#id.trainee

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NEON’S MAIN DANCE KIM MICHA...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 22 DEBUT AGE: N/A TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 15 COMPANY: Midas SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): cha cha (due to her passion for dance and always being on the move), 미카추 (mikachu, originates from her likeness to the pokemon “pikachu” when she attempts aegyo), 미친 (michin, used as a term of endearment, in honor of her somewhat reckless and mischievous behavior) INSPIRATION: the women in mi cha’s family have always served as her greatest inspiration. it’s hard to not want to succeed with such talented family members preceding her. she has fond memories of watching her mother defy gravity on stage in performance halls as a child and remembers wondering what it’d feel like to fly. SPECIAL TALENTS:

freestyle dance

“cola pouring” impression (x)

“human jukebox” / good at guessing song names within the first second of hearing them (x)

NOTABLE FACTS:

fluent in english

proficient in arcade rhythm games (DDR and guitar hero)

her grandmother owns a children’s dance studio in daegu

performed in a K-PAP showcase in middle school

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

her main priority as of late is a well-received debut that will, all stars aligned, snowball into a successful idol career. she anticipates management steering her in a direction that makes her image easier to manage as far as personal activities go.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

she’s ultimately determined to one day become a choreographer along the lines of lia kim and bae yoon jung and choreograph for her group, and other groups as she gains seniority. she’d also like to moonlight as a radio personality or a fixed variety cast member as a metaphorical “fuck you” to the silencing of women’s voices.

IDOL IMAGE

she’s trouble, she’s fun and sexy, reckless and unfiltered - the classic party girl type, the near embodiment of neon’s concept and she nearly doesn’t make the cut. a long list of demerits and reasons to keep her locked in the proverbial basement follow her like the train on a gown, but she’s chosen in spite of it. her deviance becomes her and her talent in dance is too good to let rot away with the less-thans. her ultimatum is this: keep your hands clean or you’re out. it’s: no scandals if you know what’s good for you and please, make them like you. it’s: remember you’re replaceable, mi cha. replaceable, they say, like there’s any chance of neon going anywhere without a girl like her.

she doesn’t care. the way she sees it, they need her more than she needs them. she knows business and she knows that cookie cutter can only take a group so far in 2019. times are changing and as far as she’s concerned, her charm precedes her.

they take the things that make her, her and decide to dial it back several notches to make her easier to swallow.

kim mi cha: family-friendly and cool. she doesn’t swear, she doesn’t party, she’s never dated but, boy, if she isn’t fun. the high school mean girl with a heart of gold all grown up and better for it. who says bad girls can’t be marketable? she’s opinionated and progressive, upbeat and fun, charming and powerful in her sexiness and her quick wit. kim mi cha: sharp and strong, a woman that girls can look up to - scratch that, kim mi cha: a woman that girls can compare themselves to, a woman that girls miles below her will want to be. she’s got that something.

listen to neon and maybe you can pretend you’ve got it, too.

IDOL HISTORY

her mother is a dancer(, and her mother’s mother and her mother, too). she’s born with rhythm in her bones and a legacy to uphold; a silver spoon between her lips and not a worry in the world thanks to her father’s fat pockets and his foot in the door of every restaurant in seoul. she wouldn’t call him a thug but, then again, if you asked where all the money came from, she’d tell you to mind your business. mi cha doesn’t pay much attention to the money anyway, it’s the only thing she knows - comfort and the inborn privilege of never having to want for anything. the trouble comes in her abilities.

she’d like to pretend that she came out of the womb with the basics down but truth be told, she struggles. as a child, she’s clumsy and nearly incapable of moving with any fluency when a song comes on. her limbs don’t cooperate despite her desire to soar and her mother nearly declares her a lost cause, enrolling her into a performing arts school as a last ditch effort to polish her jagged stone of a daughter into a gem. they sand down all of her wayward edges into something easier to build on, a flat platform of good enough to pass as decent with the reach goal of being something great. she’s not the prodigy they want her to be but she’s not a disgrace to the family line of contemporary excellency either.

and mi cha, she loves it. as much of a pain it is to learn the basics until she’s gotten good enough to tackle more, she thrives in the act of dancing. she shies away from how cliche it is to be two times the daughter of the daughter of a dancer and want to dance herself but shines when she finds her footing on the dance floor, when the squeak of her sneakers on the wax coated flooring of the dance studio she’s taught in becomes like sweet, sweet music to her ears. she gets good enough that it’s not a joke for her to make a career out of it.

initially, she auditions at midas just to be a dancer, uninterested in becoming an idol, sufficiently turned off by the diet horror stories and the dating bans that she’s already sufficiently made a mockery out of at the ripe age of fifteen, already familiar with the ins and outs of dating and sneaking out and older boys. she gets in because they see potential and to this day, she tells her friends its the worst decision they ever made.

two years into her tenure, she’s offered the opportunity to train as an idol could-be. by now already having experience doing work as a back-up dancer for company seniors like JiNX and Su.Grr, she’s a lot more confident in her abilities, a force to be reckoned with in the realm of dance but her voice leaves something to be desired. so, she’s an idol trainee - a girl group hopeful, now. she needs to be able to carry a tune, determined not to be another cliche dance only member that doesn’t contribute to the overall sound of the group. she’d be damned if she got boxed into a trap of perpetual oohs and ahs with the sometimes-promise of a dance break.

she works hard but her focus dwindles when she falls into something like love but more like infatuation with a boy, a man, really, but he’s forbidden nonetheless. she’s eighteen and stupid so she finds herself spending late nights out at clubs and bars, gay clubs per the influence of her other freer dancer friends, and she finds her spice in stolen moments in alleyways and in the tiny seoul apartment that her dad is paying for. it’s a whirlwind of sex and bad decisions and sleep drunk mornings on the subway to get to midas, to train. she’s dead on her feet in vocal lessons, inattentive and petulant to the point that her progress is plateauing. her bubble bursts when she gets caught out during a routine trainee phone check, glass shatters when one of the other trainees she’d considered a friend rats her out for partying.

they break up. (see: her training sessions and schedules are packed so intensely that she’s barely even got the time to sleep, see also: they take her phone and lock it away and swear on everything that she’ll never see him again, read: she’s put on probation and locked up in a tower like rapunzel, escorted home and back by a low-ranking manager so she’s not lulled into the illusion that she can get away with it again. kim mi cha: delinquent.) he doesn’t put up a fight. she moves on.

she can’t help the bitter feeling that settles into her stomach when aurora debuts and she’s forced to face the reality of the time she’s wasted. they’re only one girl group of many in the industry but it doesn’t matter anymore, not when she’s playing catch up with other trainees who’ve been waiting just as long for something, anything.

years pass and she’s got nothing better to do but improve and stay on her best behavior in the hopes that the strict grip will give. (it doesn’t.)

and then, by some miracle, she’s called in as a member for project n. (read: JiNX jr.) her first thought is: party. the second: a passing wish that her members aren’t a bunch of stick-in-ass prudes. mostly she’s just glad that she’ll finally get to be on stage, as the main event this time. kim mi cha: idol dancer. kim mi cha: star. she finds it a little unfair how hawk-eyed they are on her behavior like she’s the only fuck up to ever exist under their management, fat fingers pointing heavily at the dating ban and staring her down behind thin wire-framed glasses. it’s a subtle reminder for her to not fuck this one up, to behave herself because she’s not the only life on the line here.

she’ll think about it. (she tries.)

[idtrainees]

11.30 TRAINEE LOTTERY.

The trainee lottery is an opportunity for one or two lucky trainees (or more, in the future, depending on the number of trainees in the roleplay at any given moment) to participate in the schedule of an idol group under their company. For example, featuring in a cf with one of the groups or a photoshoot with a few of the others, or even releasing a digital single featuring when relevant to upcoming schedules. In order to be considered for the opportunity, they should complete a solo per the prompt outlined below prior to the posting of the next schedule (usually within 2/3 weeks). All lotteries will be random and not based on one’s writing.

LOTTERY 01 - CF DEAL.

One of your company’s senior groups has landed an endorsement deal for a winter apparel CF. Write a solo paragraph that outlines your trainee muse being provided the chance to audition for this opportunity. It should follow general solo rules (400+ words with 5/5 points available upon completion) and you may take “creative liberties” with such things as setting, apparel involved (but please refrain from naming brands) and so on. For example, if you wanted to imagine it was a ski lodge setting CF with a cute wintery vibe, you could write it as if auditioning for that, and so on. Just give us a taste of your muse presenting their best commercial appeal!

[idolizenews]

11.25 TRAINEE LOTTERY. 

Because trainees don’t have formal schedules and because of course you’re likely looking to promote them in a way that allows them some pre-debut acclaim, within reasonable levels, every other regular schedule post will be accompanied by a trainee lottery. The trainee lottery is an opportunity for one or two lucky trainees (or more, in the future, depending on the number of trainees in the roleplay at any given moment) to participate in the schedule of an idol group under their company. For example, featuring in a cf with one of the groups or a photoshoot with a few of the others, or even releasing a digital single featuring when relevant to upcoming schedules. In order to be considered for the opportunity, they should complete a solo per the prompt outlined below prior to the posting of the next schedule (usually within 2/3 weeks). All lotteries will be random and not based on one’s writing. 

LOTTERY 01 - CF DEAL. 

One of your company’s senior groups has landed an endorsement deal for a winter apparel CF. Write a solo paragraph that outlines your trainee muse being provided the chance to audition for this opportunity. It should follow general solo rules (400+ words with 5/5 points available upon completion) and you may take “creative liberties” with such things as setting, apparel involved (but please refrain from naming brands) and so on. For example, if you wanted to imagine it was a ski lodge setting CF with a cute wintery vibe, you could write it as if auditioning for that, and so on. Just give us a taste of your muse presenting their best commercial appeal!

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON DYNAMO’S MAIN VOCAL MAYA HAN...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 22 DEBUT AGE: N/A TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 16 COMPANY: 99 SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): ponyo, due to the fact she looks like ponyo. INSPIRATION: maya has always had a passion for singing and performing, but when her friends showed her a video of kelly clarkson winning american idol, she knew that she had to preform SPECIAL TALENTS:

maya can wiggle her ears

she can do a vocal impression of ariana grande

NOTABLE FACTS:

despite being from madison, wisconsin, korean is maya’s first language

maya’s idol is kelly clarkson

maya loves harry potter and she is a proud slytherin

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

as every other trainee, maya is determined to debut. she has worked so hard for years, she is determined to bring people the happiness kelly clarkson brought to her.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

maya wants to be a successful solo artist in not only korea, but in america as well. while she loves the idea of being in a group, maya wants to solely focus on singing rather than dancing and being the ideal idol. she wants unapologetically be herself.

IDOL IMAGE

it’s more than clear that maya han is not easily discouraged.

she’s a fighter, there’s no denying that. her strong personality makes her stand out among other trainees. she’s there as a staple of how truly badass women can be. she’s a diva, she’s loud, she’s outgoing. she’s everyone’s manic pixie dream girl.

it’s a unique image she’s going for, someone who is so undeniably talented being so undeniably outspoken. her attitude is sure to gain attention, 99 knows that for sure. maya likes being powerful, she knows it’s going to come with a lot of hate. she’s gotten it before, it’s nothing she can’t handle. she’s always been an extroverted person, but she’s never been this wild before. she’s excited to be a bad girl, one that your parents wouldn’t approve of. she wants to make a name for herself.

her image is powerful and seemingly fearless, but she’s scared of many things. maya is worried her talent will be overlooked by the fact she’s already been in one scandal. 99 is worried that if they give her this image, her scandal will surface again. however, the concept of dynamo does call for safely troublemaking. maya knows she has to play it careful, she’s just as worried as her company. she also knows she might take the image too far. she’s not sure anyone else knows that, and going back to the root of her image, she’s a manic pixie dream girl. someone with no substance other than to change other’s lives. that’s what she’s always wanted, but now it comes with a price she might not be willing to pay.

with fire in her eyes, maya’s passionate, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to become the best. maya is willing to do whatever it takes to debut, whether that means being a bad girl or simply blending in among the other women in her company. she has big plans for herself, and is not planning on letting anyone get in her way.

IDOL HISTORY

maya han (born november 30th 1996) is the daughter of two korean immigrants named han minwoo and lee eunji. she was born and raised in madison, wisconsin and is the middle child of three siblings. she grew up speaking korean in her house and english at school.

her early life is nothing special. she was just like your average child. she had friends, learned things fast, and loved to have fun. she was always popular among her peers. when maya was ten years old, a close friend of hers showed her a video of a woman named kelly clarkson singing at an awards show. maya was immediately infatuated with kelly. she watched all of her american idol performances, listened to all of her songs, maya was moved by kelly clarkson’s story. she knew she wanted to be just like her. so, maya began taking vocal lessons. she did them everyday for at least an hour. her life was just getting better.

one year later, her parents announced that her family was moving back to korea. she reluctantly left her friends and old life behind. upon moving to korea, she continued to do singing lessons and she was eventually scouted for an entertainment company known as cel entertainment. thinking back on her dream, she joined them without a second thought. all the time and effort she was putting into training seemed to be going well, but maya was looking through rose colored glass. cel was failing, there was nothing she could do to stop it. she left the company, her heart shattering into a million pieces. her dream was crushed.

she continued to sing for two years, and when she was sixteen, she saw an ad online for an entertainment company called 99 entertainment. maya sent in an application as soon as she could. she was accepted into the company after her private audition and found herself, once again, putting her all into training.

she trained happily for two years, cheering on her fellow trainees as some debuted and others left. then she met someone who made her heart stop. it was a senior from her company, the two were drawn together like magnets. it was love at first sight. she knew it was against the rules, but frankly, she didn’t care. maya was arrogant, she knew she was talented and had potential. if 99 dissolved their contract, she’d find a new company to take her in. her and her senior started dating, maya’s ego grew and so did her love for the idol life. she was completely and utterly immersed.

after nine months of dating in secret, rumors were leaked about her and the senior. they were both scared, so they hesitantly broke up. 99 was upset, but the rumors were buried. they put her under strict supervision and made sure she never interacted with that senior.

not too long after, she was put as a potential member of the newest group from 99, dynamo. it was a coed group, going by the name of coed team. it seemed odd of 99 to put her in the group due to the rumors of her and her senior, but she was one of the only people left training there.

currently, maya is excitedly waiting for her time to debut. she’s waiting for the summer to come and is very excited. she’s still just as arrogant and cocky as before, even more so now that she knows she’s going to debut. she has some hesitations, but she’s more than ready to become the best. to be just like her idol. to be adored by everyone.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON FIX8′S LEAD DANCE, LEAD VOCAL ERIN YOO...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 20 DEBUT AGE: N/A TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 17 COMPANY: MSG SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): Haejin (Korean name, given to her by her paternal grandmother but rarely used by anyone but her family members in Korea), Vitamin E (by fellow trainees, because she’s known for boosting people up even when they feel down). INSPIRATION: Growing up, Erin knew about and liked kpop but she wasn’t particularly interested in it. She was a casual fan, knowing some groups by name but not being able to name members. That changed when she was scouted by Singularity and she found HER.oine. She was inspired by their girl crush concept and admired how powerful they were when performing. Erin wanted to be able to do the same. She wants to be able to capture an audience and make them feel good and happy SPECIAL TALENTS:

comedic dance covers - erin can and will cover any dance she’s asked of but it will rarely be the polished version audiences are used to. instead, erin will do a funny rendition with exaggerated expressions and movements that usually causes viewers to crack up.

heel juggling - erin played soccer competitively from the ages of six to seventeen. during that time, she learned many tricks with the soccer ball. her favorite of these is heel juggling: bouncing the ball back and forth on her heels and the backs of her legs.

flexibility - naturally very flexible,  erin has practiced and stretched over the years in order to fold herself into impressive positions. she can even touch her toes to her chin from behind.

NOTABLE FACTS:

Erin is a former Singularity trainee. She auditioned for all five major companies after Singularity’s fall.

She’s rarely seen with them as she almost always wears contacts, but Erin has glasses. She’s very nearsighted and has trouble seeing without corrective lenses.

Erin was known at her all-girl middle and high schools for taking on male roles in school productions. She never “passed” for male particularly convincingly but she played each role with enthusiasm.

Erin a particularly close bond with two of her cousins — they helped the most with her adjustment to living in Korea and she considers them the closest thing to sisters she’s ever had. She spends as much time with them as she possibly can, particularly after the end of Singularity.

While her Korean has improved significantly since becoming a trainee, there are (not so infrequent) times she still struggles.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Within the next few months, all Erin really wants is to find her footing at Koala.T. She was at Singularity for over two years. It became her home away from home and it all came crumbling down. Koala.T is an entirely different beast and Erin is finding it difficult to keep up with the new, more structured culture.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

Erin’s main goal, long term is to debut. She’s worked so hard for years; she wants to finally be able to perform for audiences bigger than a trainee group or evaluating coaches. Debuting would give Erin the attention and validation she craves. After that, Erin would like to move into acting, at least partially. She was a theater kid in high school and she misses being able to take on new roles.

IDOL IMAGE

If Singularity had a plan for Erin, it was never particularly clear to her. In the end, it was probably for the best. At least she doesn’t have to unlearn an image along with everything else. Koala.T is free to mold her to whatever they want or need. Erin is flexible — both metaphorically and literally. She’s more than willing to do whatever is asked of her so long as she gets to keep her dream of being an idol alive.

Koala.T had the concept of Fix8 in mind when they accepted Erin as a trainee. The idea of an idol group created for twitter buzz and trending topics, all free publicity, was ruminating in the minds of the executives when Erin walked into her first audition. She performed, if imperfectly, with complete enthusiasm. Her bright personality and total lack of shame match their plans for the girl group perfectly. Not to mention the international appeal she would most definitely have as an English speaker. Sure, they would have to smooth out the edges Singularity very much left intact — give her media training, fix her Korean, make her performances more consistent — but Koala.T viewed Erin as a diamond in the rough. 

Erin’s talented is admittedly lacking in some areas. Her singing, while interesting in tone, can be pitchy and despite the effort she puts into every performance, her dancing is messy and imprecise. Still, but your eye can’t help but be drawn to Erin when she performs. She has energy, charisma, stage presence, things no amount of training can teach.

Koala.T plans to highlight Erin’s positive points when they finally debut Fix8. A former footballer, Erin will take on the role of sporty, energetic mood maker. The popular captain of the soccer team type that pushes everyone to do their best and is admired by girls and boys alike. Hardworking but not uptight. Someone fun and not so proud that she’s unwilling to “tarnish” her imagine by doing something ridiculous for a laugh. The kind of person you desperately want to be friends with, the kind that would welcome anyone with a bright smile. Approachable, but ultimately far out of reach.

That’s the kind of image that requires time and investment. Erin went underutilized at Singularity, but Koala.T isn’t wasting any time. They were quick to sign her up for Mickey’s Clubhouse. On a show like that, they can get Erin use to performing with time constraints. low budgets and little preparation as well as subtly introduce the version they hope to include in Fix8 to the public. This, along with intensive training from Koala.T employees, executives hope, will make up for lost time. They are determined to turn Erin into a trainee worthy of Fix8′s debut in record time.

IDOL HISTORY

If there was ever a textbook case of assimilation, it would be Harry and Sarah Yoo. Sarah was born in Ohio grew up in San Francisco and went to school in Los Angeles. She was American through and through. Harry, for his part, was born in Daegu. He didn’t stay there for long. Before his third birthday, his family immigrated and settled in Seattle. He may not have known English when he started school, but Harry picked it up quickly and acted just the same as all of his classmates. When the time came for college, he decided on UCLA. This was where he met Sarah.

In many of the same pre-med courses, Harry and Sarah initially showed no interest in each other. Neither appreciated mutual friends trying to set them up because they had “so much in common”. They bonded over their mutual disdain for the idea and became friends. Shortly before their time at UCLA was over, Harry confessed that he’d fallen in love with Sarah. He’d understand, he said, if she didn’t feel the same way, but he had to tell her. He couldn’t leave school without her knowing. Faced with this new knowledge, Sarah made a confession of her own: she loved him, too.

They chose different medical schools, but Harry and Sarah maintained a long-distance relationship. The couple endured years of late-night phone calls, memorized timezone differences and expensive flights. When they finally settled down, Harry and Sarah chose to live in Los Angeles, where they met. They raised three children there. First two boys in rapid succession, then, eight years after the second boy, a girl: Erin.

When their boys were young, Harry and Sarah made sure to speak to them in Korean as much as English. As Americanized as they were, the Yoos wanted to make sure that their children could communicate with their grandparents and family members still in Korea. By the time Erin came along, though, both boys were in elementary school and heavily favored English. It was just easier for everyone to speak English all of the time. Erin never achieved the fluency of her brothers or parents. Erin rarely, if ever spoke Korean growing up. If she did, it was broken and stilted, though she more or less understood what was being said to her thanks to her grandparents’ continued favoritism toward their native tongue. Everyone she spoke to on a regular basis knew English anyway, so it didn’t seem like such a big deal. Her parents, her brothers, they could always translate for her if she somehow ended up in a situation where Korean was necessary.

Growing up in LA, it rarely was. The Yoos, with their doctor salaries, could afford to send their children to  private schools. Erin attended an exclusive all-girls’ school, filled with the daughters of rich executives. The Yoos were well off but not quite as much so as Erin’s classmates. They could pay the tuition but Erin didn’t have the latest and the greatest of everything, often inheriting old hand-me-downs from her brothers or cousins. It never seemed to bother Erin. Her jovial, boisterous personality won her many friends. She never felt like she was missing out.

In school, Erin was known and the quintessential class clown, always making her friends and classmates laugh. Her teachers often praised her creativity and effort while in the next breath lamenting her poor behavior and inability to control herself. Erin couldn’t help it. There was so much to see and do, so many thoughts bursting from her head. There were just so many opportunities to make people laugh, to make them happy.

Erin was equal parts curious and adventurous. Her up for anything nature meant she joined every school club at least once, only staying for longer than a few weeks if the activity managed to hold her attention. The two constant activities in her life were soccer and theater. Soccer gave Erin a place to channel all her energy. She was a popular member of the team, always lightening practices and boosting everyones mood. Theater on the other hand let Erin use all of her creativity in a constructive way. Comedic roles were her bread and butter. Erin never failed to make an audience laugh. Erin’s time at school was happy. Like her parents and brothers before her, Erin was just a normal American kid.

The summer before her senior year, Erin’s family took an extended trip to visit family in Korea. Erin had never been herself, though her older brothers had before she was born. She was excited. It would be one big adventure. Sure, she didn’t speak the language, (at least not well,) but most of her relatives spoke at least a little English. She’d manage.

Manage she did. Though her Korean vocabulary was small, she more than made up for it with her personality. Erin quickly made friends with the cousins she had around her age. They talked about normal teenage girl things, clothes, music and introduced Erin to a korean dramas she binged night after night. Erin was enjoying her stay in Korea. A couple weeks after her arrival, Erin’s cousins took her out shopping. During the trip, they had an encounter that changed the course of Erin’s life. The trio was stopped by a woman who spoke excitedly. Her words were too quick for Erin to do much more than catch the odd familiar phrase so she just smiled and nodded. Her cousins tugged at her arms but Erin accepted a piece of paper from the woman before being pulled away.

The paper was some sort of flyer, Erin could tell that much, but she could barely speak Korean, much less read it. She handed it to one of her cousins to read. The girls shared a meaningful glance before trying their best to explain to what happened. It didn’t all translate perfectly but eventually Erin got the gist. The woman was a scout for some obscure kpop company, offering Erin a spot in an audition. Or, she said she was. Erin’s cousins were convinced she was a scammer. Erin was less convinced. The three of them went home and Erin immediately googled the company’s name: Singularity.

The results were, at best, mixed. With the company’s relative youth and having only one debuted group, Erin understood why her cousins didn’t trust the scout. Still Erin liked what she saw with HER.oine. She thought their songs were catchy and music videos fun. Erin decided to give it a shot. What was the worst that could happen? At the very least she’d get a fun story out of it.

Erin convinced her cousins to take her to the audition. They were still reluctant to trust the opportunity but Erin had a way of being very persuasive. When they arrived, Erin was pleased to see that the whole thing seemed legitimate. It was a real company, with real representatives auditioning lots of other people. Her cousins became cautiously optimistic, gossiping with Erin about the idols signed to Singularity while they waited. After some time, it was Erin’s turn. She performed a song from her last play before the end of the school year. As far as Erin could tell, the feedback seemed positive and, she thought at least, they said they’d contact her soon. A few days later they did. Erin had passed her audition, they said. They wanted to sign her up as a Singularity trainee.

For her part, Erin was ecstatic. How could would it be to be a kpop idol? It was an amazing opportunity. She didn’t think of the reality, the logistics of it all. Her parents did.

“You have to finish school, Erin,” her father said.

“You barely understand Korean,” her mother added.

Erin had a retort for every objection they came up with. There were schools in Korea. She knew some Korean, she could learn more. Her parents always wanted her to get more in touch with her Korean culture. What better way than living in Korea, going to school there and becoming part of Korea’s most famous media export? Erin campaigned extensively. She wore her parents down; they’d let her stay in Korea. She was going to be a Singularity trainee.

Erin moved in with her paternal grandmother who moved back to Korea after the death of her husband when Erin was small. She would be allowed to train under Singularity provided she followed all of her grandmother’s rules and finished high school. The transition was less smooth than Erin expected. Her grandmother’s style of parenting was very different from her busy parents’ hands off approach. The language barrier didn’t help matters. Erin’s cousins helped as much as they could, but Erin struggled. She got to the point where she could read well enough but she had great difficulty writing neat Korean characters and she was nowhere near fluent by the time she started at her new school. She came in the middle of the last year for many of her classmates and had a hard time communicating. No amount of personality made up for that. School in Korea was nothing like it had been in the states. Erin’s grades were dismal. She even failed a class for the first time in her life. She would eventually graduate, though a year later than expected. But she was done and she could finally focus all of her attention on what had been the one bright spot in her new life in Korea: Singularity.

Erin put everything she had into her training. She wouldn’t waste the opportunity. It was the whole reason she was in Korea in the first place. And at least she could use what she already knew there. Dance practice? Well, that was like soccer practice, but with slightly less running and more or less the same level of kicking. Singing? Theater, no problem. Sure, Erin had trouble remembering honorifics initially but she got there eventually. At the same time she was floundering at school, Erin was excelling at Singularity. By the time 2018 rolled around, Erin had been there over two years and the future never seemed brighter.

And then it all came crashing down.

She never saw it coming. She couldn’t imagine, couldn’t fathom Singularity’s fall from grace. It was a constant in her life. The people there, her teachers and fellow trainees, they kept her going when she felt like throwing in the towel and taking the next flight home to LA. When she lost that, Erin felt like she lost everything. Everything she worked so hard for, everything she dreamed of. It was all gone in the blink of an eye.

This sense of devastation was not shared by Erin’s parents. They tried, somewhat, to hide it, but they were pleased. Erin had done her little experiment and now she could come home, take a few community college courses to make up for the embarrassing Korean portion of her transcripts and enroll in a real university. She could finally start doing something with her life.

She was doing something with her life, Erin insisted. Something she really, really liked. She wasn’t going to give up on it, not like that. Desperate to get back what she lost, Erin auditioned for any and every idol company she could find. She was accepted by only one: Koala.T. Though they did not tell Erin at the time, Koala.T’s executives thought her bright personality would fit in perfectly with their plans for a new girl group.

Erin has only been at Koala.T a few months now and she’s still trying to find her footing. The comforting support system she had at Singularity has been scattered by the wind and Erin is left to figure everything out  on her own. It’s hard, but she can’t give up now. Her parents want her to, before she gets in any deeper and loses even more time. Before she gets hurt by this pipe dream again. Erin just can’t do it. She’s spent nearly three years working for something, falling in love with the idea of being an idol. It would hurt too much to give up now.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON MAYDAY’S LEAD VOCAL, LEAD DANCE KANG YOONAH...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 20 DEBUT AGE: N/A TRAINEE SINCE AGE:14 COMPANY: MSG SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): 새끼윤아 (saekkiyun-a) –  as in kid yoonah, quite literally. she’s seen in msg hallways since she was very young and people there (from staff to idols) practically saw her growing up which also meant she kind of became the mascot of some of them over the years.

あおい (aoi) – despite yoonah being a common name and easy to pronounce, her parents thought it would be better for her adaptation in a foreign country to have a japanese name INSPIRATION: in part, it happened because she loved singing since young and because her father played a big influence in her choice of career. in the other hand, things just aligned very well at the right moment to her. yoonah was living a moment in which everything ended related to idols. snacks, phones, drinks, food, her friends only talked about that and the radio was always playing the latest hits. it felt overwhelming and exciting. the last push she needed was the vocal competition and since then she never left. SPECIAL TALENTS:

taiko – yoonah spent most of her childhood years living in japan and while she was in school there, she was taught how to play the drums and even performed in some festivals

steady breathing – perhaps due to her many years under training, she developed a very controlled breathing while singing. she can even jump rope while singing a couple of song parts

mimics sounds – she can mimic a couple of sounds like a bubbles popping, some animals, doraimo and even the haegeum.

NOTABLE FACTS:

admission – yoonah became part of MSG because she won a vocal competition sponsored by the company

siblings – she’s the youngest of three and while her older sister is involved with nothing related to the business, her middle brother is a constant presence in yoonah’s life since he’s also/planning to be an idol

language – while growing up, her household was a constant of korean and japanese language mixed. once she moved back to korea, that habit didn’t vanish and sometimes, she let slip some mixed phrases

education – while she attended regular middle schools in japan, yoonah is an alumni from the school of performing arts in seoul

health – yoonah always had a somehow fragile health. besides being nearsighted she also suffers from anemia

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

as many of the other trainees, what she wants the most is to debut. it has been almost seven years since she joined the company and she’s practically craving to leave her status as a trainee and finally became an idol despite her reluctance to pursue this career at first

LONG-TERM GOALS:

she imagines that, once everything settles down and she makes her debut, she’ll be able to move into radio hosting and music production. in the past few years it has become something she wanted to be involved and she’d be absolutely thrilled to follow a more secluded area of the entertainment business

IDOL IMAGE

when yoonah is fourteen, she stumbles her way in something that she, at first, didn’t want to. she’s all pouts and her puff and rosy cheeks accentuate her cute features even more in the lights of the building. ‘so cute’ the receptionist whispers, ‘she’s the one isn’t she? the one who won the competition’ a boy asks.

the first impression is of a lost kid. small steps and bowed head, all shy and unsure. once she finds her way, not much changes. yoonah is still shy and in a corner, not certain what she was supposed to do but the moment she opens her mouth things are different. she sings in a way that shows she’s untrained and childish, it sounds clear though, and her voice is pretty and soothing. she’s just a kid and now there’s a plenty of time until she manages to be perfect for what her company wants her to be.

yoonah is adorable and has a good voice but the cuteness is not the only façade MSG wants and it’s certainly not the only one she can pull off. she grew confident over the years of training, she doesn’t shy away when asked to try something new and she certainly won’t try to hide herself behind her seniors when teased about something.

as years passed by, she started getting the impression that if something different didn’t pop up from her side, then she definitely wouldn’t be able to make it to debut. the bratty but still cute play she keeps on to the entertainment of many (from her company and school and sometimes, when she’s able to visit, her home) became much of her own personality than something she keeps just for the sake of the act.

so far, her plans have been working. MSG still is in good terms with the image she portrays, and they are aware (if she didn’t make it as obvious as she could) that she’d be fine to do whatever fanservice fit for her image — from cringy cute acts to feeding the same-group couple craze.

if yoonah could have one wish regarding this situation, she’d ask her company to not ask her to go to extremes. despite her young appearance, she’s already in her 20’s and even though she’s already this old, she doesn’t seek for a drastic change. she’s hoping that being in their hands for almost seven years also meant they’d know at least this much.

IDOL HISTORY

tw: unhealthy relationship (familiar)

introduction

stars were aligned in the day they both meet. college colleagues in a class that didn’t have anything directly connected with what they were coursing.

she’s aims to become a teacher and he wants to become a singer. just like their shared class, there’s nothing to connect there, but they keep in touch, help each other with the subject, check if they are eating properly and not just skipping it altogether. soon, they are not caring for the other as just a friend from that one class, feelings build and they work their way through school as a couple. break-ups, misunderstandings, joys and achievements.

               verse

things after school are not a fairytale. misook struggles to get her first job since she didn’t have any connections and she’s also a woman trying to get a recognizable role. junghoon also stumbles on his own feet with his career. men are better seen when dressed in a uniform instead of holding a guitar.

they are married now, and they need to find some stable work to finally form their family properly. misook gets a job in an elementary school far from her apartment by an hour which is great, it’s a progress. junghoon, in the other hand, stagnates. he starts getting part time jobs in restaurants and construction sites to get some money to help at home. there’s nothing but a lot of struggle in the beginning but things eventually work the way they should, and they start their life together, husband and wife, hand in hand.

               pre-chorus

minji was born in early 1990’s. she’s pretty and has the features and behavior of a baby princess. hyunwoo was born a couple of years later and he too is someone they can be proud of. finally, yoonah came when spring had just begun to bloom.

the financial situation was nice by the time. misook and junghoon found their stability before deciding to have children, although three was never in their plans at first.

they were supposed to have a comfortable life.

but the crisis hit in their doorstep and they mistakenly opened a gap. she lost her job as a teacher and the business he started to run wasn’t working as well as before. with no other warning the five of them moved to japan where his parents lived. it was rushed and unprepared and they weren’t very certain of what would happen to them in a time like that one. but they went anyways and although not ideal, they were united.

chorus

yoonah is four and she’s attending a school where people don’t speak the same language as she. the same happens when she goes to the supermarket with her mother and any other place they visit. she’s shy and unsure of what to do but her mother is a light and she helps her through it.

she’s the youngest child in their house and she’s the one who lived the least in their home country, so despite her lack of social skills, she easily adapts to the new surroundings. She’s not the girl one would pick for a round of dodgeball but in arts and music class, people definitely see her charm. she’s timid during most of the time, it’s true, she doesn’t necessarily like to be the center of attentions, but her teacher helps her. she gives yoonah her time to work things out, to be in her own comfortable place, this help naturally makes her develop a certain fondness towards music.

she grows up quite sick. her health is not the best, she gets a cold way too easily, her body is frail, and she falls on her own. people are inclined to not hurt her and to not go too hard on her, she won’t do the running exercises or play hide-and-seek, instead she stays indoors, looking out of the window.

as she gets older, her immune system gets stronger, but her reputation still pursues her. she stopped minding that a while ago, preferring to remain in her comfort zone, playing with instruments that were too big for her and ones too complicated to even start learning. some of her friends even tried to invite her to play. with her situation, it could easily be assumed she’d be an outsider, but her classmates warm up to her fast, she’s well-loved and well-cared but she has her own pace.

               bridge

her father still is not happy with the life he has. despite having three great kids and an amazing wife, the fact that he wasn’t able to follow his dream as a musician still haunts him to this day. they heard the stories almost every other week, when they had dinner together, and his frustration was clearly pointed.

yoonah don’t blame him entirely but the moment she started being forced to audition to musical groups and be signed for festivals, the glow that music had slowly started to fade away.

when he heard about entertainment companies sponsoring music competitions, about having young people signed off with their labels if they won, he was thrilled. his children had the opportunity he never had. in the first opportunity, they flew all the way back to south korea for a couple of days and despite used to, yoonah wasn’t familiar with the grandiosity of that event. she froze and couldn’t perform. her father was furious.

the moment followed her for the next couple of months and she wrongly felt guilty for failing him like that. she wanted to become someone he’d be proud and not ashamed of, so she asked her mother to keep an eye if any other opportunity raised, and reluctantly, the woman complied.

               elision

this time, when she flew to her home country with her mother only, she had a certain easiness in her heart, but she still felt pressured. When her mother crouched by her side and told her she should just do whatever she felt she should, yoonah smiled and hugged the woman for her support.

this time the fourteen years old was capable of showing what she supposed to show. she sang and played the giant guitar in a very timid way at first but still strongly certain of every step she should take. people were paying attention to what she did, and that boosted her confidence in a way, because she grew stronger. her part in the competition wasn’t so small or insignificant anymore, she shone. and she won.

this time she was assigned with MSG.

this time, when she went back to japan, her father had a smile so big that didn’t fit in his face.

this time she had reached her goal, but she was still unfulfilled. was this truly what she wanted?

this time, her mother said enough. Enough to crazy ideas, to pushing their children to do things they didn’t want, enough of projecting his dreams on a little girl, enough to everything.

this time they divorced.

outro

they were all back in south korea eventually, but not together anymore. despite doing what she did because of her father, yoonah went along with her training in MSG. she doesn’t know why she kept it up, it wasn’t for lack of support that didn’t give up, since her mother was favorable to make her end things before she even started if that wasn’t what she really wanted.

but then yoonah was reminded of the time when she was back on that stage and how free she felt at that moment, and how she wanted to feel that feeling again and perhaps, she could revive that moment in the future. So, she stayed, warned that she could call an end at any moment.

in the beginning, all was new, naturally, and she thought she wouldn’t be able to adapt. it was, after all, a lot to get used to. a culture that despite being her own, was still unfamiliar, a routine that changed all the time because of practices and school and exams. she persevered.

but her perseverance wasn’t enough. she saw as big groups of her company started to debut, she saw cherry bomb at its early years and looked up to them as if they were goddesses, she trained with the boys from indigo and hoped with all her heart to be chosen as a member of honey. she saw as her friends debuted in 1ferno and she was still there waiting for a chance. what didn’t make her change labels or give up on the idol career was probably the fact she started enjoying the whole thing. she made friends who she cherished and appreciated and seniors who looked out for her, and everything was so familiar and natural that giving a thought to leave that comfortable zone sent a nauseating feeling down to her stomach.

almost seven years later and she still waits for a chance to make it to her debut. sometimes when she’s back in the dorms, when a day was particularly bad or upsetting she wonders if all the luck she had in life was spent in that day when she performed and by a miracle, her charisma (or lack of it) and mild talent made her win the competition that made her sign with MSG. she wonders if she left the company everything would be okay and she’d find another place where she’d be more likely to debut. she absolutely hated herself for not being able to disconnect the people from her future and remain stagnated because that’s how she feels when she sees people who trained with her performing while she’s still there working on dance sequences and voice exercises. she knows she got better and she knows she deserves a chance… she probably ran out of luck.

but she still endures the whole process. she still does what she’s asked and she smiles and tries to enjoy this eternal waiting moment, for as long as they want or for as long as she can take.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NEON’S LEAD RAP, LEAD VOCAL HAN CHORONG...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 20 DEBUT AGE: N/A TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 17 COMPANY: Midas SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): 토끼롱 (tokkirong) — a combination of her given name and the word for rabbit, as she’s told she resembles one heavily. INSPIRATION: growing up, she wasn’t a very well-liked child so she was almost always alone and that separation only increased as she got older and started working at her mother’s salon. however, despite the hard times she was always cheered up just by listening to a little music. there didn’t even need to be words, just the sounds of instruments in harmony made her heart soar. due to that feeling, she felt her rightful place was in the music industry. she didn’t think of being an idol, however, until being scouted. SPECIAL TALENTS:

nerves of steel — she often times “goes blank” and doesn’t react to things like jump scares or loud noises, and instead just looking unbothered or bored.

magic tricks — chorong has learned and (nearly) perfected a wide variety of magic tricks and she often shows the off.

“camouflage” — chorong is known to “never be out of her element” and adapting fast. for example, while she isn’t a dancer, she’s able to keep up as well as she can with people out of her league

NOTABLE FACTS:

in the small amount of free time she had, chorong would spend time playing guitar outside her mother’s salon to draw in customers.

ever since she was young, she’d often be mistaken for not being fully Korean which lead to a lot of childhood teasing and side glances.

because they couldn’t afford to pay for lessons, chorong taught herself how to play the guitar that she got as a gift from helping out neighbors.

due to the cost of moving, chorong almost didn’t accept the contract after passing the audition but her mother convinced her to move to Seoul.

prior to starting her training, she’d never listened to any idols. her mother always played things like classical and trot in the salon and she didn’t have a phone or anything to keep up with newer music.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

rather than debuting, which is of course high in her list, chorong rather wants to focus on getting her name and the group name out there. it’s clear midas has the desire to push her visuals, and with that she wants to make sure to get neon as many fans as possible predebut and ensure their initial success. they’re following the footsteps of legends and she doesn’t want anyone to be disappointed with what neon delivers.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

while she’s being heavily visual marketed, chorong has no desire to enter the modeling or fashion industry since her only interest is in music itself. she wants to be able to establish herself as a producer and lyricist and even win awards for the word she put her blood sweat and tears into. additionally, she wants to make a solo debut. while she has nothing against the other trainees and her future group members, she isn’t one to trust others with things that matter to her. her career is too important to her to rely on a girl group to get her places, especially when she can’t be there to monitor their every move. so, if she establishes herself as an individual artist, their action will no longer be her problem and she’ll be secure. it seems cruel, even to her, but she’s had worse done to her and this is just the way the industry is after all.

IDOL IMAGE

chorong is a country girl at heart, but she’s no fool like many think her to be. she’s aware that her visuals played heavily into where she is now, and while it’s slightly annoying as she doesn’t feel your appearance should affect your ability to make music, and she knows that Midas will want to continue to play them up even after debut. because of this, she hopes to be placed as the perfect yet simple girl next door type. chorong isn’t one for spotlight, she’s in this to simply make music that makes people happy after all, but if she must have it, she wants to fade into the background as much as possible. she wants to be an ever present thought in the back of fans and even casual listeners minds, yet still a comfortable presence for them. she’s not great at aegyo, nor is she completely comfortable with the “sexy” concept. she wants to fall into the easy middle—the girl with the sweet smile and the guitar who you’d be able to easily take home to your mother, yet still manages to make you nervous as you may never be good enough for her. inviting, yet still closed off. sweet, yet still able to banter. the classic push and pull type. it’s able to serve it’s purpose—make people fall in love with her—and doesn’t force chorong into a completely different persona. the way she slips into satoori and still carries her country ways despite being in Seoul for four years only adds to the charm, as it makes her seem more real, more human, and strangely the imperfection suddenly becomes perfection. it’s homey in a sense, the ways she’s “natural” despite still being under the same strict image as the others.

simply put, her one desire is for her visuals to not be the only thing placed in the forefront. she wants to be known for something else, whether it be talent or personality, rather than relying on what she hates the most. whether it be the simple yet effective “girl next door” or the sassy and chic girl people assume her to be at first glance, she doesn’t really care as long as she can make music. so, she’ll follow Midas’s direction (not like she has a choice) in the direction she crosses her fingers for, and wait passionately for the definite answer and assignment. she is the chameleon after all—adjusting and blending into her surroundings like it’s nothing, so no matter what Midas decides to do with her, she’ll do her best. that doesn’t stop the small seed of hope in her heart from stubbornly growing with each passing day of uncertainty.

IDOL HISTORY

tw// mentions bullying, self hatred, brief mentions of sexual content

I.

when the daughter of park bom and han jinyoung began school, she became the topic of rumors and the subject of ridicule. her economic status within her relatively small town, and their “out of the ordinary” family structure left her and her mother at the bottom of the social food chain—being picked at and pecked at until they bled and cried. they were ruthless and didn’t care that she was only a child. maybe that even made it worse. she was introduced to the most ugly parts of the world, and from the young age she was had her own perception of herself twisted. she was ugly, she’d done something wrong, she just wasn’t a good enough girl. she didn’t help her mother at the shop enough. the food she cooked for her parents who worked late. she was the problem. but then she wasn’t.

from the moment she grew into her features, she was in the spotlight. han chorong was a beauty, even as a girl as young as junior high. in a small country town like the one she lived in, someone with her features would easily stand out and be the topic of rumors, but more than anything they’d be a star. and chorong was. she was the only they’d come to between classes, crowded around her desk and asking her if she wanted to hang out after school. it was nice, it made her smile in ways she couldn’t at home where she was the primary caretaker. even when she helped out at her mothers shop, customers young and old would call her “pretty”, “beautiful”. despite their economic standing, she was seen as a princess in the eyes of those around her. but of course, in a place so small, the princess’s enemies were always right around the corner—lurking and waiting and watching.

at the age they were, boys and girls were interested in dating with their flying hormones and changing bodies. naturally, chorong fell easy into the spot of their affections and the overwhelming feeling of being wanted and appreciated filled her to the brim. it was nothing like it used to be. not at all. she was no longer isolated for her face, put rather praised. so when she smiled and reached her hand out to the one who confessed, she did it genuinely. because felt that maybe, just maybe, they did care for her. it was like she saw the world in a new light. the sad songs she’d play and sing became upbeat and happy. for the first time, she didn’t feel hatred when she looked into that mirror. she felt love.

however it didn’t last long. stable relationships at their age were unheard of really, but because it was her, because she was supposed to be perfect, every breakup and every first date was everyone’s business. “I heard that she’s pretending to be so nice and perfect just so the guys will like her.” that wasn’t true. chorong wasn’t really nice, per say. she was just respectful when people approached her. and she didn’t ask the guys to like her, she just accepted their affections because it was the right thing to do, wasn’t it? “with a face like that, she probably has slept with all kinds of guys.” she hadn’t. she’d never even thought about it. she’d never even taken a guy home or went to theirs. “when we dated, she begged me to sleep with her. she’s a good for nothing slut.” that’s not true, she wanted to scream. it’s not true, that’s not who she is. but it all fell on deaf ears. once again, she was subject of piercing stares, their words suffocating her and refusing to let her go. she hated it. she hated them. she hated herself, all over again. but now she knew that no matter what she did, who she was, her face was what mattered. she wanted to get plastic surgery, move to the city. she wanted to blend in, disappear. be left alone. so that was way she closed herself off, keeping her gaze cold and her attention elsewhere. it didn’t stop the rumors, nor their glares, but now she hardened herself. when they glared, she glared back. when they whispered, she smiled at them so they knew they were heard. she was no longer playing their game. she was alone again, but she was alone and wise. she didn’t need them, she didn’t need anyone but herself. after all, she came in the world alone, and she’d leave it the same. 

all she had was her music, and that was enough. she’d stand outside her mother’s shop, guitar in hand, and play until her fingers were cut and bruised and her legs lost all feeling. it was like nothing and no one else mattered when she played those songs. they gave her genuine happiness—no strings attached, no backstabbing. genuine, unconditional, mutual love. music was her lifeline, her first love. so was it really any wonder why her heart soared when she was approached by a street scout? idol groups that her peers gushed about never interested her, it wasn’t like she had time to look into them between her work at home and at her mothers shop and her school work, so she didn’t have any idea who Midas Media truly were, but even if she had her decision wouldn’t have faltered. because they offered her the opportunity to do what she wanted to more than anything. make music.

II. auditioning and passing wasn’t something that chorong expected. she wanted it, more than anything really, but she knew in her short years of life that expectations only harmed you. but she did it. and even though she did it, the family income made her movement from apo, gimcheon a far off reality. shop income was slow and they didn’t have many workers already, so her absence would be felt all over. they couldn’t afford it as they were. but that was okay. chorong was ready to walk away. she wouldn’t lose music forever, and she never really dreamed of being an idol. it should’ve been easy to simply not accept the contract to become a trainee. but even as she thought that, walking away brought tears to her eyes. it was like every time she became truly happy, something had to go wrong. she was used to being hurt, but that didn’t make it any easier. maybe that was what broke her mother so much and made her sign the contract for chorong anyway. she knew they’d be set back heavily, but seeing her daughter fight back tears as she collected her coat and prepared to go home. she’d let her down many times before, and chorong simply took it without any hesitation or complaint. but she refused to deny her her dream. so she kissed her daughter on her cheeks still with their baby fat, and made her a promise. “promise me you’ll make sure to stay healthy and make your debut memorable, or else you’ll have triple the work when you come home.” and that night chorong wanted to cry. she wanted to weep for the opportunity. but the part of her that felt compassion for others was locked away so tight that she couldn’t. but at least she’d be able to make her new dream a reality.

life in Seoul as a trainee was rigorous and painful. chorong, who’d never received any proper training and up until this point had relied on her natural talent that improved slowly as she spent her days singing, found herself far behind the others at first. it was jarring really. jumping from simple acoustic music to the hectic process of learning choreo, memorizing how to read music, and keep up stability. it was a whole new world and there were many times chorong didn’t think she was really ready for it. she wanted to go home, kick and scream. just escape. but what kept her rooted in place wasn’t the promise to her mother, or the contract. it was the promotions. Midas, for whatever reason, picked her to be one of the trainees to be extremely active predebut. it began with her being put onto mixedup with other trainees just like her. it was simple enough to understand—Midas wanted her to be known and to put her and her talents out there. presumably a mediaplay for the new girl group, give them a taste of what’s to come. it was fine enough. she’d only been training for a short while, but her confidence and charisma that came from the years of practicing not caring about people or what they thought lept her to the top rankings. and from there it was simple. she only followed what Midas told her. be careful, cameras were always on, and make sure you make them love you. easy. she smiled at the right time, she remained humble, she did what was asked, learned the songs and choreo. she was obedient. it didn’t matter she was clearly not the most talented of the bunch—it only matter that the public and show panelists kept smiling at her in favor. and so when she won, she let out a breath of relief. it was like she was being rewritten all over again—after forcing herself to not care about others, they wormed their way in and became all she worried about. it was almost enough to make her sick. 

despite her hard work, none of it mattered. because the debut was cancelled. the blood, sweat and tears shed during the few off camera moments didn’t matter in the end and chorong felt her hope plummet. it would’ve been an opportunity to get it there and finally make music like she’d been dreaming for, for the past 3 years. her hopes that bubbled to the surface were popped and she only blamed herself. she knew better, and she knew she did. but some good came out of it—for Midas anyway. her popularity, even on such a flop show, wasn’t missed to them and, with the cancelled debut, they needed to keep it up if they wanted to get anywhere with their upcoming gg. so, they pushed her out of her comfort zone. one cf deal after another. one modeling gig after another. it was frustrating, and still is, and it upset her on a core level. she hated her appearance, hated the way people called beautiful, hated the way she got praised back at the trainee dorm. hated it. but if it made it easier to make music, if it got her one step closer, she could breathe easy. as long as that was the end game, as long as they kept their promise they made to her years ago to make her an idol, she could keep her mouth shut in a smile and pose.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON DYNAMO’S LEAD DANCE, LEAD VOCAL KIM MIJUNG...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: n/a CURRENT AGE: 20 DEBUT AGE: n/a, trainee TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 16 COMPANY: 99 SECONDARY SKILL: n/a

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): n/a INSPIRATION: Mijung was inspired to become an idol because she wanted to share her love of dance with the nation. SPECIAL TALENTS:

piano - Mijung took lessons from a young age and is proficient in playing the piano. She has a habit of playing any time she finds a piano.

eidetic memory - Mijung has the uncanny ability to remember anything put in front of her, both helping with memorizing songs and dance routines as well as party tricks.

dance covers - due to her love of dance, Mijung often learns choreographies of other groups for fun and excels at random play dance challenges.

NOTABLE FACTS:

Graduated high school in 2016 and is currently enrolled in university as a dance major, though she’s taken a leave of absence from school as preparations for Dynamo’s debut have ramped up.

Before becoming a trainee, Mijung would regularly post dance covers to YouTube. All videos on the account are now private but she can’t bring herself to delete the whole thing.

Creates choreographies for popular songs in her free time. She records herself dancing to them but the videos are never posted anywhere.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Within the next year, Mijung hopes to debut. She knows better than to hold her breath when it comes to 99 Entertainment debuting Dynamo but she continues to work hard as a way to prove to management that they are ready. She practices daily and has put forth great effort into meshing with her fellow group members. She will debut; she’s decided that. It’s just a matter of when.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

Mijung has few goals beyond debuting. To be honest, she hasn’t thought that far ahead. She knows that she wants to become a choreographer in some capacity, be it for her own group or for others, but is unsure of how that would go about meshing that goal with her current idol path. She hopes that, somehow, her exposure as an idol once she debuts will open up opportunities to create choreographies. Ideally, 99 Ent will let her choreograph some of the groups’ songs. Mijung can build that into a reputation and eventually make the switch from being an idol to being a full time choreographer.

IDOL IMAGE

99 Entertainment is hoping to make the best of a bad situation where Mijung’s stoic nature is concerned. She lacks charisma and emotion in spoken interviews, though she wows when performing. To capitalize on this, 99 Ent. hope to portray Mijung with a cool and mysterious image. She can pull off the aloof, unattainable essence but managers are constantly trying to pull some playfulness out of her to soften the edge. But when she dances, it’s like she’s someone else. It comes out effortlessly then. Little smiles and smirks to go along with her deep stares. She feels it in the music and it comes out, without her even meaning to. How do they get her to perform that attitude on demand when there’s no beat to follow? It’s a struggle for all involved.

The issue is exasperated when the other potential members of Dynamo come into play. The groups’ coed concept is meant to be titillating, but courting that controversy seems impossible when Miyeon is so closed off. She can be an island onto herself, that’s fine, but she needs to learn how to turn it on and off. When she’s on camera, when they’re altogether, she has to at least look as though they’re her friends. She’s trying. She’s really trying

She’s nearly there.

She’s been getting better at this, the pretending, the forced smiles and skinship. Mijung has been putting in more effort to be personable. It would be stupid for her not to, she thinks. Not after all the time and effort and pain that’s gone into this whole process. She refuses to trip at the finish line because she’s an introvert. It’s another part of her training, she tells herself, another sacrifice she’s got to make. It’s helped, some, but the managers still have their doubts at times. She can tell, even when they don’t say it. And so Mijung tries harder still to force herself out of her shell.

She’s nearly there.

“Why do you want to be an idol if you don’t even like people?” someone once asked her. It was another trainee, one of many who came and went in her years at 99 Ent. It hurt her, at the time. It hurts her now. She uses that hurt to push her forward, like all her other hurts. Of course she likes people. Of course she’d like to be close to the other members of Dynamo. She just doesn’t know how. Mijung’s never known how. But now, at least, she knows how to pretend. That’s all they want from her. She just needs to pretend and they’ll let her debut.

She’s nearly there.

IDOL HISTORY

Kim Mijung was born in Busan on the 29th of December, 1997. Mijung never spoke much, even as a child. She didn’t start speaking until she was three, though her first words came in the form of a full sentence. Her parents were concerned. Her older sister, Aejung, and younger sister, Yoojung, both developed normally. They spoke early and often while Mijung often sat quietly and observed. It wasn’t normal, the Kims thought. And so they took her to one specialist after another, from speech therapists to child psychologists. Nothing was wrong, they all told the Kims. Her hearing was fine, her vocal chords normal. Intellectually, Mijung tested within the expected range for her age, perhaps a bit above. She could speak if she needed to; she simply chose not to. Though still troubled by Mijung’s silence, her parents slowly accepted the fact that she was not and would never be like her sisters.

Because of her quiet nature, Mijung had fewer friends than her sisters. Her parents tried to counteract this by putting her in after school activities. Football, piano, gymnastics; Mijung performed well in each of these, particularly the more physical ones. There was one such activity that Mijung took to like no other: dancing. It came naturally to her, like nothing ever had. Through dance, Mijung could express herself the way she’d never been able to with words. She felt free. Mijung continued in her other teams and clubs, but it was clear to all that dance was her one true passion.

When she was sixteen, Mijung auditioned for 99 Entertainment. Mijung never had any intention of becoming an idol. It never even crossed her mind. She wanted to be a dancer, a choreographer, not a singer, not a public figure. All Mijung wanted was to express herself. That, however, was not the case for the youngest Kim, Yoojung. Yoojung craved the idol lifestyle, the fame and attention. When global auditions came to Busan, Yoojung begged their parents to let her go. They did, on the condition that the more responsible Mijung went with her. Pressured by Yoojung, Mijung auditioned alongside her sister. To Yoojung’s eternal joy, the fourteen-year-old passed the auditions. To Mijung’s shock, so did she.

Their parents hadn’t expected this. They knew their girls were talented, yes, but they’d never considered that out of the countless people there to audition, both or even one would be selected. Should they let their teenage daughters go to Seoul to become trainees when the probability of them debuting was so low? Yoojung begged and begged to go and, eventually, they gave in. Provided, of course, that Mijung went with her. And so the two girls went to Seoul. They moved in with an aunt and uncle and their three cousins, started in a new school and started the business of being trainees.

Being a trainee proved difficult for Mijung. Though she excelled in the dance classes, her shortcomings were obvious. She had no previous vocal training, her personality left a lot to be desired and she struggled in the language courses. Mijung never felt confident in her abilities in any area apart from dance. It seemed that it was only a matter of time before Mijung would be cut loose. But still, she persisted. Mijung didn’t want to let her sister down, to be a failure. Slowly, she improved. After years of training, it appeared that Mijung had surpassed her younger sister in all areas. All but personality, that was. Mijung remained as quiet and stoic as ever despite all of her media training.

Two years after becoming a trainee, Mijung’s sister Yoojung was frustrated at the lack of opportunities to debut. Lured in by the promise of debuting sooner, Yoojung left 99 Entertainment to become a trainee in another company. Mijung was devastated. She’d given up her life in Busan, her hard fought friendships, her ambitions to become a choreographer for Yoojung. She’d pushed herself to do things she never even wanted for the sake of her sister and her dream. What did her sister do as thanks? Abandon her. The relationship between the sisters was fractured, seemingly irreparably. From then on, Mijung rarely communicated with her sister in any way.

Most everyone expected Mijung to leave 99 Entertainment when her sister did. Maybe she’d join another company, maybe stop being a trainee altogether. This did not happen. Instead, Mijung redoubled her efforts. She worked harder than she ever had before, setting herself apart from the example Yoojung had left. Mijung believed that when she started something, she needed to stay to the finish, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it became. For the first time, Mijung dedicated herself to debuting.

With her dancing talent and her newfound drive, Mijung rose to the top of 99 Ent’s trainee pool. Her personality remained dull during interviews but Mijung displayed an extraordinary stage presence and charisma when dancing. She’d never be the main face of a group but Mijung somehow seemed a perfect fit for the new coed group idea. Eventually, she was chosen to be the lead dancer and lead vocal for Dynamo.

The debut of Dynamo is on the horizon but not imminent. Mijung doesn’t mind. No matter how long it takes, she is committed to seeing things through to the end.

In late 2017, Mijung was allowed to enter MixedUp, a survival talent competition with the ultimate prized coveted by trainees:  a debut. 99 Entertainment was neither willing no ready to debut a new group, but by this point, they’d recognized Mijung’s talent and dedication. MixedUp was considered Mijung’s test run. If she did well, more importantly, if the public liked her, she was all but guaranteed a proper debut once her obligations toward the show were over. The brass ring had never seemed to close, so within reach. 

Finishing MixedUp on top was Mijung’s only goal. It was the only outcome she would accept. Countless hours of sleep were lost to long, rigorous practices over the course of the show’s months long run. It paid off. Mijung quickly rose through the ranks. In the end, Mijung was selected to be a part of the winning group. Mijung cried when her name was called out. She’d never been so happy.

Her joy was shortlived. Mijung heard talk during the show of it’s unpopularity. There were whispers of poor ratings, lack of interest, cancellation. At the time, Mijung tuned it out. It was a distraction, one she could not afford. But after the finale, the whispers grew louder and louder, until not even stubborn Mijung could drown them out. The new group’s debut was postponed. The show had been a critical and ratings failure. Mijung felt like a failure. Again, she cried. 

Mijung returned to her training at 99 Ent, eyes downcast and very much in limbo. The company wouldn’t put her in their next planned debut if she still had a contractual obligation to debut in MixedUp’s girl group. For months, there was no word from the company that put on the show. Mijung continued to practice, train, but there seemed little point. Then, finally, she was told. There would be no debut. This time, Mijung did not cry. She felt far too numb. She’d flown too high and got burned. 

For the first time, Mijung considered giving up. 

She didn’t. She couldn’t. Mijung went through so much and to quit then would make it all be for nothing. This was just one more obstacle, another painful reminder of how much farther she still had to go. Mijung, once again, rededicated herself to being selected by 99 Ent to debut. She harnessed her pain to push her forward, to toughen herself against the harsh realities of the idol industry. At least now, Mijung told herself, she was free to do whatever 99 Entertainment wanted of her. She would not let this failure hold her back.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON DYNAMO’S MAIN RAP PARK HOJUN...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 23 DEBUT AGE: N/A TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 18 COMPANY: 99 SECONDARY SKILL: N/A

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): Honey; he doesn’t like it, but he lets it happen INSPIRATION: Hojun grew up listening to his mother sing. In the house, in the car, at church; she was a songbird capable of making it big,  were she not busy raising him. Everything Hojun does is for her SPECIAL TALENTS:

Freestyle Rap-Hojun is capable of making raps out of any topic,  from the serious to the silly.

Hopkido-He started learning hopkido when he was six years old and is still practicing. People usually like watching him use a sword.

Impressions- Having always gotten along with children better than people his own age, Hojun is good at making funny animal noises. He is also good at doing impressions of his fellow members.

NOTABLE FACTS:

Hojun writes poetry in his spare time. None of it ever leaves his notebook, but it gives him a dreamy quality that girls find attractive.

Hojun was raised by his single mother who happened to enjoy volunteering for various causes. He always found himself helping her with bake sales. He makes a mean cupcake.

He has never known his father and is an only child, but he always wanted siblings.

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

Hojun wants to debut, hopefully within the next year. In fact, he will do anything to make it happen. He has been training for nearly six years and he is tired of having nothing to show for it.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

Hojun would like to escape the image 99 has cultivated for him, but he mostly just wants to be successful. He wants to stop worrying about money or whether this will work out or not. In the long-term, he would like to develop an acting career to go alongside his musical career.

IDOL IMAGE

You are too pretty to be a bad boy.

Hojun never kept his sordid history from 99 Entertainment. It would have been foolish, considering they would have uncovered it anyways. He grew up with scuffed knees and bruised knuckles. He was not a gangster, but he was leading down that path before he decided to become an idol. However, his face never quite fit the profile of an Iljin, which was probably why no one ever took him seriously unless they saw the kind of damage he could do. It was a mark of pride for him, to be the toughest kid in the room. He had to be to survive.

It seemed natural to him that they would market him as a bad boy, as the tough one in their new coed group. Instead, they decided to go in a different direction. POIZN had enough bad boys for their entire company. They were not looking for that anymore. They needed him to be sweet, approachable, someone who could sell posters and make girls daydream about marrying him. They didn’t need someone who looked like him to be closed off.

Since he started training, Hojun was forced him to clean up his act. They focused on the clean cut aspects of his past, such as his attachment to his mother and the fact that he grew up singing in the church choir. Hojun was forced to smile and have people call him “honey”, despite the turning in his stomach. He brought pastries to training practices and learned to flatter. He held doors and carried heavy packages. He became a little prince, just like they wanted.

Playing the game helped him though. People preferred being around this version of him much more than they ever did the real him. He lost his solitude, but he came one step closer to debuting. Sure, it has taken a long time, but Hojun has invested too much to turn back now. Only those around him in his off time are privy to his temper, to how easily he can break that facade of a good little boy.

IDOL HISTORY

Hojun was born to Park Ha-yoon, a hairdresser from Hongdae. He supposed he had a father, but his mother never mentioned him and he never bothered asking. He assumed if the man really wanted a relationship with him, he would have shown up long before and taken them out of poverty. Instead, Hojun was forced to watch his mother complete shift after shift at a job where people ridiculed her for never continuing her education.

His mother was a devout Christian woman, which meant Hojun had to spend his Sundays with a god who had clearly forgotten them. But he went. It made his mother happy and Hojun could never deny her something so simple.

School was difficult for Hojun. He was an easy target, especially with his short stature. The day he finally drove a fist into his tormentor’s stomach was the best day of his life. He went from being the one having his lunch money stolen to taking it from other kids. However, his sudden penchant for violence put a strain on his relationship with his mother. She didn’t raise him to turn into a gangster. He was supposed to be the one to attend a university, to make better choices than she did.

A number of adults tried to save Hojun from himself. He developed a variety of skills from humoring them, particularly his mother. He joined the church choir, wrote in journals, took up hopkido, baked enough cakes to feed a small nation, and volunteered at several organizations. None of it helped. He continued to get into fights and skip class. He never had a crew, as no one took him seriously with his sweet face, but he developed a reputation all on his own. When he turned sixteen, Hojun was kicked out of school. He refused to talk about the incident that lead to his expulsion. His mother was heartbroken, but they managed to find a school to take him. He finished his education there and eventually graduated.

There weren’t many potential avenues for a former Iljin. Hojun was working at a food counter at the mall when an agent approached him and invited him to come to open auditions. He had never considered a career as an idol. It was too fanciful, too unrealistic for a boy like him. He wasn’t untalented, but his experience was limited to gospel songs and raps he made about his teachers in the bathroom. They earned laughs, but he doubted that was what the industry was looking for. Still, he went to the audition and to his surprise, he made the cut.

Hojun’s mother was supportive of her son’s new career path. Perhaps the training would give him the structure he needed to finally kick his bad habits. Hojun was unprepared for the intense toll training would take on him. He quickly learned that 99 only wanted the illusion of a bad boy, not an actual one. POIZN had given them enough trouble already and they had just debuted two boy bands. It would be a long time before Hojun was going anywhere, so he needed to shape up if he ever wanted even a prayer of debuting. During that first year he nearly left eight different time but his mother was just so proud. It was the longest period of time he ever kept his nose clean and she loved bragging about how her son was going to be an idol. For the first time in his life, he realized he could make something of himself.

Despite his distrust of authority figures and his lack of team spirit, Hojun learned how to act as was expected of him. He learned to speak properly, respectfully. He never mentioned his expulsion. He reserved his temper for his off time and if he ever did anything illicit, he was certainly never caught. However, the rumors of his past followed him around. Hojun denied it as was expected of him, but every once in a while they would pop up and act like a thorn on his side. Playing the has paid off for Hojun as it has made him a viable candidate for the next group debut.

Hojun is a good rapper and his vocal skills are impressive. However, he still lacks stage presence and his dancing leaves a lot to be desired. He works hard, but hard work can only get you so far. If he cannot get it together, his debut may just remain a dream.

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON NEON’S MAIN VOCAL JANG GOEUN...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: n/a CURRENT AGE: 20 DEBUT AGE: n/a TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 14 COMPANY: Midas Media SECONDARY SKILL: n/a

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): kkomaengie, dimples INSPIRATION: always loved music and wanted to pursue it, chose to be an idol since she was a huge fan of diamant growing up SPECIAL TALENTS:

trot singing

freestyle (ex. writing a simple song on the spot)

voice impressions

NOTABLE FACTS:

mother was a mildly successful trot singer in the late 1980s

can play piano, guitar, and some violin

won a young musicians contest in gyeongju and got a certificate from the mayor

good at cooking

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

most of all, goeun wants to debut. she’s feeling claustrophobic from being stuck in midas’ basement for so long and she’s had to watch aurora debut and succeed from the sidelines. with midas’ company power and the other girls’ talent, she’s convinced neon will be its own success - it’s just a matter of getting out there.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

eventually goeun would like to be seen as a noted vocalist and to have her own successful career as a soloist, along the lines of jung eunji or taeyeon. she’d also like to write music for both herself and the group, and considering midas’ limited creative freedom, that probably won’t be a possibility until later in her career.

IDOL IMAGE

goeun has worked towards one goal for her whole life. she has an overwhelming sense of competitiveness and drive, and as a result can come off as serious and intense. it’s also no secret within midas that she harbours a grudge against the company for kicking her out of aurora (although she’ll deny it if asked). she’s bitter and spiteful with a chip on her shoulder. she’d argue that her chip is what has made her so focused this time, even if she pushes things to unhealthy excess.

after getting kicked out of aurora, goeun has come to see virtually all other trainees as threats. the exceptions are her fellow neon members. she’s incredibly loyal and dedicated to them, knowing that they can only be successful as a group if they work as a team. that being said, she has placed the same high standards she has on herself on them as well. she can be harsh and condescending towards them, particularly as someone who has been training at midas for a long time, has already been through much of the predebut process, and knows how easy it is to lose your spot. most of it comes from a fear of losing one of them if they were to start slipping the way she had, but it doesn’t always come off as caring - often she ends up adding stress to an already stressful situation.

midas has assigned goeun a mother-hen image, fuelled by her long training period, protective personality, and ability to cook. neon will be a fun and bright group and goeun is there to be bubbly onstage but seen as a comfort and someone to rely on offstage, to the other girls as well as to the fans. the most significant problem goeun faces with this image is that she’s not really sure the members see her that way. it’s one thing for the company to ask her to behave like this, but it’s another for the members to do it too.

IDOL HISTORY

jang goeun was raised surrounded by music. her mother debuted in 1989 and released two trot albums after trot had already become old-fashioned, earning her some praise but generally escaping the attention of the public. her father wrote both of her mothers’ title songs and fell in love with her. when their agency went bankrupt, they got married and left seoul to open a music school in his hometown of gyeongju. sounds of piano scales and guitar tuning bled through the walls of her bedroom in the apartment above the school. goeun took her own lessons and decided, unsurprisingly, that she wanted to pursue music herself, setting her sights on joining the glamorous ranks of the idols she saw on the family television.

her parents understood the industry and did everything they could to make her an ideal candidate for a major entertainment company, one that wouldn’t be likely to fold like theirs did. her father drove her an hour to a dance studio in busan for lessons. her mother played diamant and nixie cds in the car to perfect her singing idol-style and taught her to sing trot properly as an extra viable skill. she took english and japanese classes after school and studied music theory and composition. finally, in early 2013, she took the bus to busan for auditions and was accepted to the iconic, monolithic midas media. her parents arranged for her to live with an aunt and within two weeks goeun was in seoul.

early on, her excessive preparations paid off. she was a surprising talent for a new trainee, competition for the other vocalists, someone who threatened the amount of lines and ad-libs you got. within the year she was put into a group planned for debut and moved into the dorm with aurora’s members. training was gruelling, and all of the girls were in an intensely competitive setting. she wasn’t a strong dancer, even after her childhood lessons, and the company wanted aurora to be a soft, dreamy group with powerful choreography. goeun was pushed to work on her dance, but her heart wasn’t in it. she loved to sing, and that was what had gotten her this far - even if she spent all night in the practice room going over choreography, she just couldn’t bring herself to work at her dancing the same way. it was one thing to rely on her vocals as a new trainee, but she had been there about two years by then. she got yelled at regularly by the dance teacher in practice for not putting enough effort in, for lagging behind the other girls who were working so much harder. goeun felt herself slipping away from the top, singing alone not being enough to save her anymore.

four months before the set debut date, goeun was cut from the lineup. her vocals were good, but aurora’s choreographies were going to be more than she could handle, and there wasn’t enough time for her skills to improve. she was kicked out of the dorm, told “better luck next time”, and given the week off.

next time did come, although she had to wait three years for it. in the meantime she focused on dancing and performance, dedicating long hours in the practice studios to perfect every move in every choreography. she was placed in neon and moved back into company dorms. she’s still not the strongest of dancers, but being kicked out once has scared her into putting as much time and effort into it as needed for her to show midas that she’s good and only going to get better. neon’s debut date still isn’t set, and it’s making her antsy to still be in this purgatory. once she’s standing onstage as neon’s main vocal, then she’ll have earned the right to some confidence. for now she continues to power through out of fear of losing her spot again.

[idolizerp]

[ LOADING INFORMATION ON KJH TRAINEE DAEHYUN…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 15 SKILL POINTS: 01 VOCAL | 05 DANCE | 04 RAP | 05 PERFORMANCE

INTERVIEW

Aiden’s trainers have noticed his immense passion for dance. Maybe he’s a little too passionate. From the moment he wakes up, he breathes dance. He’s certainly dedicated and hardworking. He’s innovative and strong-willed, able to bring his own personality into his performances. He simply loves performing and being on stage.

He has been told that he needs to work on his manners more. His Korean pronunciation is still lacking in many ways. Singing is definitely not his strong suit, but he can carry a tune. His rapping is decent, maybe a little above average. While dancing is a necessary skill for idols, sometimes it seems like he relies on his dancing a little too much rather than focusing on becoming a well-rounded idol. He can play to strengths, but he has the potential to become even better if he challenges himself.

His company debates on how to market him. Maybe they will market Aiden as the baby-faced idol with overflowing charisma. There’s no doubt that his visuals are memorable. Aiden is rough around the edges. He can certainly pull off the “mysterious, bad boy” image pretty well. His performance style can be described as powerful and energetic. On screen, he���s a little more down-to-earth, maybe even relatable. It’s completely different from the presence he gives off on stage. Every now and then, he would speak English, and his Australian accent would slip out.

The real Aiden is a regular teenage boy. He jokes around with his friends. He likes playing sports and video games. He’s not as serious as he’s portrayed on stage. He’s actually a very friendly and approachable person. If another trainee is struggling with dancing, he is usually the first to help them. of course, he possesses qualities that certainly are not idol-like. he tends to be a little reckless, maybe a bit too audacious. he sometimes doesn’t take criticism well, especially when it’s about his dancing. it seems to stem from his pride and passion for dance.

BIOGRAPHY

Aiden was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. He came from a fairly normal family. His father was an accountant, and his mother was a nurse. His parents were traditional Koreans in the sense that they didn’t want their children to forget about their Korean culture. Aiden was forced to take Korean language classes along with his sister every weekend. Aiden did not necessarily hate his own culture, but it did make him feel like an outcast. He attended an all-boys school that was predominantly Caucasian. He did not really care for the Korean language because everything else in his life was done in English.

He was always an artistic and creative child. From a young age, he was drawn to art and music. Dance quickly became his passion as he became intrigued with b-boying. He eventually found himself in a dance crew, participating in dance competitions. It would be an understatement to say that his hobby was dancing. In fact, it consumed most of his life. He became interested in Korean pop music due to their eye-catching choreographies. He became a huge fan of BIGBANG.

When he was around fifteen, he auditioned for a Korean entertainment company. His parents were initially opposed to the idea; they weren’t too keen on the idea that he would be moving to Korea alone to become an idol trainee. Not to mention, he would have to transfer schools. They weren’t even sure if the school in Korea would give him a proper education. After pleading with his parents, he finally received permission to audition because they knew how much this opportunity meant to him.

Alone, he moved to a foreign country to become an idol trainee. He started high school at the school of performing arts (sopa) in seoul. His first year as a trainee was probably the hardest for him. He struggled a lot with learning the Korean language. Every now and then, he would receive remarks along the lines of “you’re Korean, you should be fluent in Korean.” He felt like an outcast among the Korean trainees most of the time, preferring to hang around other foreign trainees. Even though he was ethnically Korean, he was still very much in tune with Australian culture.

In a lot of ways, this was a barrier to his progress as a trainee. When his company would have him collaborate or work with other trainees, Aiden’s teamwork was definitely lacking as he didn’t really want to communicate with the other trainees. He often came off as ungrateful, as someone who lacked manners.

He chose to focus on dance, but even that wasn’t enough. To someone who considered dancing their life, he now had to focus on rapping and singing in Korean as well. Training was grueling as he spent his mornings and afternoons in school while spending the rest of his time training until dawn. There are times he considered dropping the trainee life and moving back to Australia, but he had already signed a contract with the company. It wouldn’t be that simple to leave.

By his second year as trainee, he showed considerable improvement in speaking Korean as well as his understanding of the Korean culture. He became more accepting of learning about the Korean culture, no matter how different it may be from Australian culture. He also became more social and comfortable as he tried to get along with all the trainees. He matured from his first year as a trainee. He realized he would have to communicate with the other trainees if he was planning to debut in a group. He becomes more confident in his abilities.

As he pours his blood and sweat into training, the road of a trainee seems almost endless to him. There are a lot of uncertainties looming over him but there’s nothing else he can do except work harder in hopes that he will debut one day.

[idolizerp]

[ LOADING INFORMATION ON MIDAS TRAINEE SEOYEON…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 16 SKILL POINTS: 05 VOCAL | 06 DANCE | 00 RAP | 04 PERFORMANCE

INTERVIEW

she wanted to be liked and she wanted to be known, having an image forced on her was something she didn’t mind, in fact, she liked it if it meant her getting what she wanted.

from the twinkle in her eye at her first audition to the cutesy smile she puts on at every evaluation, seoyeon had a sweetness to her and the cute character was something the management liked. she was the girl who could do no wrong for she was too lovely to scold, she was adorable and likeable, feminine and pretty, the perfect girly girl.

initially, she wanted to put forth a confident face, an image of coolness and self-assurance. before she auditioned she tried many, many times to get that unbreakable aura just right, however, with the mistakes she made, covering them up with nervous smiles, in the end that persona just didn’t fit her no matter how hard she practiced and she lead down a different route if it meant that she could pass

in reality, seoyeon was much quieter and kept much to herself, after all the years she had spent stuck in someone’s shadow it was hard for her to show her true nature, instead she learned she could easily act her way through life by pretending everything was alright. she never made many friends despite all the trainees surrounding her, but that wouldn’t stop her from pretending like she was the friendliest face around. it came easy to her, something she had learned to fake from copying her ever loved sister. just forever put on a sunny smile, just laugh whenever anyone tried to joke, just act cute.

it’s not like it wasn’t a part of seoyeon’s personality to be nice but it’s something she quickly learned that she had to amplify to get the people to like her and if they liked her she would finally get the attention she wanted.

BIOGRAPHY

— 25.05.99 04.02 ahn seoyeon is born exactly seven minutes after ahn seohyun, seven minutes after her parents had fallen in love with her twin sister, seven minutes too late.

for the majority of her childhood seoyeon is used to the affection of her parents and various family members, but in particular she was extremely close to her sister. they would do everything together and refused to if they weren’t together, some laughed and commented on how cute the pair were, some “aww’d” and claimed it to be the “twin bond” and some simply thought that having to one troublemaker was enough but two? the duo were inseparable as children and were given the same options as each other. first, it started with choir, then they pushed into gymnastics, and last they bothered their parents into dance. slowly,

however, their “bond” started to fade as seoyeon and seohyun started growing apart. her sister had left dancing and gymnastics to focus on singing, then she started gaining popularity at school and soon seoyeon could start to see that everyone clearly preferred her elder.

— 03.06.12 18.45 seoyeon had a dance show coming up and she was excited for it, it was her first time performing on her own and she wanted everyone to cheer her on. but as fate had it her sister had a concert on the same day, it’s not like they were at the same time but it would’ve been hard for their parents to see both girls so they had to choose.

just before she goes on stage, seoyeon peaks through the curtains to search for her mum and dad amongst the filled seats of the school’s theatre. her eyes wandered longingly until finally she realised, they weren’t there. that’s when she knew her parents cared more about her sister than her.

after that night, seoyeon’s view on her twin was never the same, she started to delude herself into believing everybody only cared about her, that people only wanted to be friends with her because of her more popular sister, that she could never be up to the same level as her no matter how hard she tried.

friends started leaving seoyeon due to her envy and deluded ideas but that only made it worse. she had to see close friends leave her, some even befriending seohyun instead, and it hurt her. she tried to be like her to please those she knew but it never worked, seoyeon’s head was now filled with thoughts that her sister was smarter, more talented and somehow prettier than her.

— 01.02.15 11.25 her mother mentions idol auditions occurring within the coming weeks at breakfast one morning, obviously trying to interest seohyun and hint that she should participate but instead it catches seoyeon’s attention and soon she starts to practice.

seoyeon never thought she would be an idol, she’d never thought of what she’d be in the future at all, but there she was practicing to audition to become one. sure, she liked the music they produced and she thought it would be good to expand on her dancing and singing but her main reason for even auditioning at all was to show that she was better. finally she had a chance to show to everyone that she was just as kind, just as pretty, and just as talented as her sister, if not more. now was her chance to shine.

all the weeks coming up to the auditions seoyeon attempted to distract her sister from them in order to have her chance, she even asked a friend of theirs to take her out on the day, she went to whatever lengths to ensure she didn’t go. on the actual day of auditions she introduces herself and performs with all of the heart she could give, she gets in and finally she feels closer to achieving what she’s always wanted, a chance in the spotlight.

seoyeon excitedly tells her family that she was accepted as a trainee after attending the audition. she expected them to be happy with her but she was met with a flat “congratulations” from her father and an unsure look from her mother asking if seohyun was involved too, the only person who showed happiness was her sister but seoyeon didn’t care she thought it was faked anyways.

unhappy, seoyeon left her familiar home and family life with few belongings and little memories she could reminisce about in the future, at least she could leave it behind and start a new life.

— 25.05.17 02.11 seoyeon slumps down to the floor after practicing her dancing for hours on end. here she was doing something she loved, but it didn’t feel right. she thought she was doing it to become what she’d always wanted but something was off.

trainee life was hard, the non-stop training, the few hours of sleep she got every night, the harsh words of her trainers and management, but she chose to show no weakness, she refused. it’s not like she had many friends to comfort her either, maybe one or two here and there but her sheltered personality never let them in, again she tried to show no weakness at all cost.

it had finally hit her, she was alone in this, she wished she had someone who had her back and that she could depend on but the last person to do that was her sister and that turned out so well for her. she was alone on her birthday, sitting on the third floor practice room doing nothing. she spent hours before that desperately trying to find something meaningful in all of her hard work or dancing to distract herself but now she couldn’t avoid it. she sat thinking about what she was doing and finally she reached her conclusion. she was ahn seoyeon, dancer, singer, trainee-soon to be idol, she was good at what she was doing and she didn’t need anyone to show her that, after all that’s why she auditioned. now doing what she loved, she could finally get the attention, she could finally get the popularity.

finally she could show everybody that she was somebody.

[idolizerp]

[ LOADING INFORMATION ON KJH TRAINEE KYEONGHWAN…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 18 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 16 SKILL POINTS: 02 VOCAL | 06 DANCE | 04 RAP | 03 PERFORMANCE

INTERVIEW

kyeonghwan, after hours of thinking about how he can appeal to the public, came up with a good way on to market him. he knows he’s nothing more than a product. he has no problem with feeling like it, he wants to be bought. he wants the attention. he knows he’s not the smartest, but trusts this idea and hopes to be seen as one of the following as they play to his vices and virtues almost perfectly:

there’s nothing like a fresh, baby faced boy. a smile so bright, it puts the sun to shame. kyeonghwan knows this is the most likely option for debut. if the fans feel like they can baby him, he’ll become popular. of course, he’d have to throw in a few extra attention grabbing hints to this idea of his. not only will he be the baby, he’ll be the beagle. he’ll act hyper and loud, and of course, will latch himself to his members. he’ll get scared of simple things like loud noises, bugs, everything will startle him. while getting scared, he won’t lose his beagle puppy traits. he’ll hide behind the members of his group and hug them for support. he’s knows this is something fans love to see. he wants to be seen as the boy next door or everyone’s little brother. he wants the noonas to love him. he thinks he’d suit the school boy concept very well, but would be excited to try a range of different concept you wouldn’t expect of him. of course, this also brings in the element of mastering being sexy on stage and cute off. one little problem, kyeonghwan has a hard time keeping a straight face during sexy dances. he’s always preferred more hip hop or hardcore dancing rather than being sexy. he’d be willing to learn for the sake of his future group.

BIOGRAPHY

his childhood was nothing noteworthy. no tragic backstory, no major self discovery. his life has always been average. nothing more, nothing less.

his parents were bakers in a small jeju-do town and he was the youngest of three. his older brothers both did martial arts, so he followed. he loved his brothers so much, he did whatever they did.

he spent much of his childhood training in taekwondo, just like his brothers. at the age of about nine, his brothers joined a dance class and dance studio, naturally, kyeonghwan followed. while his brothers got tired of dancing quickly, kyeonghwan found something that made his world turn around.

he loved dancing more than anything he’d ever done before and due to his time in taekwondo, it didn’t take him very long to get used to the changes of dancing. dancing was like nothing he’d ever done before, he absolutely adored it.

he was thirteen years old when he and his friends decided to make their own dance team. they entered in many contests and won almost every single one.

they were recruited to compete at a nationwide competition, the winners got to have private auditions with many different entertainment companies in korea and a chance to debut in a kpop group. his friends were determined to win. they wanted to all debut together, except there was one tiny flaw.

they had to win against all the different teams. they worked hard and created an unforgettable performance. it was amazing for a group of thirteen year old boys, but when time came to preform, kyeonghwan panicked and during his solo, he forgot the moves and froze.

due to this, his team was let down. he blamed himself for their loss and left the team, dancing on his own. the more he thought about the idea of debuting in a kpop group, the more it became a dream of his. he wanted to show his friends he wasn’t a failure, he wanted to show them he could debut and so could they.

he spent the next three years auditioning for different companies across korea. he’d never worked so hard to improve not only his dancing, but his rapping as well. he’d found love in something he thought to be a hobby.

his dream was to be successful and to debut. he wanted his bakery to be famous for their food and because it was where he started his life.

he finally, after a little over three years, made it into the company of his dreams. his parents let him fly out to seoul to train. for the next year, he trained among many talented people. he wanted to stand out as much as he could, so he did everything he could to show he was the cream of the crop. needle in the haystack.

he was successful when he was told he could audition for the show produce project. just getting on to the show and being on tv would be a win for him. he wanted nothing more to show his true talents to everyone.

he hadn’t preformed on a stage in front of many people since he froze, so he’d work extra hard to not freeze up again. he wanted to debut more than anything, nothing could stop im kyeonghwan.

[idolizerp]

[LOADING INFORMATION ON MIDAS TRAINEE DAESUNG…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 25 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 17 SKILL POINTS: 05 VOCAL | 05 DANCE | 01 RAP | 04 PERFORMANCE

INTERVIEW

from the outside, the public wouldn’t know what a little shit dax really was. his company made sure of that. growing up the way he did made it hard for him to form true relationships with anyone, so he learned how to focus all of his attention onto himself. he never really learned that the way that he treated people was.. less than kind. his company picked up on it right away; dax needed all the help for his image he could get if he was ever going to think about debuting. it was rough at first to get dax to cooperate. he had spent his entire life being a certain way, and he was too stubborn to just roll over and take these strangers trying to turn him into something he wasn’t. years came and passed, he saw groups debut and groups disband, trainees come and go, and yet there he was. stuck, in his own personal trainee hell all because he didn’t want to smile and parrot back answers to mundane questions that were fed to him.

along side his normal skill training, dax had to under go extensive image training; they had to teach him how to not grimace when someone asked about his family, asked about his friends, asked about why he started performing in the first place. it took literal years for dax to be able to bend to the ways of management, and he eventually could out-act any other trainee when it came to deflecting and lying from questions he didn’t want to talk about. the eye rolls that came with seemingly dumb and personal comments eventually turned into a sharp fake laughter, complete with an eye smile to seem genuine. he mastered the art of aegyo, finding out when to be “excited” for it or when to be “embarrassed” by it. dax learned to put on a mask that he would wear anytime he wasn’t secluded in his dorms by himself.

his fellow trainees despised him; they were forced to work alongside of him even though he was unbearable to be around. the truth was, dax had always shielded himself from forming a real connection with anyone because he knew that people always left. no one wanted to be his friend anyway, so why not push them away from the get go? he couldn’t let that happen in his professional life, though. after training for eight years (and counting), it was all he could do at this point to smile and grit his teeth at anything his management told him to do. even though he would debut with people who hated him, he couldn’t let the public see that. dax had to be known as a nice guy so he could finally get a chance to be in the spotlight. he knew that when it came to being in the public eye, he would let them see a charmingly snarky guy with an immense love for his members and a will to be a household beloved name. for a boy who didn’t know how to love, he craved it badly. and having worldwide fame, people screaming your name, even if it was for a different person entirely from who he really was? that was something he could live with.

BIOGRAPHY

dax kim never really had a home, not really. where he was born, was that his home? or was it where he lived the longest? or would home be considered where he spent the most of his time, where he had made the most memories? if it’s the first, then atlanta, georgia would be home. the large city made of lights and loud sounds, overflowing with people at any time of day. dax was born there, but not on purpose. you see, his mother was a minister, spreading the “good word” from city to city, country to country, to anyone who would listen. his mother had taken the trip from daejeon, korea to america at eight months pregnant, against the doctors’ wishes, for what she had thought would a nice, short trip. her water broke right in the middle of sermon at a church, and he was born a few hours later at a local hospital.

so, atlanta could very well be his home. he had citizenship there if he wanted it. they had stayed in georgia for a while, dax’s father able to get a transfer at his bank job in korea to come stay with his mother who refused to bring a baby on a plane at such an early age. they stayed there for a few years, actually, after falling in love with the city. even though the family started in atlanta, they moved frequently, living in small houses in los angelos, chicago, miami, denver, and new york city for a period of time. his early years consisted of traveling across the country (once his mother could bear taking him on a plane) and going to places far away, sometimes being away from “home” for months at a time. not that he remembers it; he’s only seen pictures of himself sitting near old temples in china, in a bustling city somewhere in vietnam, eating a dingy restaurant in singapore. eventually, his mother got tired of living in the same country, so at six years old, it was time to find a new “home”.

was the house he had lived for the most years considered home? because that would be osaka, japan. after they had left america, his mother decided japan was the next country that needed to hear the word of god. it was in osaka that dax discovered his love for performing. being in a new country where he didn’t know the language was tough and scary, so he begged his parents to sign him up for dance classes after being in awe of the street performers he would pass on his walk home. it was in his family’s apartment in osaka where he stayed in one house for the longest.

if home was where one created the most memories, then the dance studio would become his home. for the next 7 years that they lived in japan, he spent as long as he could learning ballet, modern, hip hop, tap, jazz, and any other dance medium he could. the pulsing beat of music would flow through his veins and it made him feel like he could speak without needed to know the language. he could take that with him wherever his mother made him travel to next. at 13, his family moved yet again, this time to seoul, where dax would live until he was eventually scouted right before his 18th birthday at a school talent show.

there was no question about it, dax loved performing more than he loved anything else. it was the one constant he always had in a life of moving boxes and plane tickets. he sure as hell loved singing and dancing more than he loved his family. his mother was always disapproving of dax, his piercings, his friends, his attitude, his lack of interest in religion. his father went along with whatever his mother said. and dax couldn’t care less about their approval. he knew who he was and what he wanted, and nothing would get in his way of that.

dax was a rebel. an attention seeker. a wild card. nothing could tie him down because nothing in his life was ever tied down. he didn’t know what it was like to stay in one place, which showed in the way he did almost everything in life. friends? he didn’t have any, not really. he would have to move away from them so he never bothered to make any true friends. he had fuck buddies, party buddies, sometimes drug buddies, but not a true best friend. there were no sleepovers where they braided each others’ hair and traded gossip, only long nights, bickering, and bad decisions.

his romantic relationships weren’t any better. dax was definitely happy to have someone in his bed, but there were no over night guests. there was no breakfast together in the morning. dax, for lack of better term, would use them then lose them. he didn’t care to be attached to someone because he knew, in the end, one of them would leave or become disinterested. no strings attached was better than heartbreak.

well, dax could always consider his company his home. the trainees there were the closest thing to a true friend he had ever had, but even then they all probably just barely tolerated him. maybe it was because he could turn on his charm and be everything that everyone wanted, making men and women fall in love with his dimpled smile and seemingly harmless personality. he was always seen as a cute and sincere kid turned sexy man when he was dancing, but when the cameras weren’t on him, he went from charming prince, to barely tolerable hedonist. he was sure it drove his fellow trainees insane, knowing that he was going to be known as a lovable guy when in reality he was almost the farthest thing from it.

training was one of the hardest things dax has ever done. he thought we could waltz in and debut in a few months, giving him a sense of security that he had never really had growing up. the only security he got, though, was that of his dorm room full of other trainees, chomping at the bit to debut just like he was. if dax was being honest, he didn’t really care about being an idol. he didn’t care so much about the money or the fame (it was definitely a nice incentive, though) as he did about just being able to perform. when he was on a stage singing, people would actually stop and hear what he had to say, unlike if he was just to try and have a conversation with someone. his demeanor didn’t exactly invite friendly chit chat. as he trained, he didn’t focus on being liked. he didn’t think about how others were perceiving him, he just wanted to work hard so he could do what he loved. but that backfired.

it was a too hot summer day when dax was almost kicked out of the company. he was training in a studio by himself, barely able to concentrate on his dance moves with how much the heat was getting to him. as he practiced, a member of the management came in and told him that there had been multiple complaints about his behavior to hr. some of his trainees thought he was being spiteful and mean just for the sake of it, and it turned out the complaints kept piling up. the hr person told him they had tried to ignore it because they knew dax was going to be a great asset for them, but they had had enough. the conversation quickly turned heated, dax defensive from the moment the visitor had stepped into his private training time. accusations were thrown around, threats were made, and dax was two secons away from not being allowed to train at their company anymore. they could find another asshole to take his spot. that is, until they told him that he either could start personality development training or he could kiss debuting goodbye. he wouldn’t let the past two years go to waste, so he decided to stick around and take the damn courses. he had to debut. he had to know what it was like. he was craving it.

so maybe dax would never have an actual home. but that was okay, because he would always have air in lungs and performing in his veins.

[idolizerp]

[ LOADING INFORMATION ON 99 ENT. TRAINEE HYUNA…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 20 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 17 SKILL POINTS: 02 VOCAL | 05 DANCE | 04 RAP | 04 PERFORMANCE

INTERVIEW

in three years, there have been countless whispers over the way the company will market jung hyuna. the heart-breaker that is wanted by many, yet remains unattainable. the girl-crush with an all-natural beauty that draws attention even by walking down the street. the mood-maker whose uncontrollable laugh, that is too big for the small girl, causes a domino effect resulting in those around her clutching their stomachs with tears in their eyes.

she was scouted in the crowded streets of seoul. but she’s to leave out the rejection she gave the scout who approached her, she’s to leave out the fact that she was all furrowed eyebrows and swears as she walked away. they want her to be a story of the girl across the street whose talent and charm led her to the life of an idol. they want her to inspire other girls to rap, to dance, to train, to sign their lives away.

she’s to smile at hosts. a small one though, one that shows she isn’t ice-cold but also leaves others wondering if there’s more to her. she’s to be sensual. charm others with her dance moves and raps, the way of a siren. she’s to be comfortable with skin-ship. go as far as initiate it, whether with her future members or idols she encounters, even if the thought makes her skin crawl. she’s to never be seen with a glare. because the aloof rapper image is out, she’s told. but while on stage, she’s to be tough and strong. because there are enough cute girlfriend images. she’s not that. she’s to be a vitamin, to support others. to bring the mood up, even if she’s barely making it through a rough day. no one is to know she struggles with anything. she can rap, she’s told, but only about being happy, and living her best fucking life. as if she’s supposed to know what that is when she hasn’t even debuted yet. and when she dances, it should seem natural. she should show that she was born with it in her blood, and not that she had been in a studio since the age of six dancing her problems away.

every piece of her has been created perfectly.

she’s to be a robot.

she’s to never show more than the surface.

BIOGRAPHY

i.     /        thunder + lightning.

it’s a tale as old as time. the one about how the princess met the prince, fell in love, married, had children, and lived happily ever after. the one that is recited as a bed-time story countless times.

she was born in the middle of a storm, or at least that’s what she’s told. there are no pictures, videos, or even a diary entry about the night she was born. nothing concrete that she can run her fingers over, or fold millions of times until there is a tear. she only has the words of her father to go by, and her brothers although she isn’t confident in trusting them even if they swear they remember the night.  her father says lightning must’ve struck her heart. that it’s the reason why she’s so strong, and why he was blessed with such a daughter, but she knows her father would say that even if she was born during the coldest night of winter.

if she was lightning and thunder, then her father was the sun that bloomed through the cloudy skies and her brothers were the soil that collected the rain and allowed it to form flowers and new life.

it’s a tale as old as time. the one that is a lie, because the prince and princess didn’t live happily ever after. the princess left, leaving the prince to take care of three children on his own. it’s a tale as old as time. the one that taught jung hyuna from the mere age of six to not just slay her own dragon, but to become the dragon.

she’s brought up with love. the kind of love that fills a person, that makes her feel full. the kind of love that allows her to become who she wants to be without judgement or fear. the kind of love that kissed her knees when she fell from her bike. or that wiped away her tears and hugged her when the storm that she caused, because after all she was lighting and thunder, paralyzed her with fear. or that cheered her on at every soccer tournament. or that stayed up until three in the morning helping her with her math revisions. the kind of love that gave, and gave, and gave, because her father, and brothers, believed there was a missing piece to the puzzle that they had to fill.

she’s brought up pampered. the kind of pampered that gets triple the servings at dinner. the kind of pampered that was never told to do chores around the house, and instead focus on her school work or things that brought her joy. the kind of pampered that was taken to piano lessons, soccer lessons, and dance lessons all because she wanted to learn and do everything. or that her father wanted to give her the world even if it meant exhausting himself at work. even if it meant her brothers taking on part-time jobs to put away money for when their baby sister gets to go to college. the kind of pampered that gave, and gave, and gave.

she’s thirteen when she realizes that she truly is the lightning and thunder storming over her family. she’s thirteen when she vows to become the dragon.

ii.    /    how to train your dragon.

she’s sixteen when she’s roaming the streets of seoul, her brothers in tow as she bounces on her toes in pure excitement over the street performers. there’s passion there, she thinks. there is lightning that strikes, and thunder that roars about the talent they have. she’s entranced. and maybe that’s what causes her to step out and dance in front of hundreds of strangers that crowd the streets. and she feels lightning and thunder in her veins as she pops and cheers erupt. she’s still hypnotized by the art of it all when she’s approached by a scout from some company that promises to make her a star. she laughs in their face and walks off, towing her brothers along who protest because they swear she’s talented and deserves to have others know her name. it’s bullshit, she says later at dinner when her father asks why she didn’t even bother to listen to what the scout had to say. but she notices the way his hair is graying, and how he eats slower, and is just a bit thinner although his food portion isn’t smaller. and that night she finds herself staring at the ceiling wondering if becoming an idol would take the stress off her father and let her family relax.

she has talent, that much she knows. she can dance, has been since she was six years old. she can hum a tune, maybe enough to sing one or two background lines. she can rap, or at least that’s what her brothers say when she raps along to a bigbang song. she’s fit, takes pride in knowing that she has a good stamina due to soccer and a body that others dream for. but she doesn’t have the personality of an idol. she’s rude, and swears too much, and burps without excusing herself. she’s stoic, and doesn’t care for others, and can’t empathize or sympathize for shit. she can’t bat her eyes, or throw a wink to the camera without wanting to burn her eyes, and she sure as hell can’t stand on stage and sing about loving some oppa who doesn’t love her back. it’s bullshit, her brothers mimic when she raises her concerns over being cut out for idol life. it’s all things they can teach, or things you can pick up, things you can fake, they reassure her.

she’s seventeen when she becomes a trainee. leaves behind her father and brothers with promises of working hard, and the mental promise that she’s going to take care of them, and makes them swear that they will take care of themselves because she has no problem running back to jeju island and kicking their asses even if she’s supposed to respect her superiors. she’s seventeen when the practice room becomes her new home, and when she raps until she trips over her words and her voice is gone, and when she dances until she can’t feel her body and maybe even sprained an ankle once. she’s seventeen when she vows to rip apart anyone who stands in her way. because she’s not here to make friends, or to be korea’s first love. she’s seventeen when she signs away her life to take care of her family, and maybe because the idea of a light shining on her as she dances or raps isn’t too bad to think about.

she’s twenty and it’s a tale as old as time. the one where she becomes the dragon and breathes fire on anyone who dares to step in her way. the one where she trains, trains, and trains, with the hope of debut.

[idolizerp]

mwm for trainees?

You can check this tag for wanted fcs! Some other faces could be: NCT Jungwoo, Yuta, or Jaehyun, or anyone from Pentagon or Monsta X. G-Idle members, Mina, Sana, or Nayeon from Twice, etc! If the members have more specific suggestions for anon please let them know! ^^