#no minwoo actor

[dirtykpopsnaps]

Here’s the request for Minwoo!

[papiermachete]

I started binging Extraordinary Attorney Woo this week.

[oimitocat]

TSWCP — CHAP 3

lee minho x m!reader

chapter summary; you just can’t live with the silence. you can’t bear it. this time, you prove minho you really will risk it all for him. will he take it or leave you with your heart bleeding in your hands?

content warning; subtle internalized homophobia + subtle insecurity + tension + constant change of pov (mainly minho’s) + crying + makeout session

content genre; idol au + actor au + fluff + angst + 9th member! reader

word count — 6.4k | m.list | a/n; this sucks btw ;(

it’s cold. frozen and heavy. 

that’s how you could describe your heart after what had happened days ago. your mind? static. looking for signal. waiting on connection. 

concert tours are coming up. your management had managed to sort something out with the executive directors of the drama so that once you come back from tour with the group, shooting wouldn’t be delayed or a hassle. the thought of it is dreadful. you still have to pull off a few conferences and amidst your tour dates some photo shootings have been crushed into your schedule. 

as much as it pisses you off, it also can’t be helped. 

“what’s your favorite scene?” an interviewer asks. 

you blink, having zoned out. gayoung’s soft touch on your knee brings you back to your current position. 

“me personally,” gayoung says with her fluent english. “i really loved the scene where i had to ride a horse.”

you stare at her before smiling. the other actor, another close friend of yours on set is minwoo, he laughs. 

“i had to help her five times to climb on that thing because she kept slipping.”

“ah, the cons of being a gnome,” you tease automatically.

everyone busts laughing while gayoung gives you an offended expression. she starts an argument, you feed it. 

minho clutches his phone as he watches the interaction from his screen. the video had been posted not so long ago now. he can’t help it, seeing you from a screen and aching. why had he been so stupid? kissing you? confessing? 

you two could never be as perfect as you and gayoung are. your chemistry is absolutely beautiful. it’s so natural. how could he ever compare to something like that. much less now? he ruined what he had with you. was a kiss really worth it? absolutely not. not after the rift he created with you became unmendable. 

“y/n, since the drama is based on a book, it has been said that the first few episodes on the next season you’ll have to portray heartbreak, betrayal and desperation. will that be hard for you?”

he watches how you shake your head immediately, that joyful expression you had dropped “i have to display a raw emotion, most of the time we as actors have to study how to display something we’ve never experienced but in this case, i’ve actually experienced heartbreak and desperation.”

minho’s eyes widened a bit. are you insane? how could you say that with your girlfriend right next to you? 

“could you maybe give us some insight on that?”

“well,” you look up at the ceiling for a moment. then you look back at the screen but for some reason it feels like you’re looking at him. as if you knew he was watching. “as an idol and actor you need to let go of many things you end up carrying, i think everyone does and everyone has someone to seek out and trust enough to simply rant and be yourself with. yet, things kind of change when you grow in the industry… maybe the fans don’t know this about me but i cherish those who i’m close with and will always find a way to keep our bonds, despite how i seem like i’ll let people come and go- it’s nothing like that. filming this drama took a lot out of me…”

“it not only took away my sleep but it took something else away. i loved shooting it, but if i had to do everything all over again…” you pause, sighing, “i think i would… but i’d change a lot of things and work hard not just to keep my career going but to keep those around me too. yeah, maybe we can’t stop people from leaving when they decided they will no matter what but it doesn’t change how horrible that feeling is.’

“you have gayoung though, as a couple i’m sure you share your burdens with her now, right?”

bitterness flashes across your features for a moment. no one has caught that, no one will. only minho.

because as much as it hurts… he’s the only one that knows you more than you know yourself. 

“of couse,” you smile. bitter. “just shows that when someone won’t be there for you, someone else will.” you pause, “and be better.”

ouch. minho turns off his phone, he covers his face into his hands and breathes wetly. he really is the worst, isn’t he?

fans have started to notice the distance between the two of you. bubble messages flood in every now and then saying they hope you and he are doing okay. he sees the comments questioning the silence that has been built between you two. the members know. 

well, they don’t know you two had kissed or that he is inevitably in love with you. 

but they know you two are not in good terms. 

chan had questioned you about it and when you didn’t give him a believable answer he had seeked minho out. all minho said was — “y/n is just too busy to keep what we have, i made sure he focuses on his career.” which in turns absolutely outed the fact minho caused all of this. the look of disappointment chan gave him is the same one he gives himself after crying and looking in the mirror.

even crying feels illegal. 

the worst part is you and jisung share the dorm with him. he hears jisung question you about your distance. he hears you talk to people— to gayoung — over the phone. he bumps into you on the way to the laundry, to the bathroom, in the kitchen. 

he works with you.

he lives with you.

he misses you. 

yet, you’re not his to seek out anymore. you’re his coworker now. 

nothing more… 

“where’s y/n? we’re about to board the plane,” jeongin says with a pout. 

minho unconsciously looks around, equally wondering where you are. they had driven to the airport at around 10 and you weren’t in the dorms. through check ins, you still hadn’t popped up. 

later, however, the video of you running through the airport with your bodyguard and manager blows up. minho finds that out in the van after landing in tokyo. he had wondered why you were so disheveled when you entered the plane. 

“we have four concerts here in japan,” seungmin mumbles to himself, “we have one day to roam around, one morning left and then we’re off to the states.”

“doesn’t y/n hyung have a private conference in the states?” jisung asks.

“what?” minho frowns.

chan sighs, “he really needs to take a break. this whole year is going to be packed.” he rests his head back on the seat, “he barely managed to pull off the concerts in korea.”

“well we do have a few free days in between our concerts,” seungmin offers, “he’ll have some sort of rest.”

minho swallows. are you really that busy? 

he still doesn’t get to see much of you. he’s had to hear hyunjin recap how you have 2 interviews a day before flying with them to japan. how you had to pull an all nighter to review a script for a morning commercial schedule. it’s crazy, he thinks. how are you alive. 

when all of you come to the venue to rehearse, he sees you thrudge in after chan, who seemingly had to drag you here. your hair is everywhere, your face puffy from sleep, your large hoodie and baggy joggers make you look small. minho forces himself to look away, his heart clenching at your adorable sight. 

practice goes alright, minho thinks. sound check goes well, jisung and changbin goofed off with the autotune. they had tried to pull you into their fun scheme but minho noticed how you grimly looked at them. it didn’t change how you still went along with it, always willing to entertain the guys. they’re your family just as much as they’re his. still, everyone is tense around you two.

because they know.

they know their favorite hyungs are in weird terms. they don’t ask, they don’t have to. it’s visibly written in the air. 

“minho can you go check on y/n,” chan asks him the morning of the official concert. 

everyone went through the same checks and passed. everything is ready. minho hadn’t really seen you today regardless, despite dancing and singing beside you. he truly does not recall you being around other than on stage, not even during lunch break. 

“why me?” he asks without thinking, it even comes out bitterly. 

chan stares at him for a moment. no one is around, just him and minho. “are you really going to drag this out?” he asks, tone evidently showing how angry he is, “everyone else is checking up on him except you. what are you two doing?”

minho looks away, fists clenching at his sides. “we’re just… not in a good spot-“

“and how long will that last? huh? y/n isn’t prideful like you are, so who is dragging it out?”

that was like a slap in the face. 

“minho, don’t shut me out.”

yet minho closed the door and never dared get near it. you never begged again. verbally. he took notice of your sad eyes after the fight. he felt your presence begging to call for him. yet you didn’t. because you knew the door that was slammed in your face would never open again. 

“i’ll check up on him before we get on stage,” he says softly. 

chan sighs, “i’ll take it.”

backstage, as he’s getting in his outfit, he sees you thrudge around. on your phone. clearly you’re talking to gayoung. he sees you smile for a second before walking out. he can’t help but follow you out discreetly. you step behind a wall, he stays around the corner. 

“i’m screwed,” you whisper. “so fucking screwed, you have no idea.”

minho steps back. well you’re alive and that’s all that matters. why would he check up on you? you don’t need him. you have the guys. you have gayoung. that’s clearly who you’re talking to.

he doesn’t need to overstep. your life isn’t something he’s involved in. 

“minho! y/n!” 

minho whips his head around, his heart pounding. does hyunjin have to be so fucking loud!? outing him like this!? he should leave before you realize he was right behind you- he makes the mistake of turning around again and coming face to face with you. 

he’s caught. 

he swallows and stares up at you. your dark eyes boring into him. you’re all ready to get on stage. he couldn’t even speak if he wanted to. there’s nothing to say. 

the way you walk past him makes his heart drop. 

the act was unfamiliar until 2 months ago. that’s how long he’s been dragging it out. that’s how long it’s been when he hurt your feelings and smashed his along. it felt like so little time but it felt like an eternity ago.

an eternity that is burned into his skull and haunts him. 

not even the roar of the fans when they come on stage silences the thousands of thoughts in his head. 

he’s on the stage feeling like a puppet. except his strings tangle with yours. the amount of times you bumped into him from stumbling were too many to count. he hates it. 

and he hates how much he worries. 

above all, he hates that he can’t near you. 

and it’s his fault. 

it’s probably the fourth concert day, the last concert in japan. they’ll be here for a day or so before flying back to korea. 

your chest feels tight. 

you get nauseous a lot. you can’t really stomach much. at most a soup you get at the hotel you’re all staying at but even that leaves you with an upset stomach. 

you had filmed a commercial in japan, gayoung had been flown out here. it frustrated you, didn’t matter where you went, gayoung had to be involved somehow. the girl isn’t at fault, it’s the company, you know that. 

“oppa are you sure you’re okay?” she asks.

you raise your head and look at your phone. the video call started thirty minutes ago when she finally landed and finished going through security. you don’t hate her, she’s a good friend. you haven’t kissed her, both of you strictly left that for the scenes only. you hug her, you cuddle her, you carry her but she’s not who you love. maybe as a friend. not as a lover. 

“you look like shit ever since we finished the drama, i didn’t want to point it out,” she says, there’s a bit of a teasing tone but she’s also dead serious. 

“a pretty girl like you shouldn’t curse,” you say with a sigh.

she stares at you before starting a string pf curses. you chuckle softly, shaking your head. you groan, your migraine returning. she immediately pauses. 

“oppa, i’m worried for you. joking aside, you really do look like shit.”

you grunt, looking around the room, “i think i’ll feel better when i’m back in korea…”

she puts the phone close to her face, as if she could see you more clearly that way. “i hope so or we’ll have to shoot a ‘taking care of my boyfriend’ blog.”

“ugh no,” you whine.

she laughs, “just kidding, the company is going to make me show my concern though if something happens.”

you give her a face, “nothing is gonna happen gayoung, i’m fine. just not a hundred percent.”

“well as long as you get back home safely,” she says softly, “i care for you y/n.”

all formality is out the window. it always has been with her, you see her as a little sibling from how long you two have worked together for. almost a whole year and a half. you had known her before the drama but contact wasn’t fully established until then. 

“i have to get going to the venue,” you finalize, dread expressed on your features.

“okay~,” she sing songs as she gets inside her van, “don’t push yourself, okay? see ya!”

“bye,” you throw a peace sign and she quickly mimics you before hanging up. 

you drop your phone on your bed before scrubbing your face with your hands. sometimes you’re thankful that you’re dating a friend instead of someone you don’t know, you’ve heard companies do that so this isn’t bad. yet, it isn’t good either. 

you’ve been like a zombie these last few weeks. taking all sorts of pills and gummies that would give you energy and help you get through concerts with a smile. you know the guys are worried about you, but you’re not the only one feeling overworked. still, you’re the one with the worst of it. 

“let’s put on our best show,” chan says as he pats everyone’s backs. he pauses when he comes to you, “let me know if you need a break-“

“hyung, seriously,” you grimace. “you make me feel like i don’t belong sometimes.”

he frowns, realizing he overstepped. “shit, no. y/n that’s not what i meant- i just- you know that i know.”

you stare at him, almost mortified. “uh-“

“please get to the stage quickly!” a staff member says. 

chan gives you a once over before heading out, you follow suit. your migraine hasn’t stopped. the roaring of the fans feels like a hammer being pounded on your skull from the inside. you genuinely contemplate taking up chan’s offer, especially when you zone out and step on minho’s shoe accidentally. 

“my bad,” you say automatically, stepping away like you had been burned.

and maybe you were, with the way he looks at you annoyingly. when did you feel so left out like this? 

you execute the choreography perfectly, smiling at hyunjin whenever he comes across you on a part. fans fawn over each and every one of you. yet, when your part comes during the bridge, you stop mid verse when something oozes out of your nose onto your upper lip. immediately, you look away from the camera and wipe it with your sleeve. the worst part is minho was behind you for the formation, his brows furrowed when you immediately stumbled when walking to the next formation. 

“are you bleeding?” jisung asks ushered as jeongin sings. 

you walk past all of them, jogging to the backstage. the bleeding won’t stop, normally you can just wipe it away and it’s unnoticeable but you knew this isn’t as easy. you’re hyper aware of your physical status. 

“oh, here let me,” a staff member says as they guide you to a chair. 

the fans are worried, chan clarifying that you’ll be fine makes it worse. how weak could you be?

“the bleeding stopped,” you say as you look at the clean tissue you pull away from your nose. 

“ah, are you sure you want to go-“

“thank you for your care, if anything comes up i’ll let you know,” you bow low before heading back out after the second song. 

there’s a moment where the members speak and chat, you anxiously return to the stage as jisung speaks to stay. you could stand beside anyone, they’re all dear to you and have been with you during tough times. yet, you unconsciously went to minho’s side, awkwardly standing there when you realize you shouldn’t have chosen him. 

even now, does he really give you comfort? why are you lying to yourself like this? 

“oh! hyung! are you okay?” hyunjin asks out loud on the mic. 

you swallow before looking down at your mic, “minho hit me with his mic when i went to formation.”

what. 

minho spins and looks at you. you clearly lost your mind. 

“i’m good though hyung, no need to apologize.”

everyone on stage is looking at you like you really have lost it. minho’s eyes are like saucers. he hesitates before bringing his mic up to speak, looking away and nervously fidgeting with his inear. 

“uh, my mistake, i didn’t realize you were that close when we turned.”

“hyung doesn’t realize his strength either,” hyunjin jokes nervously. 

there’s no way to verify or deny that fact. in the formation you and minho are pretty hidden, so in the end, it’s a possibility no matter how slim. 

“the fuck was that,” minho grits when all of you are backstage for an outfit change.

“hey, don’t fight,” changbin huffs. 

you stand there stiffly, changbin between the two of you. everyone has run off, not wanting to get caught up in it. chan comes up to you two. minho glares at you before stepping back. 

“i didn’t mean to hurt you,” he says, like he really did hurt you on the stage.

“but you did.” you say automatically. 

“hey, hey, what matters is that you’re okay,” chan says, believing the words that came out of your mouths. 

neither chan or changbin know that minho’s apology and your accusations are not from what happened minutes ago, but from what happened two months ago. you look away, turning to change. 

now, things are worse. the anger you had from what minho did dwindled down into your suppressed sadness. you meant everything you said- you’d leave anything and everything to keep him. yet, why didn’t he want you? 

you cover your face before your stylist fixes your makeup, you ask for a few moments and she goes on standby. your head is killing you, you want to cry from frustration, you absolutely want minho. 

he always knew how to make you feel better. 

how come the last time you fought him he kissed you? isn’t he hurting too? why is this so difficult? 

by the time you’re back on stage with the other members, you can’t really stay focused. you trail behind anyone and everyone down the stage when some of the songs are free reign across the stage. you stick to jisung, the second closest member to you… well, maybe the first one now that minho wants nothing to do with you. 

you watch him across the stage. 

during the song there’s a beat pause. everyone looks at each other playfully, but minho’s eyes latch onto your gaze. 

you smile at him, painful but yearning. 

he at least has the decency to wave back. 

and the flame of hope ignites in your heart again. 

your life feels suffocating. 

you can’t remember how many times you’ve been seen only as gayoung’s boyfriend. the idol with an outed relationship that bloomed from a drama. you get back to korea. you fly out for concerts. you fly out for interviews. 

it’s constant movement. 

everyone found out your nosebleeds come from stress and your lack of sleep. chan knows the most of it, he does lack sleep too. still, your life is busy even with not scenes to shoot. 

minho isn’t handling that well. he hasn’t exactly stepped up to confront you about the situation between the two of you. nor has he approached you on terms outside of fan service. it’s not even as often as before, it’s crumbs of what the two of you used to do. ever since you started a relationship there’s constant war between fans when a member is too touchy with you. 

you’re not an object, you don’t belong to gayoung. if only they knew the relationship was strictly a job on top of all your jobs. you were called in for modeling, for drink commercials, a cafe wanted to have a theme with the drama and you and gayoung had to sponsor their promotions for a week. the drinks were okay. 

the food was okay.

nothing could beat minho’s cooking. sadly, you don’t think you’ll ever get the chance to eat it ever again. you and minho’s situation hasn’t gotten better nor worse. it’s just.. still. 

you often stare at your ceiling at night when you have the luxury to be home early to rest. it’s not often but when you do… your mind drifts. 

to how soft minho’s lips are. to the hunger you two had demonstrated. the way his soft breathes ignited a fire in your stomach. he took that chance and built a wall between the two of you. 

“yah,” a voice calls out.

you jump, sitting up and whipping around to face your door. 

“i made dinner.” 

you look at the door as if minho opened it and stared at you. he’s behind the wooden pallet. he’s talking to you. your body twitches before you stiffen. 

no.

you can’t. 

you’ve waited all these months for this but you just can’t. something won’t let you. is it your self restraint? you don’t want to fight again. if you tried to bring up the topic he’d run away. he’ll somehow blame you. he’ll do everything possible to keep you at a miles distance. 

he’s just being a coworker. 

he’s obligated to show interest and care. 

“i know you’re awake,” minho says.

is his voice trembling? 

“i’m good.” you say softly, staring at the bottom of the door to see his shadow. it’s loud enough for him to hear. 

if you accepted, two things could happen. you argue and make things worse. or you lose all control and take the riskiest bet of them all. 

neither is good. 

you don’t particularly care for your fame. you have enough in your bank to survive if you get fired or blacklisted. you have backup plans. yet, you’re not ready for it yet. you’re just waiting on minho to accept that he’s the one at fault, even if it’s indirectly.

when that will happen? you don’t know. maybe him wanting to eat a cooked meal was it. yet, your instincts tell you not now. 

so you lay back down, hearing minho huff and stomp away. 

he definitely thinks you hate him. you love him, but you want him to feel a little sting. it’s nothing compared to the scalding he gave you months ago, but giving him a little taste of his medicine won’t hurt.

at least you don’t hope so. 

he has to reach out the right way. 

and… you close your eyes and toss and turns…. and if he doesn’t do it before you finally decide, then you’ll have no choice to make the move. 

just a little longer…

you hope your heart handles it. 

he doesn’t near you. you’re used to it now, despite how much it hurts you. 

it’s the end of the year and all of you are preparing for the award shows. you have many to attend— mma , mama, the baeksang arts awards. probably some more. 

the biggest is mama. it’s one of the ones at the end of the year. the acting award is in may, or so you heard. thing is you’re a nominee and they’ll announce that further on, right now your main focus is the award shows of the month of december. it’s a stressful time, but not as stressful as when you were fresh of the drama. 

since last month, you’ve had more time to breathe. to sleep too. 

you do have the obligation to keep going on dates with gayoung. instead of being home alone with minho when jisung is stuck in the studio you choose to hang out with her. unknown to you- that hurts minho. well, maybe you do know. 

“sound check done, thank you!” 

all of you bow. 

“hyung!” changbin runs to you, “i’m hungry!”

“yeah! me too!” seungmin yells. 

you smile, adoring how cute changbin looks as he clings to your side. “and what do you want to eat? we have to start getting ready for our performance tonight.”

“crab!” changbin pouts. 

“i want something else,” hyunjin argues. 

you laugh, “just order what you want… you know where my card is…” everyone screams happily, “and remember to watch your intake, i don’t need anyone with an upset stomach during or after performance. also!” you point at them, “just buy food, i don’t want to recieve a bill of some video game purchase.” you eye felix who whistles.

minho simply watches you from afar. these past few months weren’t easy. still, he can’t bring himself to face you yet. why would he? your life is as perfect as it gets— you have a successful acting and idol career. you have a beautiful girlfriend. you have millions of doting fans. what would he speak to you for? his feelings? those are worth nothing for you, it’s destroy your image. 

assuming you really did mean what you said all those months ago, what benefit would you get? he can’t do that to you. he can’t bear to think that you’d leave everything you worked so hard to build just for him… if he had ever said yes. 

but he knows better. 

and he knows his spot is exactly where he’s in- watching you from afar. seeing you work as an idol beside him. 

“alright guys, let’s go show them what we’re made of,” chan says with a whoop. 

minho simply won’t intervene. 

despite how much rest you’ve had compared to a few months back, you still don’t feel your best. still, your performance is full of energy and charisma. the whole performance is full of crazy moves and entrances. the acts hyunjin and you pulled were the highlights of the whole stage. 

by the second act, your place was to do a flip between two dancers, so that they would soon do a dance break with you. you’d have to wait for a few moments until felix finishes his line and everyone files to the side for you to do your part. 

you’ve rehearsed this plenty of times, you know when to enter and when to wait. you know how many steps to take and when to turn. when to breathe and when to blink.

yet, you take the wrong step and fall six feet off the platform stage. bodyguards run to you as you groan, your trembling arms helping you push yourself off the ground. jeongin’s worried eyes are on you, he’s hidden from the amount of dancers before him. 

“are you okay!?” a staff asks as they help you get to your feet. 

you had fallen on your hands and knees. the impact was rough but the adrenaline makes it feel like you’re fine. your hand hurts bad though, or is it your wrist? you just stare down at your shaking hands, scratched and getting red. you wobble, your knees almost giving out. you need to get back on stage-

the dance break starts. 

“help me get up!” you yell, panting. 

“if you’re injured we have to-“

“you have to walk all the way around-“

“y/n-ssi you need to get checked-“

everyone is talking but not moving. you growl, grabbing a bodyguard and your stare was enough for everyone to get the gist. they hunch over and hook their hands to give you leverage, your foot wobbles from weak balance as you boost yourself up with their help. clearly everyone is confused and worried, yet you crawl onto the stage and quickly get on your feet. 

the impact is starting to reveal where you’re hurt. your ankle is probably sprained, each step is killing you. your shoulder aches, your elbows sting. 

still, you run and when your backup dancer catch you on their peripheral vision, they immediately step back to sync with you when you backflip and spin to the floor in a breakdance pattern. it’s the final steps of the formation you were supposed to perform, yet it still blew everyone away and regained the attention of everyone. 

going through the rest of the choreography was killing you. it took everything in you to not wobble as you did your lines and performed with the rest of the members. 

the worst part? was that after forcing yourself to stand still for approximately one minute as the performance comes to an end for the cameras to stop rolling, you lose your balance when going down the stairs and once more, you fall from the three foot high staircase that lead to the backstage. 

“hyung!” jeongin cries out, catching everyone’s attention. 

medical staff already surround you as you lay on the floor, groaning and grunting. 

“what’s going on?” minho asks, eyes wide and his heart pounding. 

“hyung fell off the stairs!” changbin exclaims.

“he also fell off the stage,” jeongin sobs, “and he still hopped on and kept going-“

“hey, hey, let’s let them work,” chan says, gathering the kids away despite his anxiety skyrocketing. 

minho doesn’t budge at first, his glassy eyes fixated on your body as the medics put you on a stretcher when you say how much it hurts to move. he’s worried sick, you really pushed yourself that bad? he can’t wonder if you’re insane or passionate. no one really enjoys the rest of the ceremony. during the speech chan mentions how passionate they are for their dream, even mentioning how y/n pushed himself to give the best performance even when he shouldn’t have. 

back in the dorms chan texts the chat, saying you had dislocated your left shoulder and wrist. you’re bruised on your elbows and knees, the height would have fractured them but you had placed all your weight in the impact in your hands, causing one wrist to suffer more. two to three months until you’re fully recovered. 

they still have to perform. minho can’t help but cry, he knows very well the company will make you keep going through promotions and schedules no matter how hurt you are. 

and he’s nervous. how will he put aside his actions in order to care for you? you live right next to his room, how could he feign interest when you’ll be in need of assistance for a while? hyunjin was the same, so how could he not intervene? 

his biggest fear is this— what if you don’t let him? 

he’d deserve it of course. you have every right to refuse his help and care. 

it gnaws at him for the three days straight that you’re in the hospital. it was per your request to stay for a little longer. how will he face you? is now the right time? no. yes? 

he isn’t sure if he’s crying from guilt, self hatred or anxiety anymore. so when he hears your familiar footsteps inside the dorm he freezes. jisung is with chan and changbin again, coincidentally saying he’ll be home extremely late, he enters a frenzy. 

he hears your gruttal sigh as you walk inside your room, your door closes. 

well. it’s now or never. 

you either reject him all together — reject what? he doesn’t know. he has no idea what he’s going to say, no idea if he’ll ask to console you or to apologize for what happened or what. something has to be done, though, and if you never let him get close to you again then he’ll understand that it’s the consequences of his actions. 

he takes a deep breath as he heads out of his room. he swallows the knot in his throat when he stands before your door. 

“leave me alone, minho,” you say before his fist even makes contact with your door to knock. 

he stares at the door as if it was it that spoke to you that way. “y/n… i-“

“just leave me alone they way you said you would. you don’t need me so i don’t need you either.”

minho breathes shallow, “y-you don’t mean that-“

“the fuck do you want?” you groan, “what? i get hurt and now you decide to speak to me?”

your voice cracks at the end of your grievance. it breaks minho. 

“i’m sorry,” he sobs, “i shouldn’t have been selfish! i shouldn’t have hurt you like that!  shouldn’t have shut you out!”

he hiccups and takes a step back when you open the door. through blurry sight, he looks at you. you stare down at him, why are your eyes so tender? 

“but you did…”

“i just knew if i didn’t i’d have no restraint,” he sniffles, “i love you.” he whispers, looking down at the floor, “seeing you with her hurt so much. knowing you smell like her made me nauseous. knowing she was your new focus made me feel like i didn’t belong in your life anymore-“

“minho,” you grab his chin with your free hand, tilting his face up. “why does it take me getting hurt for you to speak to me again?” 

minho shakes his head, “i just can’t come between you and gayoung-“

“me and gayoung are dating by contract, not because i love her.” you confess, finally letting that out. “you think i want to be with her?” 

minho pushes your hand away, hot tears streaming down his face again. “what will the company think? we won’t work! you have so much to lose and-“

“you think i give a damn about all of this!?” you push him forward until he’s trapped between you and the wall. “i love you, lee minho.” you stare at his mortified expression, “i stand by what i said. for you, and only you, i’d give up everything.” 

“your career-“

“none of this means nothing if you’re not in it!” you grab his chin again, “you don’t have to love me back, you don’t have to accept my feelings! just, just talk to me again, please,” you beg, your own eyes glassing over, “don’t just be my coworker, be my friend again. be my safe place again. i-i’ll put away my feelings for you, we can forget that i love you but don’t shut me out again.” 

“y/n…” he stares at you, realizing how truly broken you’ve been since that day. 

“that’s what i meant that day… none of this is worth it if the one person that made me feel like i belonged isn’t with me.” 

“oh, y/n…” his bottom lip trembles, “have we really been that blind?”

you close your eyes and sigh, “i understand you’re scared of the public eye…”

“i am…” he whimpers. 

“but i’d walk through fire if it meant i’d have you as mine for the rest of my life.” 

he locks eyes with you, drowning in the warmth of your orbs. his heart hammers in his chest again, would he do the same? what is he really scared of? loving you and risking his career? 

no, he concludes. 

“y/n….” he says shallowly before leaning in to kiss you. 

he’s scared of losing you and realizing everything he has isn’t worth that. 

you kiss him with passion. his soft lips syncing with yours, saliva mixing with yours as your tongue grazes his. your hands grab his waist and pull him flush against you.

“ngh- y-your wrist-“ he tries to say as you eat his mouth. 

“don’t care,” you grumble as you attack his lips without remorse. 

the pesty sting in your bone doesn’t matter when he’s finally in your arms. his whimpers and moans make you want more. you know he’ll sound even more beautiful beneath you in the sheets, taking all you have to offer. 

just the thought accelerates your heart rate. the beautiful man you’ve always wanted is finaly before you. the kiss means more than a confession. you place your hands behind his thighs, he makes a noise when you lift him up. 

“ah- your shoulder-!”

“it’s okay baby, what you make me feel is bigger than the pain,” you tease as you carry him to your bed. 

he can’t scold you or complain because you attack his mouth again. you grin into the kiss as you sit on the edge of the bed with him on your lap. it’s probably the hottest thing minho will ever experience. he straddles your waist for more comfort in this position, hands running through your hair as you kiss along his jawline. when you kiss a certain spot, he twitches and whines. 

with a lazy smile, you pull away and look at him. 

“let me take you,” you beg softly, panting.

he swallows, looking down at the tent in your shorts. “but gayoung-“

“can you stop mentioning her?” you growl, pulling him down by the hips so that your boner pokes him through his joggers. “she will never have me the way you can.” you kiss his ear, making him shiver, “the way you will.”

“i’m scared,” he voices out. he wraps his arms around your neck, “i-i want to say yes but… there will be no going back, y/n…”

“it was never a choice,” you say.

and he lets you push him down onto the bed. 

🏷️ TAG LIST — @f1ln4dr3cl16mv33 @gnusihcom @minholover1 @lucianidealz @desafortuno @missvanjii @lisaswifey @yongbokkk

©OIMITOCAT

©VICTORBUTNOTREALLY

[lgcmanager]

SIDE EVENT 021 ( CHUSEOK & LGC FAMILY CONCERT 2K24 )

a reminder on side-events; they are non-mandatory occasional events that your muse can choose to participate in or not.

while missing an event might mean missing out on points, be aware that choosing to take part in it could have positive or negative consequences for your muse. there is also no telling which part of the event will have consequences either since they will be tailored to make it difficult to guess what could impact your muse. while the final consequences are decided at the same time as the event is created, we will only reveal them the sunday after the deadline if there are any. so choose wisely: are you willing to make a gamble with your muse?

( important note: EVERY MUSE in the company will take part in the event canon wise, whether or not a mun writes for it. )

sometime around EARLY AUGUST, all of the parties involved ( IDOLS, ACTORS, MODELS, and TRAINEES ) gather together to their assigned locations by their managers and coaches as they begin to disclose all of the details pertaining to LGC FAMILY CONCERT 2K24.

GENERAL DETAILS

this year the concert will be held on SEPTEMBER 27 and 28 at the SEOUL OLYMPIC STADIUM. the emcees will be BLAZING’s MAY ( PARK HAEMI ), DBSD’s SIWOO, and HARU’S MINWOO.

CHUSEOK ( DEBUTED ARTISTS )

for all of the DEBUTED ARTISTS ( including BLAZING5, DBSD, NKND, and HARU ) on SEPTEMBER 14 they will be invited to a grand dinner party to celebrate CHUSEOK. it is mandatory for all of them to attend and during this time, the managers will be present so it is expected to be on their best behavior ( and a great chance to catch up with some of the artists they may have not seen in a while ).

CHUSEOK ( EVERYONE )

as a future reminder, everyone will be celebrating chuseok from SEPTEMBER 16-18 so they will be given a short break to spend time with their loved ones and relax ( exception will be KIM JINSEO, who will be attending MILAN FASHION WEEK on SEPTEMBER 17 ). everyone will be returning back to the company and training on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19.

TRAINEES ( STAGES )

as briefly mentioned in TRAINEE MISSION 018, all of the trainees would have started vlogging their day in the life as a trainee videos and in the next few weeks, those videos would be edited and compiled to create multiple videos that will be shown on LGC’s youtube channel and throughout LGC FAMILY CONCERT 2K24 as a chance for new and old fans to get to know the trainees even more!

on AUGUST 18, the trainees will be told that they will learn and/or practice the following songs:

AWKWARD SILENCE – FUTURE DREAMS S2 ( SENIOR MALE TRAINEES; FROM NOSTALGIA S2 )

DOLPHIN – OH MY GIRL ( SENIOR FEMALE TRAINEES; FROM NOSTALGIA S2 )

SIESTA – CRYSTALLIS ( SENIOR FEMALE TRAINEES WITH CRYSTALLIS )

BE MINE – HARU ( SENIOR MALE TRAINEES )

PRETTY U – SEVENTEEN ( JUNIOR MALE TRAINEES; FROM NOSTALGIA S2 )

HOW YOU LIKE THAT – FABULA ( JUNIOR FEMALE TRAINEES )

THUNDEROUS – TYPE ZERO ( JUNIOR MALE TRAINEES WITH TYPE ZERO )

POWER UP – RED VELVET ( JUNIOR FEMALE TRAINEES; FROM NOSTALGIA S2 )

I GOT A BOY & SO HOT REMIX – BLAZING ( EVERYONE IN DAY 1 / ENCORE STAGE )

SHINE & AJU NICE REMIX – DBSD ( EVERYONE IN DAY 2 / ENCORE STAGE )

( important note: for the NOSTALGIA S2 songs, ic wise those were selected as some of the most viewed performances from the season [ aside from week 7/agito week ]. )

ooc wise, since some of the trainees can come and go, there will be no lyrics distributions for this. do note that regardless of skill set, all of them will be required to dance to the song assigned to them ( and ic wise, the coaches would have assigned the parts after asking all of them [ minus the encore ones ] to audition by singing a snippet of each of the songs ).

CO-ED SUBUNIT DETAILS

as mentioned in the V&A MISSION and CRYSTALLIS MISSION, ic wise the idols chosen were notified beforehand about the song and who they will be working with. but ooc, the idols selected for the unit were CRYSTALLIS’ ASTRID & YOUNGWON, HARU’S HANKYUNG & JOSHUA, and V&A’S JEON HARU & SEN. they will be performing and releasing ‘LIES ALL LOVE’ on the day of the concert ( SEPTEMBER 27 ). line distributions can be found HERE.

SPECIAL STAGE ( NOVA )

on day 2, NOVA will be performing their own version of NKND's "girls, love boys, love girls", which will be called "GIRLS LOVE BOYS"! you can find the line distributions for this over HERE.   

INTERVIEW & GAME PANELS

for both days, all of the ACTORS and MODELS will be a part of the panels where fans and attendees can ask questions from their favorite celebrities! based on everyone in LGC AGENCY’s notoriety, they will be grouped as follows:

SOLO ( DAY 1 )

HAN JISOO

KIM JINYOUNG

LIM SANGHYUN

GROUP ( DAY 1 )

AHN YEIN, CHO MINKYU, HAN HYUNHEE, JO EUNWOO, KIM CHERRY, MOON JIAH, PARK SUJIN, ZHENG LEO

SOLO ( DAY 2 )

BAEK SEONA

KIM JINSEO

SHIN JIEUN

YANG AERI

GROUP ( DAY 2 )

BAE SOJIN, HAN ROWON, HAN SEUNGHYUN, LEE HYUNSOO, MOON JINO, NAM GYURI, YOO HAEMIN

( important note: people who had at least 500 NOTORIETY OR MORE since the beginning of AUGUST were given a solo interview panel and anyone with LESS THAN 500 NOTORIETY would be placed in the group panel. )

for the SOLO panels, each actor/model will be asked a series of questions ( within a 1 hour minute time frame ) by the fans regarding their recent gigs throughout 2024 ( eg. “any memorable instances filming a cf/drama/movie”, “what can we expect in the latter half of 2024” )  and about themselves ( hobbies, interests, etc. ) by the end of the panel, the actor/model will be given a chance to randomly pick 3 lucky winners and they will be given a chance to have their photo taken and signed by the artist!

as for the GROUP panels, it will be similar to the SOLO interviews but with a gaming component included. the GROUP will first see a big bingo board, where each square is either a general question asked by one of the fans ( eg. “show us your best aegyo”, “what is your favorite gig you’ve done in the past year?” ) OR a mini-game ( eg. “play rock, paper, scissors against the host. whoever loses gets hit with the toy hammer. if they do not win 3 individual rounds of the game, they cannot get the square”, “reenact a famous scene and if one of the fans can guess correctly what movie/drama it came from, you can claim the spot” ). for the mini-games, in order for the GROUP to claim that spot, they will need to win the game. if they lose the game, the spot will not be available. if the group gets a “BINGO” by the end of the panel, they will get a chance to give 3 lucky fans a small gift set signed by the actors/models from that group.

because there are multiple interview panels, some of them will be going on at the same time and any DEBUTED ARTISTS who aren’t a part of a panel during that time or have any bit of free time CANNOT visit other people’s panels.

V&A ANNIVERSARY FAN EVENT

per request by various ETERVAL communities, LEGACY has added a mini fan event for V&A to attend to. while their anniversary is on SEPTEMBER 27 ( same day that they will be performing ), the event will be on SEPTEMBER 28 before the concert. during the first portion of the event, there will be a V&A trivia game between 7 lucky super ETERVALs ( one for each round/member ) and the 7 V&A members. the questions will be quite group specific, testing both teams’ ability to recall as much information as they know about V&A ( eg. “what month, day, and year was [insert song] released?”, “when was the fandom name revealed?”, “what is the title of the third song in [insert album]?” etc ). then in the latter half, the ETERVALs will be split into smaller groups and have a hi-touch moment with their favorite member. each member should have an equal number of fans lined up for them.

near the end of the event, the V&A managers will take several group photos with V&A and all of the ETERVALs who attended and it will be posted on their social media as a way to thank them for attending the event.

OFFICIAL GROUP NAME REVEAL ( NKND )

on SEPTEMBER 28, it will be revealed publicly that the trainees in the “new kids new dreams” project will be officially be called MZSD ( and for the observant people, the group name has been hinted since 2022 as mentioned in this article )!

LGC FAM CON 2K24 SET LIST

for all of the other information regarding family con 2k24 ( collab stages & set list ), please click over HERE!

WRITING REQUIREMENTS

CHUSEOK: write a 250+ word solo/headcanon post or a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines; 2 posts per mun) thread with someone else about the time spent during chuseok for +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE !

LGC FAMCON 2K24: write a 300+ word solo or a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines; 2 posts per mun) thread with someone who is participating on the same day as your muse about anything related to the family concert 2k24 for +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +8 NOTORIETY !

you have until OCTOBER 5, 2024 11:59 EDT to meet requirements and claim your points. threads can be continued beyond the deadlines but points won’t be collected after that. the official tag for this event is lgc:familycon2k24.

in order to validate your skill points and collect your notoriety points, please submit the following form on the points blog before OCTOBER 5, 2024 11:59 EDT:

MUSE NAME ∙ LGC FAMILY CONCERT 2K24 - CHUSEOK: +5 ( skill points distribution ) [ LINK ] - LGC FAMCON 2K24: +5 ( skill points distribution ) + 8 notoriety [ LINK ]

[narniacloud]

Lee Minwoo’s debut in theater marred by acquaintances’ free ticket demands

Shinhwa’s Lee Minwoo criticizes acquaintances seeking free tickets to his play.

Shinhwa member Lee Min Woo expressed disappointment with acquaintances who complained about not being invited to his play and openly criticized those expecting free tickets. On November 25th, Lee Min Woo wrote on his social media, “To those acquaintances who said they won’t come to the play ‘Les Misérables’ because they weren’t invited and feel hurt, listen carefully.”

From November 21st to 24th KST, Lee Min Woo performed as student revolutionary Marius in the play Les Misérables at the National Theater of Korea’s Haeoreum Grand Theater. He explained, “Celebrities, acquaintances, and even family who came to see Les Misérables contacted me first to congratulate me and purchased tickets on their own.”

He added, “Let’s mind our manners,” indirectly criticizing those who seemingly expected free tickets. This play marks Lee Min Woo’s first theater role in his 26-year career. His agency, Live Branding, stated, “As Lee Min Woo takes his first step as a full-fledged actor, he plans to actively engage in various fields, including music, entertainment, and art.”

Meanwhile, Lee Min Woo has previously garnered attention for being a victim of gaslighting by a former TV writer. The writer approached Lee Min Woo, claiming connections within the prosecution, and extorted approximately 2.6 billion KRW (about $2 million USD) and 218 luxury items under the pretense of helping him avoid legal troubles. At the time, Lee Min Woo was suffering from sexual harassment allegations and was subjected to verbal abuse, including being called “human trash” and a “scammer.”

Lee Min Woo reported experiencing severe psychological distress from the incident, and the court acknowledged the gaslighting he endured, sentencing the writer to nine years in prison. On a broadcast last year, Lee Min Woo recalled, “It’s not strangers but people close to you who deceive you. In my case, it wasn’t just fraud—it was extreme gaslighting.”

Source: Allkpop

[kaishaexotica]

When LOOPiN eventually disbands, and we're talking like when they reach their mid and early 30s because I think after 2024 + their military enlistment era they will still have a good one or two years before they fully branch off:

Taesong's going to become a radio host while he's still under RareRhy + focus on raising his family with his then wife Yunhee - I'm pretty sure they will have like, 3 kids;

Minwoo's pretty obviously getting over his premature 2024 retirement and working as a music producer again - he's officially signed to A Company (important), but he doesn't rap or sing unless it's in very special features for his friends. And even less surprisingly he's eventually becoming roommates with J.J both in their house in Korea and their apartment in Hong Kong;

Seungsoo is becoming the CEO of his very own entertainment company - probably going to steal a lot of employees from RareRhythm and MBN. He'll 100% make the next greatest girl group of all time. I think romantically he'll keep on being a serial dater until he dies, probably will get a kid out of one of these endeavours just because I think he will be a pretty good dad;

Haruki is becoming a full time choreographer/trainer for Soo's company, and surprise surprise! He's going back to college as a 30 something and studying art history. He'll pretty much retire from publicly appearing as a singer or model. I want to imagine he'll end up with Sejin far, faaaar into the future but honest to God I don't know if Haruki is the type to give second chances to anyone even in his most mature form;

On a similar vein to Haruki, Gyujin is also not staying as an Idol on his own - he's a team player, he would hate it bad. He will open his own little studio and teach Yoga like he does best, maybe even work to be a physical therapist later on? I see him staying single :( because I still don't know what Gyujin wants when it comes to romance. Maybe he'll always want nothing on that department and that's that;

Dylan's final love will always be filmmaking and he's going to make some extremely poetic and inspired movies that will go to Cannes and shit. I also see him working as a concept director under 'Seungsoo Ent', but not full time - Seungsoo will never give a group of his lore. I always see him going back to the US for a while, specially to catch his grandparents final moments, but ultimately he's made too much of a life for himself in Seoul to not call that his home too. I'm still uncertain about him and Furumi and how far they'll go, but I don't think she stays on his life that long as a partner - but as friends, yes! None of the Fukunaga sibs will never leave him;

O.z will keep on being a highly requested producer, I see him getting very international while maintaining his soft spot for K-Pop. He'll also never stop realizing these insane sounding mixtapes. I see him leaving South Korea with Nico, of course, probably to New Zealand. I can't see them having kids anytime soon but hey! You never know what's the next crazy thing these two are going to do!;

Hanjae's becoming a full time actor, and he'll end up the busiest and most long time famous loop dude ever. It'll take him a good while to balance his work and personal life all on his own, but I like to imagine he's getting himself a great manager team - maybe even leaded by Han Qiong! I think he would still make music from time to time, but very spaced out between his dramas and movies;

J.J is going full time TV personality + magazine model + actor combo - in Korea, in China, in the US, this man is going to be everywhere doing a bit of everything. He lives primarily in Hong Kong but it's always traveling and running around the world while dragging Minwoo along;

Haegon's going solo, babyyyyy, and I mean it all the way. He's not signing to any company that has a loop dude under them, but that's just Haegon's personal journey! It'll be important to him to do a full restart without the guys for a change, but that doesn't mean he won't keep on cheering and meeting up with his bros. I see him crashing at the member's houses all the time between schedules and his many concerts.

[toreadornot]

spin the wheel and get a random Ocean's Godori character

(short character descriptions below cut for anyone who hasn't read it yet but loves polls)

Ajay Anand - father of Teo and Declan, runs the most influential tech company in the solar, adroit businessman, loves his family

Amell - he's in Corvus's raiding crew, knew Phoenix before he became Phoenix

Aries - he's an accountant turned raider in Phoenix's crew, "large Asian man with a buzzed head"

Cass - she's a fighter/raider in Phoenix's crew, black woman

Corvus - he's a raider/entitled and arrogant in a bad way

Dae Song - she's an Alliance captain (Korean space force), not respected by her crew

Declan Anand - older brother of Teo, the one who will take over the company, loves his brother.

Emory - she is a shield/fighter in Corvus's crew, uses augmented tech

Gemini - he's a Guatemalan pickpocket/thief raider in Phoenix's crew, naturally suspicious of others, has a mole on his nose and dark wavy hair with gray-green eyes

Hadrian - raider-adjacent man who is skilled at imitating the voices and mannerisms of other people

Hajoon Yoon - older brother of Ocean, loved to fly and drive vehicles, taught her how to operate them like him

Haven Sasani - medic who was raised in a community that doesn't touch outsiders, mother was Japanese and he stood out among the community, has an undercut and a silver vulture tattoo on the back of his neck

Kent/Von - xenobotanist on Dae's ship, slender black man who loves his algae

Lupus - they/them hacker who got fired from the New York Public library for hacking the library while still working there, silver hair and baggy clothes

Maggie - engineer/mechanic/cook for Dae's ship, stocky with blond hair, has 3 wives and a husband already

Minwoo Kim - famous Korean actor, slightly crooked bottom teeth for charm but otherwise 'perfect'

Ocean Yoon - Korean pilot in the Alliance on Dae's ship, very skilled, very confident in her skills, tattoo of white crane on her right hand

Phoenix - famous raider from Mercury, noble brow, golden skin and blond hair, he's a showman in public and has a soft heart

Teo Anand - the attractive 2nd son of the Anand family, his role in the family is to do PR appearances/dates, joined the Alliance on his own, has a scar on his cheek

[diamcndsky]

INVU is the first FULL ALBUM by VESPER leader and soloist SELINA. it consisted of TEN tracks including the title track INVU and was released digitally and physically on OCTOBER 8, 2022.

TRACKLIST !

01.) INVU 02.) Can't Control Myself 03.) Set Myself On Fire 04.) Toddler 05.) Cold As Hell 06.) Timeless 07.) Heart 08.) You Better Not 09.) Ending Credits 10.) Swim Good (ft. Minwoo)

MUSIC VIDEO !

STYLING !

ABOUT THE ERA !

INVU was the long awaited solo comeback from vesper's SELINA, her first solo release since her special single 'Weekend' and promotional single for Frozen 2, 'Into The Unknown (End Credits Version)'. the song debuted at #1 on many different charts domestically, along with charting highly internationally. she performed on music shows for two weeks, gaining FIVE music show wins in that time. prior to the album's release, Selina released a short film for the track 'Can't Control Myself', featuring idol and actor Choi Minwoo. INVU also features a duet between the two, 'Swim Good', written by Minwoo and produced by Selina, performed on a variety show prior to the album's release. the performance garnered a lot of attention from the public, with many netizens noting the pair's chemistry.

SOCIAL MEDIA !

[ppeonppeonhan]

Love Class 2: Maru x Minwoo

Conflict: A friends-to-lovers plot where college student Minwoo pines for his unemployed high school bestie Maru until a female ally swoops in to make Maru jealous, so he could realize his feelings. (He's the idiot hiding in the bushes below.)

GIF by save-the-data

Chemistry: Maru was a level of dumb that justified why it took so long for him to realize how he felt, and Minwoo's frustration with himself was (briefly) heartbreaking. Actor Lee Kwang Hee (Maru) really delivered in the first kiss scene though 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 -- wasn't even disappointed that they didn't show them going further.

Sequel/Spinoff: They should've ended their story after Maru told a sleepy Minwoo that he would spend the rest of his life trying to show him as much love as he's received. After that it becomes quite obvious that they're not actually compatible. Maru is too immature. I wish he spent the last 2 episodes trying to get a job instead of being content in mooching off his bestie-turned-boyfriend.

[restlessmaknae]

2022 drama recap

Note: these are dramas (webdramas & one cdrama as well) that I’ve watched this year, but not all of them were released in 2022.

Falling into your smile (cdrama): I loved it even though I have nothing to do with e-gaming. This drama was better than I’ve expected and touched on more serious matters regarding the gaming industry and double standards. The acting was a bit exaggerated sometimes, but overall, the couple’s chemistry was nice.

My review: 8.5/10

Our beloved summer (kdrama): I love slow-burn dramas, and this one delivered. Had just the right amount of everything, and I loved that they ended up breaking up for very real reasons in the past, not plain misunderstandings. The acting was excellent!

My review: 10/10

Kiss goblin (webdrama): This was short, sweet and funny. It exceeded my expectations, but you shouldn’t expect a miracle, it still has the budget of a webdrama. I would recommend it for binge-watchers though.

My review: 8/10

Beyond evil (kdrama): My first thriller kdrama, and honestly, it was really good. Totally gave me the chills, the acting was amazing as well. It felt a bit dragged by the last around 3 episodes, but nevertheless, it was an awesome drama.

My review: 9/10

Rookie cops (kdrama): This was a lovely feel-good drama, though don’t get too attached. It gets darker than expected. Loved the friendship, loved the crimes.

My review: 8/10

A business proposal (kdrama): I only deduct 0.5 point because it did have a lot of clichés, and Minwoo should have stayed out of the way a lot sooner, but otherwise, it was definitely the funniest drama I’ve watched this year, and it’s going to have a special place in my heart. Loved both the main couple and the second lead couple!

My review: 9.5/10

Love all play (kdrama): It was a huge disappointment for me. The first half was kind of okay, but the second half was a struggle for me, it felt so repetitive and dragged. I’ve watched until the end only because of the second lead couple.

My review: 6.5/10

School 2021 (kdrama): It was such a breath of fresh air. I loved the bickering main couple and the tough looking guy who’s a real softie+the tough looking girl who just has a hard time showing her emotions second couple. The supporting characters didn’t really interest me that much, especially that out-of-the-blue baby part, but otherwise, it was a lovely, lovely drama.

My review: 9/10

Extraordinary attorney woo (kdrama): Do yourself a favour and watch it! Yes, the law stuff can be a bit boring at times if you’re not that interested in law, but because of everyting else, it’s really worth it!

My review: 10/10

Hot stove league (kdrama): It was a really nice drama with a lot of touching background stories. It did go into a lot of sports-related details at times, but it’s a sports drama, so you can see it coming.

My review: 9/10

Best mistake 3 (webdrama): I have to be honest, I’ve only watched it because of Wonpil and Hyunsuk, and I haven’t watched the first 2 seasons, so I can’t talk about that. It’s a webdrama, the storyline is sometimes boring and some characters are pretty annoying, but at least you can support some idol actors/actresses. :D

My review: 6.5/10

All of us are dead (kdrama): It was my first drama of its kind, and I’ve loved it a lot more than I would have expected. I couldn’t believe that Gwinam couldn’t die though, and I wasn’t super interested in Onjo and Chungsan’s love story (I’ve started watching it because of Namra & Soohyuk), but otherwise, it was super intense and exciting.

My review: 9/10

Summer strike (kdrama): I loved it with everything it had to offer, and it was truly a healing drama for me. I liked the main couple and the second lead couple, too. The acting ranges were also excellent.

My review: 10/10

Taxi driver (kdrama): I love a good justice league drama, and it perfectly did its job. You get attached to all of the main characters, and it makes you feel satisfied when the bad guys get their punishment. The acting ranges were also excellent here.

My review: 10/10

[mountphoenixrp]

Following our activity check, the faceclaims and deities listed below are now free to be roleplayed.

No Minwoo, actor.

Nefertem, Egyptian Pantheon.

Yoo Yongha, WEi.

Please unfollow @mp-nefertem and @azazel-mp.

[ll-net]

LL E&M Talent List

(click here for series info)

ARTISTS

RICA (2010- )

Tae-Yi (2014- )

KOMODO (2013- )

LLRookies (2015- )

ACTORS

Moon Yejin

Kang Minwoo

MODELS

Jeong Wooin

Myeong Gaeun

[icaruswrld]

彡 🪐 ₊ ˚ᥐ     ݁   ICARUS is the first fictional co-ed group under DreamDive Labels with five members: Ashton Han, Lucy Bae, Hyunjin, Sabrina, and Minwoo. Debuting in early 2017, the lineup did not feature Minwoo until February 2020, before then, the group was a standalone quartet. Best known for their concept, ICARUS holds a reputation of becoming some of the best idol actors - all thanks to DreamDive Labels' unique training that benefited in showcasing the group's lore, which follows the lives of the offspring of big-city billionaires running from dramatic scandals; constantly getting exposed by an unknown entity known as the Icarus.

Completely formed and established by leader Ashton Han, ICARUS took off as one of the first self-made successful co-ed acts. With public coverage of their story, the Han siblings became a beloved piece of the industry despite blood-relations. Ashton entered as a trainee, taking the lead when DreamDive Labels was scrounging for the hottest material by recruiting & auditioning the first three members. In 2019, Han entered a legal battle with DreamDive Labels and won over the rights of both ICARUS and DreamDive, recruiting maknae Minwoo as a result of a new start and showcased him in 2020.

▸▸ ⤸ more below the cut !

━━━ BASICS !!

GROUP NAME ╱ ICARUS (이카루스)

DEBUT DATE ╱ february 3, 2017

DEBUT SONG ╱ THE EVE

DEBUT RELEASE ╱ XOXO, ICARUS (the 1st mini album)

COMPANY ╱ DREAMDIVE LABELS

MEMBER COUNT ╱ 5 (formerly 4)

FANDOM NAME ╱ phoenix + phoenixes

GREETING ╱ "keep this a secret, we are icarus!"

COLOR PALETTE ╱ french ultramarine

DISCOGRAPHY ╱

— XOXO, ICARUS [2017, mini album]

— BLACKMAIL! [2017, mini album]

— LOVE, MONEY, POWER [2018, first album]

— GIVE IT TO ME [2018, japanese debut]

— REGULAR [2019, single album]

— ROAR / NO MANNERS [2020, digital single]

— SCARS [2020, japanese single]

— ICARUS RISING [2021, second album]

— DEJA VU [2021, mini album]

— IMMORTALS! [2022, third album]

— EP. I: BURN [2022 fourth album]

— EP. II: FADED [2023, mini album]

— EP. III: GONE [2023, fifth album]

━━━ LINEUP !!

[1996] ▸▸ JONGIN, "ASHTON HAN" ꗃ leader, main rapper, producer, lyricist

[1997] ▸▸ LUCILLE, "LUCY BAE" ꗃ main vocalist, main dancer, visual

[1998] ▸▸ LEE "HYUNJIN" ꗃ main vocalist, visual, face of the group

[1999] ▸▸ MINA, "SABRINA" HAN ꗃ main rapper, sub-vocalist

[1999] ▸▸ "MINWOO" KANG ꗃ lead vocalist, lead dancer, center, maknae

💌 ♡ TAGS | DM OR COMMENT TO JOIN!

[lgcmanager]

SIDE EVENT 018 ( CHUSEOK & LGC FAMILY CON 2K23 )

a reminder on side-events; they are non-mandatory occasional events that your muse can choose to participate in or not.

while missing an event might mean missing out on points, be aware that choosing to take part in it could have positive or negative consequences for your muse. there is also no telling which part of the event will have consequences either since they will be tailored to make it difficult to guess what could impact your muse. while the final consequences are decided at the same time as the event is created, we will only reveal them the sunday after the deadline if there are any. so choose wisely: are you willing to make a gamble with your muse?

( important note: EVERY MUSE in the company will take part in the event canon wise, whether or not a mun writes for it. )

on AUGUST 15, all of the parties involved ( IDOLS, ACTORS, MODELS, and TRAINEES ) gather together in their assigned locations by their managers and coaches as they begin to disclose all of the details pertaining to LGC FAMILY CONCERT 2K23.

GENERAL DETAILS

this year the concert will be held on SEPTEMBER 23 at the SEOUL OLYMPIC STADIUM. the emcees will be BLAZING’s MAY ( PARK HAEMI ) and HARU’S MINWOO.

CHUSEOK ( DEBUTED ARTISTS )

for all of the DEBUTED ARTISTS ( including HYOSEOP, KAI, BAEKHYUN, BLAZING5 and HARU ) on SEPTEMBER 27 they will be invited to a grand dinner party to celebrate CHUSEOK. it is mandatory for all of them to attend and during this time, the managers will be present so it is expected to be on their best behavior ( and a great chance to catch up with some of the artists they may have not seen in a while ). since CRYSTALLIS has a brand event to attend to on this day, they will be attending the dinner party right after they are done with the brand event.

CHUSEOK ( EVERYONE )

as a future reminder, everyone will be celebrating chuseok from SEPTEMBER 28-30 so they will be given a short break to spend time with their loved ones and relax. everyone will be returning back to the company and training on MONDAY, OCTOBER 2.

TRAINEES

after their cruise trip was done until SEPTEMBER 23, all of the trainees would have slowly prepared practicing for their special stages. all of the trainees will be expected to learn the following songs:

SO HOT - BLAZING ( LGC JUNIOR TRAINEES STAGE; GIRLS )

HOT ISSUE - BLAZING ( LGC SENIOR TRAINEES STAGE; GIRLS )

TEMPO - DBSD ( LGC JUNIOR TRAINEES STAGE; BOYS )

BE MINE - HARU ( LGC SENIOR TRAINEES STAGE; BOYS )

ADIOS - LGC GIRLS ( FEMALE TRAINEES STAGE )

BACK DOOR - LGC BOYS ( MALE TRAINEES STAGE )

HANDS UP - HARU ( EVERYONE / ENCORE STAGE )

ooc wise, since some of the trainees can come and go, there will be no lyrics distributions for this. do note that regardless of skill set, all of them will be required to dance to the song assigned to them ( and ic wise, the coaches would have assigned the parts after asking all of them [ minus ‘hands up’ ] to audition by singing a snippet of each of the songs ).

LGC BOYS

please refer to your post for more information about this!

CASTING CALL 014

for the ones who auditioned for CASTING CALL 014, please refer to that for more information. as a note, all of the ones who are a part of CASTING CALL 014 will be skipping out on the model brands information below if they are affiliated with any of the brands because they will be busy with their filming schedules.

MODEL BRANDS UPDATE

the brand owners of the model brands ( HAN JISOO, KIM JINSEO, KIM JINYOUNG, LIM SANGHYUN, and OKADA TAIYOU ) will be informed that their suggestions have been taken into consideration and will create a pop-up store/booth quite close to what was pitched. after that meeting, they will be told by their creative team that they ( along with some of the models who have been a part of their brand, if they are not busy ) will be having an autograph session on the day of LGC FAMILY CONCERT ( and same location ). this will be happening a few hours before the concert starts as a way to engage and have fun with the fans. 

the actors/models that will be present during the autograph session:

AURORA: AHN YEIN, HAN JISOO ( BRAND OWNER ), SHIN JIEUN

BABYLON: KIM JINYOUNG ( BRAND OWNER ), ZHENG AMELIA

ELYSIUM: KIM JINSEO ( BRAND OWNER ), SEONG BYUNGHO, YANG AERI

SOLA: OKADA TAIYOU ( BRAND OWNER ) 

TIMEBOX: LIM SANGHYUN ( BRAND OWNER )

all of the idols ( and HAN NOEUL ) will not be present during the autograph session because they will be preoccupied with rehearsals.

ACTORS & MODELS

everyone else who is not mentioned above will be partaking in a group q&a panel with some of their fans. during this time, fans will bring up questions to the actors and models about themselves, the projects/appearances they’ve been a part of within the past year, and what they can expect. the panel is a bit more laidback compared to most interviews so the actors and models are expected to have some fun all while remaining professional. after the group interview panel is done, they will be escorted backstage where they will get a chance to watch the concert and be a part of the encore at the end.

IDOLS ( SPECIAL STAGES )

aside from the songs that they will be performing under their groups, some of them will be given special stages, which are listed below:

CHEERS - TVA LEADERS ( AHN JAESUN, LEE JIHO, YOO DAEHO / OPENING STAGE )

VILLAIN - CRYSTALLIS’ ASTRID ( BULLET INQUIRY STAGE )

VILLAIN - VERSUS ( BULLET INQUIRY STAGE )

VILLAIN DIES - FABULA ( BULLET INQUIRY STAGE )

SCAREDY CAT - LIM SANGHYUN ( BULLET INQUIRY STAGE )

BLOOM BLOOM - THE BOYZ ( AGITO )

DON’T CALL ME - SHINEE ( VERSUS / originally performed by VERSUS in K-CON LA )

LIFE’S TOO SHORT ( KOREAN VER. ) - CRYSTALLIS CITRINE ( CRYSTALLIS CITRINE )

PANORAMA - IZ*ONE ( CRYSTALLIS )

for the opening stage ( CHEERS ), any TRAINEES who have at least 170 DANCING POINTS at the time of this post ( CHA SORI, CHEN MAYLIN, HAN NOEUL, KANG MAXIMILIAN, KUROSAWA AKIO, KWON HYUNTAE, NOH AREUM, PARK JAEKYUNG ) will be joining JAESUN, JIHO, and DAEHO as the backup dancers for the performance. the trainees will be notified privately by the coaches of their participation for this stage on the same day the coaches reveal the lgc family concert details.

for the BULLET INQUIRY stage, prior to the VILLAIN ( by SOYOUN ) performance happening, there will be scenes of the drama shown for the fans ( and none of them will be gory or horror related ).

LGC GIRLS FN

FABULA and NOVA will have their own special stages, so please refer to the LGC GIRLS FN post for all of the details.

ENCORE

the encore for this year’s family concert will be HARU’s ‘HANDS UP’ so the song will start off with HARU singing a little bit of the song followed by BLAZING5, the idol groups, actors & models, and trainees. during this time, they will have the opportunity to go around the stage and interact with the fans until the song ends.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS

CHUSEOK: write a 300+ word solo or 4 replies thread ( 2 replies per mun; minimum 8 lines per post ) with another person about how your muse spent their chuseok OR for the chuseok dinner ( for the debuted artists ). completing this will earn you +8 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE ! 

LGC FAMILY CON 2K23: write a 300+ word solo or a 4 replies thread ( 2 replies per mun; minimum 8 lines per post ) with another person about anything related to lgc family concert ( ex. rehearsals, being backstage and interacting with other people, interview panel [ for actors/models ], autograph session [ model brand group ], etc. ). completing this will earn you +4 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +8 NOTORIETY !

IMPORTANT NOTE: for the groups participating in WRITING CHALLENGE 002, you can use the threads for this event with the challenge.

you have until SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 11:59 EDT to meet requirements and claim your points. threads can be continued beyond the deadlines but points won’t be collected after that. the official tag for this event is lgc:familycon2k23.

in order to validate your skill points and collect your notoriety points, please submit the following form on the points blog before SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 11:59 EDT:

MUSE NAME ∙ LGC FAMILY CONCERT 2K23 - CHUSEOK: +8 ( skill points distribution ) [ LINK ] - LGC FAMILY CON 2K23: +4 ( skill points distribution ) + 8 notoriety [ LINK ]

[dirtykpopsnaps]

Can i make a request for actor No Minwoo? I bet he'd be a gentle dom 😏

Absolutely!! Are you talking No Minwoo in Boyfriend/BF or another No Minwoo??

Edit: I looked up “No Minwoo” and it came up with the actor/singer dude. I’m gonna go with him. Just correct me if I’m wrong!

Edit again: I’m so fucking dumb. I didn’t even realize it legit said the actor🤦🏻‍♀️😭

[sourkive]

008 : PIETY.

Starring: Kang Minwoo.

Featuring: A boy, Kim Seungsoo, Minwoo's Mom, Kang Minhyung.

Summary: Minwoo visits home.

Word Count: 4k.

CW: Sexual reference, trauma response, unhealthy coping mechanisms, sponsorship, conflict between parents.

Minwoo wakes up in an unfamiliar bedroom, light filtering in the window and birds chirping cheerily in a way that makes his hangover, somehow, seem a thousand times worse. He groans as he pushes himself up, the sheet falling from his bare chest, faded pink hair sore at the scalp from a night of sleeping with product and hairspray in. It’s all bent out of shape, aching from being pushed in the wrong direction. He grimaces, tucking his elbows over his knees, casting a glance downwards to the man sleeping on the other side of the bed.

He’s pretty, but Minwoo doesn’t know him. He looks like he’s probably an idol or an actor; he has that sort of industry standard look about him. Minwoo’s sure that there’s probably a litany of girls who would murder to be in his spot, right now. 

That was the kind of rush Minwoo had once enjoyed. Fucking these little it boys who had fanbases the size of small nations; asking them ‘what would all your little fan girls think if they could see you now’ as he hits that spot in them that makes them break. It had all been so fun, once. And it was still always fun at the start, but now, he has to get blackout drunk to get through it without seeing him and freaking out. He lifts the sheet and finds, sure enough, that they’re both naked. Minwoo sucks a breath between his teeth. He doesn’t remember last night at all. 

He knows he’s being an asshole as he slowly creeps out of the bed, trying to decipher which clothes are his and which belong to the other. For the most part, it’s easy; Minwoo is way more stylish than the other guy. The only thing he’s not really sure about is the underwear, so he just picks a pair and prays to god that the universe is on his side.

He goes to the guy’s bathroom. Quickly, he uses his shower, rinsing the product out of his hair and washing all the most important bits with the supermarket-bought shower gel that Minwoo suspects is not the peak of skincare. He steps out and steals a towel from his cabinet, drying himself off and dressing and doing everything he can to ignore the fact that the entire room is spinning and his insides are threatening to empty themselves with every too harsh movement he makes. 

He changes back into last night’s clothes and steps out of the bathroom with the towel over his wet hair, drying it off roughly as he steps into the man’s room again, just to make sure he hadn’t woken him.

There’s a sinking disappointment in him, though, when he sees the guy sitting up in bed, a pair of glasses upon his face as he scrolls through his phone. He looks up as Minwoo opens the door. “I thought you’d run away.” he says, offering him a small smile. 

Minwoo forces one back, realising that he could have easily just left. The opportunity to avoid awkwardness is well and truly dead now. He shakes his head, walking to the bed and kneeling upon it, giving the boy a soft kiss, trying his best to keep it from showing as the soft movement of the mattress underneath him makes his stomach lurch. 

“Just showering.” He says. “But I do need to head. I have practice in a couple of hours, and I can’t really go wearing this.” He says, gesturing loosely to his party clothes. 

“I have to practise clothes,” says the boy. He wraps his hand around the back of Minwoo’s neck, pulling him in for another kiss. This time it’s a little deeper, and a little more suggestive. When they pull away, he gives him an arch look. “If you want to have more fun for a while.” 

There's something about the lust in his eyes that takes Minwoo somewhere; and he sees tight skin, and the lingering taste of alcohol on both of their lips suddenly reminds him of the way he tasted like whiskey, and suddenly it’s almost too much for Minwoo to stomach. He feels another lurch, and he backs up, a hand spreading across his mouth as he takes a deep breath, trying his best to keep everything down. 

“Wow.” The boy says with a laugh. “No thanks would have been enough.” 

Minwoo cringes, pulling his hand away from his mouth and shooting an apologetic look. “I'm sorry,” he says. “That was just bad timing. I’m a lot more hungover than I'm letting on.” 

The boy just laughs, shaking his head with a smile as he settles back down on his bed, head hitting the pillow as he wraps his blankets closer around him. “Don’t worry about it.” He says. “You should probably skip practice, though.” 

Seungsoo would probably let him. Whoever this stranger is, he seems like a nice enough guy. Minwoo feels bad, and part of him entertains the idea of staying, but he knows he can’t have sex sober, and he highly doubts he’s going to be content to just sit and talk. 

“Yeah, probably,” he says, pulling the towel from his still damp hair. He holds onto it awkwardly for a second, before saying; “Where should I…” 

“Just dump it with my clothes.” The boy says. “I'll clean up later.” 

Minwoo nods, tossing it in amongst the leftover clothes. He stands, clearing his throat a little, trying not to gag from the lingering taste of alcohol and cigarettes. 

“Well,” he says. “Goodbye.” 

“Can I have your number?” The boy asks. Minwoo visibly hesitates, and the boy’s face hardens a little, another laugh escaping him, this time a little too dry to really believe. “Never mind. I’ll see you around.” 

Minwoo bows his head, and tries not to look too eager to leave on his way out.

Minwoo fishes his phone from his pocket as he walks down the street. He’s pretty sure that he’s in itaewon. He’ll call Seungsoo when he finds a street sign, but for now, he’s just aimlessly wandering. The clock tells him that it’s only 7am. He’d never been able to sleep late if he’d been drinking, no matter when he went to bed. He walks slow, and still each footstep sends a jolt of discomfort to his head. 

Realising that there are people who care and worry about him, he checks his messages, albeit begrudgingly. It’s the same as usual, Harin asks him if he’ll be home that night, there’s a general stream-of-conscious timeline of Jade’s thoughts throughout the night, (‘i’m going to make cookies,’ ‘why isn’t sailor moon on netflix wtf,’ ‘why are men like this!!!!’) Chaerin pesters him for some nail polish he borrowed four months ago that she refuses to forget about; but when he scrolls down far enough, he reaches a message he doesn’t expect. 

‘They’re fighting again.’ Sent at 11pm the prior night. 

There’s a sudden lurch in Minwoo’s heart as it hits him that he’d been too busy blacking out to be there for someone who truly needed him. 

He swallows thickly, despite the fact his mouth is sandpaper dry, and dials Seungsoo’s number. 

“Where?” Is all Seungsoo says when he picks up the phone. Minwoo sighs through his nose. 

“I’m not sure.” He says, leaning against someone’s garden wall, wrapping his arm around his waist. In hindsight, he definitely should have borrowed clothes from whoever it was he had gone home with. His party clothes are not befitting of the daylight; and an old woman glares at him as she passes, so he’s pretty sure he may as well be wearing a big neon sign that reads ‘Walk of shame.’ She mutters something about disgrace; and Minwoo is, like, ninety nine percent sure that she would have no idea who Sour Candy are, so he tucks his phone under his ear and calls after her, “I just got done banging a dude!” 

“Who the fuck are you yelling at?” Seungsoo’s voice comes yelling, muffled from his phone. Minwoo raises the speaker back to his ear. 

“Just some old lady.” he says. “Can I miss practice today?” 

There’s a pause. “No.” 

“Please, hyung.” Minwoo pushes, undeterred. Seungsoo never gave in straight away, but he almost always caved quick. “It's a family thing. And I'm ahead with the dance anyway. You know I am, I always am.” 

Seungsoo sighs. “What kind of family thing?” 

“My parents have been arguing lately.” Minwoo says. There’s no reason to lie to Seungsoo. Of all the staff at Valentine, Seungsoo was the most trustworthy. That, and he had kids of his own; real young kids who he never saw. His wife had divorced him years ago and taken their family to busan, leaving Seungsoo alone in Seoul with nothing else to his name. Minwoo didn’t know the whole story, and likely never would. But he did know that Seungsoo wouldn’t be able to bear the thought of his little brother sitting at the top of the stairs, listening to his parents fight any better than Minwoo could. “Minhyung texted. I want to visit home and make sure he’s okay. He gets really cut up about it.” 

Seungsoo sighs, and after a brief second of consideration, Minwoo hears a shuffle and knows he’s getting out of bed. “Ping me your location,” he says. Minwoo smiles. “And stay away from busy streets.” 

“Thanks, hyung.” 

“Yeah.” Seungsoo says.

Better showered and in more presentable attire; Minwoo stands outside of histoire d’amour and stares up at the cursive sign with a weird sort of feeling in the pit of his stomach. Seungsoo’s car pulls away behind him, and it’s disappeared down the street by the time Minwoo works up the courage to push the swinging door open and step inside. 

The restaurant is always the same as he leaves it, which is as much a blessing as it is a curse. It makes for a comfortable homecoming in some ways, but he can already feel his brain begin to revert, as if he’s back to being some seventeen year old kid who lived from one dance solo to the next. The life of a show dog.

In a way, there’s not much difference between that and his life now, but Minwoo had learned that he much preferred not to compete. Sure, some of Sour Candy’s fans liked to pit them against Tarot and Medusa, but all that really mattered now that he had debuted was that each record sold more than the last. Minwoo stood alongside Chaerin on television every weekend, so Medusa's success just gave him the opportunity to have more eyes on him. And the unimaginable amount of money Tarot seemed to bring the company just by having Junjie step foot in china once every few months was only funnelled back into the funds that paid for all three groups’ extravagant videos and outfits. Maybe it’s just being an adult, but Minwoo had learned that the success of his peers was not a threat but a benefit, and his only competition was his highest previous achievements. 

He's sure there’s something pavlovian there too, at least in the case of Tarot. Every time they hit a milestone in their career, Tetsuo would get all cute and excited and then be overcome with the urge to manually destroy his own vocal cords for a few days, and Minwoo was usually the weapon of choice. But now thinking about Tetsuo kills a little piece of Minwoo’s soul every time, so Minwoo shoves his nail between his teeth and makes his way to the back of the restaurant, through the staff only door. 

“Mommy!” He yells up the stairs, frowning as no reply comes. 

The flat above the restaurant is small, and Minwoo spots his mother sitting outside on the balcony as soon as he enters. He knocks on the glass door, and she jumps a bit, startled, but her face splits into a beautiful, beaming smile as she sees him, a cigarette dangling elegantly from a graceful hand. These days, were you to put Minwoo’s parents together and ask which one was once a star, you’d be justified to think it was his mother. His dad had aged normally and healthily, his face had set with wrinkles and he’d gotten a bit of a gut. He was still a handsome man, but an ordinary one. His mother, on the other hand, was radiant as ever. Even now, sitting at a glass table on the balcony having a cigarette for breakfast, with her hair uncombed and in a pair of faded eeyore pyjamas with a quippy konglish slogan printed on the shirt, she looked like a Hollywood actress. Minwoo would be lying if he said he didn’t wish he was her. The more grown up he had gotten, the more he’d found himself shadowing her; copying her mannerisms, the way she held herself. 

“Minnie!” she calls as he slides open the door. 

He steps out, leaning down to press a kiss to her temple. She reaches out, pinching his cheek between two sharp nails. He smiles as he sits down across from her, sliding her box of cigarettes over. She gives him a disapproving glance, but tosses her lighter in his direction. 

“What a lovely surprise.” 

“I had a day off.” he lies, placing the cigarette between his lips and lighting it without cracking the menthol. “So I thought I'd come visit. It’s been a little while.” 

“Well I'm thrilled to see you.” She says with a grin. “How have things been going?” 

He hesitates for a second. Really, the days had been blurring into one another. Sour Candy had been succeeding, but Minwoo thinks he’s probably been deteriorating. He felt empty, he couldn’t close his eyes without seeing Myeongjae, who’s aged face had been warped into a halloween mask by his imagination. For a second, he thinks of the relief that might bloom in his chest if he finally let it out, and he considers telling his mom. But he can’t do that. He can’t let her live with that. So he takes a deep draw, and forces on a tired smile and should probably have the whole EGOT by now for how good he’s getting at this. 

“Yeah.” He says, nodding on his exhale. “Yeah, things are going really well. We filmed this show last week where we went out in the woods and did all these games and stuff.” 

“Cabin in the Woods?” His mom asks. Minwoo nods with a noise of confirmation, and his mom beams again. “Oh, your grandma will be thrilled. She loves that show. I had her on the phone the other day, you know. She and your grandpa watch Inkigayo every sunday. They send me pictures of you on the tv every time. They were so proud of the album you sent them, too. They have it on their mantelpiece like it’s a trophy.” 

Minwoo smiles a real smile, a warmth spreading across his chest. “That's sweet.” He says. “I think I'll stop by this afternoon.” 

His mom gives an eager nod. “Oh, they’d love that, Minwoo. They’d love that.” And they just sit, smoking their cigarettes, until his mom stubs hers out and stands, taking a performative look at her watch in the way moms do and sighing. “I'd better go wake your brother up.” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear. “He has his part time job this afternoon. Did he tell you?” 

Minwoo shakes his head no; and everything kind of stacks up and reminds him that he hadn’t really been keeping up with his family lately. It made him feel bad, but every one of them at Valentine was the same. It was a sacrifice they’d all had to make. 

“He's working down at the bathhouse. At the reception.” She says. Minwoo snorts, and she fixes him a glare as he snickers. 

“Do not tease him about it.” She warns, pointing a finger at him. 

“I won't.” He says, raising his hands. “I just didn’t know high schoolers were allowed to work there.” 

“It's not that type of bathhouse.” She says, giving him an exasperated look that only makes him snicker more. “You watch too much porn.” 

Minwoo makes a disgusted noise of protest and she laughs, triumphant, as she steps back into the apartment.

“So like…” Minwoo says, slouching back in Minhyung's gaming chair. It's old and the leather is fraying at its edges, but still surprisingly comfortable. The room is decorated nicely, in an organised sort of manner that Minwoo didn’t have the energy for even now, but certainly didn’t as a teenager. The walls had been painted a clean white, decorated with print outs of Minhyung's digital art- intricate and detailed anime drawings. The carpet had been dug up and replaced with a sleek, lightwood patterned laminate, with a fluffy white rug in its centre. Upon it sits Minhyung, looking in the mirror propped up between the floor and wall, applying styling gel to his hair, already dressed in his work uniform. He’s seventeen and he looks it; and it’s always kind of jarring for Minwoo to see him, because he’s so used to being apart from him and his memory paints him as the tiny little kid who used to follow him everywhere.

This room is the only one in the house that’s changed. It’s come a far way from pirate themed wallpaper and bunk beds. They both have. 

“What?” Minhyung asks when Minwoo doesn’t finish his sentence. 

“What were they fighting about?” Minhyung deflates. He turns around to look at Minwoo, tucking his knees up into his chest. “Same as always.” 

“Money?” 

“Yeah.” Minwoo had figured as much, but it doesn’t feel good to be right. Money had been an issue for a while. A couple of hit songs really aren’t enough to live off of twenty five years later; and businesses ebbed and flowed. For a long time, the restaurant had brought in enough revenue for their family to live a comfortable life. In the last couple of years, however, the area had been featured on a dazed video for its local clothing district and became a lot more cool- and that saw an initial boom in custom until it saw a lot more restaurants opening up. The first chain place to open was a slash in the heel. By the time the fifth sprung up, the bills were barely being covered by the regulars alone. 

There’s something that felt so fundamentally fucked up about the fact that Minwoo was on television on a weekly basis and that Sour Candy’s song had broken sales records, and yet his family were close to finding themselves in debt. 

‘You'll start earning soon.’ Seobin had told him a couple of weeks ago, when Minwoo had gone to his office and asked when Sour Candy’s training debt would be cleared. But Minwoo had pushed. He doesn’t know where he got the bravery from; but something just wasn’t adding up. He was paid a monthly fee for appearing on Inkigayo. He had writing credits on two of the songs on a mini album which had charted at number one, and more to come on Sour Candy’s upcoming album, which was projected to be an even bigger smash. Even with Valentine’s state of the art equipment and highly respected coaches, Minwoo doesn’t see how much he could possibly have left to repay. Surely by the time Is… Anyone There? Was released, they’d be seeing some kind of royalty.

But Seobin had been cagey. He'd avoided giving answers, and confused Minwoo by talking in circles about percentages and quarters and taxes and redistribution of funds, and eventually Minwoo had just snapped and asked ‘well, how much did you make off of me?’ 

Seobin had played dumb, and started talking about Inkigayo. That was when Minwoo really lost it. He can barely remember what he said, just that he was shouting, and that he’d picked Seobin’s mug of hot coffee and flung it against the wall. It shattered, ceramic flying everywhere. Seobin had barked at him to get the fuck out- the only time he’d ever heard him swear. And when Minwoo tried to argue, he’d been warned that if he didn’t leave then there would be consequences for all four members of Sour Candy. 

Underneath the anger, there was guilt on his face. Seobin seemed to know, at least, that he had made this monster himself.

Is… Anyone There? was dropping in a week, and Minwoo doubted he’d see any of its revenue. He'd avoided Seobin ever since that day, though. And he figured he shouldn’t ask about money again. 

“I'm sorry.” Minwoo says. Minhyung looks at him questioningly. Minwoo regards him in his work uniform and it dawns on him that Minwoo had never had to work when he was in high school. 

“What for?” he asks.

“I feel like I should be able to help. I'm a singer, you know? My family shouldn’t be struggling.” Minhyung shrugs. 

“Things are fucked up for idols, hyung. Everyone knows that. Nobody blames you.” There’s a beat, and then he screws the lid back onto his styling gel and pushes himself up into his feet to put it away. “Besides, it was my fault they started fighting.” 

“How do you figure that?” 

“I asked them for money.” Minhyung sighs. “There's this trip being organised by the art department from my school. To japan, to go to all these galleries and then go visit a bunch of animation studios. I really wanted to go, but it’s five hundred thousand won.” 

Minwoo purses his lips. It’s a lot of money, but Minhyung didn’t often ask for anything. And Minwoo can’t help the song of guilt he feels when he thinks about how much their parents had invested in his hobbies; the dance costumes, the lessons, the competition entry fees. Even their schooling; Minwoo had attended Hanlim, and Minhyung goes to to public school. It's not as if Minwoo would have gotten any of those things if the family were struggling then the way they are now, but he still knows it isn’t fair.

“Anyway.” Minhyung says. “I'm gonna be late for work.” Minwoo offers him a weak smile as he leaves, turning in his chair and making eye contact with the anime girl on Minhyung's mousepad. 

“What do I do?” He asks, but neither she nor her cushioned breasts offer any advice.

“Good day?” Seungsoo asks. Minwoo clamours into the car with his grandma’s lipstick on his cheek and five containers of her cooking balanced delicately on his lap. The top one is packed full of kimchi and looks particularly delicious, though it’s specifically labelled with Jade’s name. Apparently, he’d said he liked kimchi on a tv show, and she thinks he’s too skinny. Jade has a body most people would kill for, but Minwoo will pass on her gift happily. 

“It was great.” Minwoo says with a smile. “I got to see my grandparents for the first time this year. Thank you for letting me take the day off.” 

“I think you needed it. I'm glad you had a good time with your family.” Seungsoo says, and it seems like he genuinely means it. There's a comfortable silence in the car, and Minwoo is full of his grandma’s cookies and sleepy from the soothing and familiar tone of his grandpa’s stories about being a teenager. And he’s mostly happy, for once. But something eats away at him, and he can’t just ignore it. 

“Hyung…” he says. Seungsoo seems to know from the tone of voice that he’s going to ask for another favour, and quirks an eyebrow. Minwoo hesitates, and is about to tell him it doesn’t matter.

But he thinks about his family. He thinks about how they’re struggling, and he thinks about his duty as a son. 

And as far as he knows, Seungsoo had been kept in the dark by Seobin on purpose. He thinks he can use that to his advantage. So he asks another favour. 

“It has to be a secret..” He says. “But there’s a phone number I need you to get for me.”