, she manages to sound real and in control of what she does without abandoning her pop roots. I’m not sure many artists would manage to make an introspective song sound so pleasant and calm. Live:  Inkigayo 23/04 – Music Bank 28/04 Other songs of note: Can’t Love You Anymore ft. Oh Hyuk

  26. Archangels Of The Sephiroth – Stellar

If there had to be a swan song for Stellar, I’m glad it was Archangels Of The Sephiroth. With two members having already left and the other two on the way out, this was 100% the last single they put out with the formation we knew and loved, and we can’t even blame them for leaving. It’s a fact that this doesn’t have anything to do with their previous concepts, but I love the pseudo-satanic, pseudo-mystical vibe and I would have loved for them to keep going on this path. Archangels Of The Sephiroth gets more interesting with every listen, and the video is creepier with each view (bathtub of blood anyone?). As the song says, we really did love them till the end. Live: Inkigayo 09/07 – Music Bank 07/07

  25. Signal – Twice

Signal is by far the best Twice song ever – it’s interesting, kind of weird, and not necessarily super cute. Obviously the majority of the public hated it, and back to Likey we went. I love the bassline pushed right at the front, the dissonant harmonies, the fact that some of the mute members finally got to sing. Of everything they’ve released in 2017 (four comebacks is a lot for anyone) this is the only choice that doesn’t feel safe and completely within their sexy baby wheelhouse. They even get to have a proper storyline in the video, which is a rarity. Live:  Show Music Core 03/06 – Inkigayo 21/05 Other songs of note: Knock Knock – 24/7

  24. Wake Me Up – Taeyang

It’s kind of sad to think that this could be the last Taeyang single for years and years. At least it’s a ballad, so we will be able to all cry together when we listen to it after he’s enlisted.This album felt properly his – something that he created and composed, rather than something that was given to him to perform. Not that he’s ever lacked emotion, but Wake Me Up has a depth that is only second to Eyes Nose Lips. Live:  Inkigayo 20/08 – Fantastic Duo 03/09 Other songs of note: White Night – So Good

  23. Move – Taemin

This is possibly (definitely) the sexiest song of 2017. Taemin has such an eye for taking trends from the West and making them current for Korean audiences, as well as constantly changing his image while staying true to himself. I can’t get enough of the elegant electropop of Move, with the bass and the voice parts creating one of the sexiest musical combinations of 2017. Taemin carries a song that could have been much less interesting in the hands of an artist with less expressiveness. I don’t know if it’s the thought of the choreography, but this song always makes me blush a little. Live: Seoul Fashion Week – M Countdown 19/10 Other songs of note: – Rise – Day and Night

  22. Untitled 2014 – G-Dragon

If a ballad from Taeyang was expected, it certainly wasn’t from G-Dragon. I’m not sure how much truth there is the gimmick of titling the album with his real name and saying that he was finally stepping away from his persona, but Untitled 2014 feels painfully raw and real. Whatever happens from now on – after all the members of Bigbang enlist and eventually return to music – this album and this song will be a milestone in his career, and the perfect summary of what he’s done in the past eleven years. Live: ACT III M.O.T.T.E in Taipei 08/10 Other songs of note: Bullshit

  21. Change Up – Seventeen

You could take any random combination of Seventeen members and they would be able to put up an incredible show for you. This has been proven over and over by them, but I think that the Change Up subunit – the leaders of the standard subunits – has proven this definitively. I wouldn’t have thought of this song for them in a million years, yet they perform it convincingly and make it the catchiest Seventeen song of this year. Also, who knew that Woozi could have such swagger? Live: Mnet showcase Other songs of note: Don’t Wanna Cry – Clap – Habit – Rocket

  20. Rollin’ – Brave Girls

Every time I say “tropical house”, I add “drink!”. It has been so omnipresent in k-pop this year that it has been impossible to avoid. I skipped over Rollin’ the first few times I stumbled upon it because there were enough marimbas in my life, but I gave into the hype and this ended up being one of the most played songs of my year. As of last year, Brave Girls have an entirely new line-up – and yes, they did deserve a new name – and I hope that they will be the new bastion of sexy concepts now that there is no real mid-point between Laysha and cute concepts.  Live: M Countdown 03/09 – Show Champion Ep. 219

19. Never – Produce 101/Wanna One

This technically doesn’t count as a Wanna One song, but I’m pretty sure that if there is a song that symbolizes Produce 101 and the rise of the nation’s boy group, it’s Never . Written by Hui of Pentagon, another of my favourite groups, this song starts quietly, and slowly adds more elements until it gets to one of the best chorus drops of 2017. It made me wish that they had kept it for the final group instead of using it during the programme, and I wasn’t surprised at all when it was re-recorded by the final formation. Live: Wanna One version at KCON LA Other songs of note:  Energetic – Burn It Up

  18. Singing In The Rain – Jinsoul (LOONA)

Looking at the sheer amount of material that pre-debut group Loona have released this year gives me palpitations. A million members and subunits filled each month of 2017, and almost all the releases have been excellent – overall, they probably were the best group of the year. Jinsoul’s Singing In The Rain was my favourite song released – not by far, though, seeing the overall quality. I was especially impressed with how they managed to have Jinsoul sing and rap seamlessly, and how the song manages to be sexy without being inappropriate for a very young girl. And, of course, it’s a banger. Other songs of note: Loona released dozens of songs this year, so this is just a tiny selection of my favourites. Eclipse (Kim Lip) – new (Yves) – Sweet Crazy Love (Odd Eye Circle) – Loonatic (Odd Eye Circle) – Sonatine (1/3)

  17. Body Talk – Red Velvet

To me, this is one of the best songs by Red Velvet ever. Only a company like SM could waste it and have it  relegated to the b-sides of their mini albums; it’s a fantastic mid-tempo track that showcases the best vocal skills of the group, and allows them to sound about fifteen years older than title track Rookie. At least, in the arc of their three thousand 2017 comebacks, they managed to go from the childish image that they had patented in 2016 to the sultrier “velvet” image they have abandoned ages ago, even if it’s still paired with a “red” song. Other songs of note: Peek-A-Boo – Red Flavour – You Better Know – Would You – Talk To Me

  16. Circle’s Dream – Subin (Dalshabet)

Dalshabet haven’t had the best luck in their career. Subin is yet another amazing soloist that was in a group when she released a song, and has now left the label and disbanded her girl group. Seeing her solo by itself, it’s actually had to imagine her as part of bubbly Dalshabet: she is sensual, allusive, and her music is weird and enthralling. I love her voice and I love the ideas she has for herself – ideas that are far removed from traditional k-pop. The elements of this song are few, but she manages to create such a clever repetitive, circular structure with them, echoing the themes of the lyrics and capturing the listener. Subin is technically a solo artist now, so I am hoping we will get to hear much more of this.

  15. Yes No Maybe – Suzy

What makes me mad about Yes No Maybe is that nobody heard it. I can’t imagine how well it would have done if the now officially defunct Miss A would have released it, instead of Suzy now that her popularity is entirely tied to her acting and advertising career. It’s also true that she has always been my favourite Miss A, so it was delightful to see her come out with a debut album that does something interesting and doesn’t package her as the sexy ingenue character that she’s had since the beginning of time. Yes No Maybe strikes the balance between being  Latin, dancey song and a more introspective pop piece. Unlike half of her former group, Suzy has signed a new contract with JYP. Here’s hoping she gets to do more excellent, slightly left-field pop music. Live: &Live

  14. A Girl Like Me – Gugudan

It is still surprising that I don’t find the awkward beeping samples in the song insufferable, but the truth is that I love the weirdness and how it’s amplified by the singing parts. I already knew in February that this would be one of my favourite concepts of the year, and it is: there aren’t enough songs about how great the girls are, as opposed to their love interest. It’s not female empowerment, but I have the feeling we can’t get much closer. I love it even more considering how terrible their following comeback was . Live:  Music Bank 03/03 – SBS Korea Music Festival

  13. Island – Winner

It goes without saying that Winner is my favourite group in current k-pop, and they can hardly do any wrong in my eyes. However, this entire year could have been a disaster: they had to come back from losing a member who was the main singer and composer for the group. Island has the tropical (drink!) elements of their 2017 hit Really Really, but it’s a bit less conventional, and the video is delightful and incredibly romantic. Live: Inkigayo 06/08 Other songs of note: Really Really

  12. As If It’s Your Last – BLACKPINK

While I find most complaints against YG idiotic, it is absolutely true that having Blackpink release one single song in an entire year is ridiculous. The only good thing is that the song was brilliant, and I’m still not bored of it after having seen it performed at least fifty times. When it came out I found it really frankensteiny, but at this point the structure seems perfectly reasonable and linear to me (Stockholm syndrome at its best). Live: SBS Gayo Daejun – Show Music Core 01/07 Other songs of note: So Hot (Wonder Girls remix)

  11. Cactus – A.C.E

Every year I end up falling in love with one rookie group that will probably not see their third birthday, and in 2017 it was the turn of kings of thighs A.C.E., who singlehandedly resurrected early 90’s eurodance with their debut single Cactus . It was the one of a kind title of their song that attracted me, the weirdness of the thigh dance that drew me in, and everything else that made me stay. They are great singers, charismatic performers and can stand the most high-intensity dance of 2017 without blinking. I am so attached to A.C.E (and Dreamcatcher, full disclosure) that I broke my promise to never watch a survival show again and I am following Mixnine for them. Live:  Music Bank 02/06 – Music Bank 26/05

  10. Dinosaur – AKMU

What I love about AKMU is that when they try different genres, they always put so much of them into the song: nobody else could sing Dinosaur apart from them. It’s so simple, yet so full of detail; it’s true that it has EDM elements, but it’s not even remotely a club song. I’m still shocked every time I hear Suhyun hit those dolphin-high notes. The Stranger-Things-y video is still one of the most beautiful releases of  this year. Live: Dingo Music Other songs of note: My Darling – Reality

  9. Beautiful – Monsta X

This is yet another song of a overcrowded production that I am totally in love with. The bleeps and bloops leave plenty of space for the members to show their skill – especially Kihyun, who could sing literally anything to me at this point. Just like All In , Beautiful feels like the refined version of the chaotic, loud concepts Monsta X began with. There are raps and aggressive parts, but they are striving for a higher concept than “street urchins” now, and it’s reflected in their music. Live: 2017 MAMA in Japan – Show Champion Ep. 226 Other songs of note: Dramarama –  Now or Never – Shine Forever – I’ll Be There

  8. Runaway – Pentagon

Pentagon have already done a lot for being a group that has debuted just over a year ago. Of all these releases, Runaway is my favourite without any doubt: for me it strikes the right balance between the trendy elements that Hui has been carrying over from his Produce 101 successes, and the rougher concepts that Pentagon had to begin with. I find it hooky without being too in your face, and moody without being full-on tragic. Live:  Inkigayo 03/12 – Inkigayo 26/11 Other songs of note:  Critical Beauty – Violet – Like This – Get That Drink

  7. Boy – EXID

EXID are my everything. I feel bad for choosing Boy as my favourite song they’ve produced this year, when Night Rather Than Day was such a classy, unusual choice for them and Boy is just another dance song. Unfortunately, it’s just monstrously catchy, and my love for it eclipses (get it?) everything else they’ve released. Live: M Countdown 13/04 – Show Champion ep. 224 Other songs of note: Night Rather Than Day – DDD

  6. Chase Me – Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher are my rookies of the year. After scrapping the cute concept and adding a couple of members, they spent twelve months delivering a series of metal-inspired, horror-themed comebacks that managed to showcase the members’ talents.  While all their singles are amazing, there is something special about Chase Me and its chorus, mixing hammering instrumentals and creepy falsettos. There is no doubt that the only way from here is up, and there is nothing gives me as much joy as a girl group with a non-cute concept being (relatively) successful. Much bigger groups and bigger companies have refrained from embarking on international tours but Dreamcatcher have left survival show Mixnine to go on one. I can’t wait to see what these queens do in 2018. Live: M Countdown 19/01 – Music Bank 03/02 Other songs of note: Fly High – Wake Up – Sleep Walking – Good Night – Lucky Strike (Maroon 5 cover)

  5. Love & Affection – Seohyun

Seohyun’s solo came and went almost unnoticed at the beginning of this year: it was smothered by Taeyeon’s releases and the inevitable run-up to SNSD’s tenth anniversary. It really saddens me to no end that, now that Seohyun has left SM Entertainment, she seems to be going for an acting career, when she is such an amazing vocalist with such unique colours. With even her lead single receiving little attention, there was no hope for her b-sides. But Love & Affection is a masterpiece, with a booming chorus and a surprise ending, and what I hope to see if she ever decides to make more music under her new label.

  4. I Would – DAY6

There is only one criticism that I have for JYP and DAY6: there must be something else they want to do that’s not singing about love and heartbreak in pretty conventional ways. For the rest, there are only good things to say about the 25 songs they put out this year. It was hard to pick just one song to put in the list, and to be honest there are two or three other candidates I feel kind of guilty for cutting out. Live: EBS Space 11/05 – Kiss The Radio 04/08 Other songs of note: DAY6 released 25 songs this year, so this is just a tiny selection of my favourites. Goodbye Winter – You Were Beautiful – How Can I Say – I Wait – Lean On Me

  3. Good Thing – NCT 127

Despite the complete chaos that surrounds NCT at all times, I keep loving most of their releases (except Cherry Bomb , which I hated): they were my #1 and #3 most played song on Spotify with Good Thing and Limitless respectively. I love Good Thing in itself, but I also wish that NCT didn’t keep circling around that pseudo hip-hop, trappy, appropriative concept they’ve been given a million times and they did something brighter, poppier, that sets them apart from the three hundred hip-hop concepts that are going around without slipping into Astro territory. Live: M Countdown 05/01 – Show Music Core 07/01 Other songs of note: Limitless – 0 Mile – Back 2 U (AM 01:27)

  2. Tendae – Bobby

In an excruciatingly adorable interview for MTV Japan, Bobby says that with his debut album he wanted to show that he can do more than rap, and reveal his romantic side. I had already become obsessed with Bobby’s sing-rapping a long time ago, so Love And Fall gave be nothing but joy. His lyrics show that he’s capable of putting complex emotions in words, and most of all he is also completely able to translate that in his singing. 텐데 is sweet, heartbreaking, sexy. Bobby is one of the best performers of his generation, if not the best. Other songs of note:  Runaway – In Love

  1. Gashina – Sunmi

If there is one thing that Sunmi has taught us this year, it’s that there is a life after girl group disbandments. She came back singing about heartbreak and vengeance with dark humour and double entendres, a super-sexy choreography and a vibe that couldn’t be more far from the current sugary girl group trends. Everything about Gashina is iconic, from the song itself to the lyrics to the costumes to the choreography. Sunmi was without any doubt the queen of 2017. Live: Inkigayo 10/09 aka the iconic genderswapped performance – MAMA 2017 ft Taemin – Inkigayo 27/08