#produce 101 fic

[randofanficrecs]

Today's random fic rec comes from the Favorite(band) fandom, Before the Floodlights Come On which has been orphaned.

Chapters: 1/1 Words: 1,096 Fandom: Produce 101 (TV), Favorite (K-pop), A.De Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Park Haeyoung/Park Gaeul Characters: Park Haeyoung, Park Gaeul, Alex Christine, Yu Sua, Lim Jungmin, Lee Chaeyeon, Nakano Ikumi, Go Yujin Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Graffiti Series: Part 5 of 30 ways to hold Language: English Summary: haeyoung/gaeul + in the dark

[bisexualnerd]

Writer tag game

I wasn’t tagged, but I saw the game randomly posted by another user so I want to play anyway! (red for fic links and blue for series links)

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

35 (and only one draft because I don't really like working on multiple projects at the same time)

2. what's your total AO3 word count?

395,306

3. what fandoms do you write for?

I write the most for Batfam, mostly Tim and Jason but usually, the whole fam (more or less) is also there.

I write a bit more for some other fandoms but there are only one or two fics for each (2021 Produce 101 - Chuang Zao Ying, Hollywood Undead (but these fics are not finished), Julie and The Phantoms (1 fic - finished), Arsenal Military Academy + The Legends (they are kinda connected in 1 fic) and I have like, one translation project too.

I'm hoping to write Star Wars fics one day too. Really like the whole time travel thing and Obi-Wan is my beloved.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Monster Under My Bed (The Monster Down The Hall)

"Back Away From Him."

if i lose everything in the fire, i'm sending all my love to you

Cold

A Pile of Sleeping Birds

5. do you respond to comments?

All of the comments, definitely. I really enjoy reading and replying to them and sometimes, I even come back to re-read the comments to feel validated 🤣

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I write angst a lot but I have a thing for happy endings. But if I look at the fics individually and not like, as a part of a bigger series, it might be i have so much to say but you're so far away. But if not just the ending but the whole plot in general, it can be any fic really (I would recommend Restless Heart Syndrome, And Now You're Home, The Monster Under My Bed (The Monster Down The Hall), and What The Heart Remembers).

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

They all have some sort of happy endings (though some fics that are a part of a series might not but the series will have happy endings). But since all I have talked about is Batfam, I would recommend this from Julie and the Phantoms. I don't write romance often, but this is just a short soft, cute love story of two ghosts (Reggie and an OC based on his real-life wife) plus some humour in the band - ‘Cause I’m Not Too Far And You’re My Favorite Place. I was very satisfied with how it turned out and I still come back to re-read for my own enjoyment a few times so I hope you guys will give it a chance.

8. do you get hate on fics?

My most controversial fic would be Hold Me Close, Don't Let Go (Watch Me Burn) but it's not like people showed hate to me. They just didn't like the story and how I wrote it so there were some unpleasant comments. The newest one, I think I did well with my response. It's a rather heavy fic because I went through a really rough time when I was writing it (along with many others) so if you want to read it, be careful.

9. do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I don't. My fics are all rated G or T (mostly because of swearing and violence, and also some with suicidal theme or idealisation because I did have a really bad time).

10. do you write crossovers?

Just for two fandoms, Arsenal Military Academy & The Legends, because they share the same lead actor and actress so I thought it would be fun to write something about reincarnation. It's Then and Now, Forever and Always.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think I'm famous enough for that.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, into Chinese, actually. It's The Monster Under My Bed (The Monster Down The Hall). The link to the translated fic is in the fic.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Not really. I planned my current series How To Steal A Brother with my friend Den and she is also my beta-reader for this series but I still write all of the stuff, which she reads and corrects the mistakes for me later.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

That's hard to choose. I really like Robin (Dick Grayson) and Starfire. It was like my first ship ever because I watched Teen Titans as a child. I also like Marinette/Adrien, very cute but the secondhand embarrassment is not very healthy for me (at least she has gotten better at interacting with him). The Doctor (10th) and Rose was one heartbreak that got me crying like a baby in 8th grade.

So honestly, I don't think I can pick because those were the three that came to my mind first, but I still have like a few dozen left.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

The Hollywood Undead fic - When Gravity Pulls You In. It was a really fun idea but then I ran into a big writer's block and I haven't recovered for this fic. I have been writing for Batfam again but I doubt I can go back and finish this one (at least anytime soon).

16. What are your writing strengths?

I don't think I'm too good with dialogue but I do have a strength in describing and like some sort of metaphor (English is not my first language so this is a difficult question to answer). I don't know if this is also considered a strength but like I said, I don't really write many fics at the same time so I can manage them pretty well. Most of my fics are completed before I move on to another one.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. And I forget a lot of stuff so I have to go back to the earlier part so the plot won't be inconsistent. And of course, I write in English, which is not my mother tongue, so sometimes, I lack vocabulary or my grammar can feel weird.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I mean, I would add translation or explanation very subtly in there. But I saw a Star Wars fic where the writer had like, floating texts or something for the conversations in Mando'a so like, I will research on that if I need to write in another language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Batfam. Tim-centric.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Damn, that's like asking a parent for their fav child on national television.

In terms of like, wording and metaphors and descriptions and all the technical stuff - And Now You're Home - because some of my fav paragraphs are in here. In terms of logic, time can never change for the flying bird under the summer sun because I went crazy with all the planning for the whole time-travel-but-nothing-changes-the-future thing. In terms of plot, i'm so out of touch with everyone, and everything's a blur to me. This was one of my earlier ones but when I came back to this earlier this year, I found it so enjoyable and fascinated. I couldn't even believe I wrote this one. But it is a part of a series so you might want to check out I've Got You Brother.

This has been fun and I have been shamelessly PR-ing my fics. I don't really know who to tag so anyone else who wants to play, go ahead and have fun!

[gluion]

[part one] of boundaries and secret glances (i'm lucky to be loved by you) ➵ kim sunwoo

idol!kim sunwoo x ex-idol!reader

as a well-respected independent producer in the industry, you get requests from different companies for collaborations. when you accept to work on chanhee and sunwoo's unit track for their upcoming album, you are left to your own devices as you work closely with sunwoo. who is to say what can happen over the days?

genre/warnings ➵ strangers to friends to lovers (though sunwoo has always had a crush on you since your debut), music and lyrics au, fluff, angst with happy ending, afab reader (they/them pronouns), drinking, kpop mistreatment, mental and physical abuse done by companies, close proximity, sunwoo is a FLIRT!!! and also obsessed with you, LOONA IS FREE HERE!!!, iz*one sadly does not exist </3, boundaries are definitely crossed in the sense that you should not be flirting this much with a co-worker turned friend...

word count ➵ 15.7k words (30.3k words in total)

parts ➵ [1] [2]

taglist ➵ @deoboyznet @kflixnet

a/n ➵ this work has been in the making for a year or two. oftentimes, i find it hard to finish works or put them out since i find myself getting scared of how my works will be received. after reading this for how many times and adding final revisions, i am happy that i get to share this baby to the world! this fic is because of how much i love the movie "music and lyrics" and how i kind of fantasized myself and sunwoo in a similar context. thank you again for taking the time to read this. please note that idols shown or talked about in this fic are not meant to reflect my real thoughts on them. i love all the idols here in this fic (especially jiyoon) i would really appreciate it if you could take the time to like and reblog this.

want to be part of my taglist? send me an ask! masterlist

1CON: Where Are They Now? By Lee Hyejin of Soompi 

It has been two years since South Korea's beloved group disbanded. Formed back in 2017 through Produce 101, 1CON has swept the hearts of many from pre-debut until disbandment. Yesterday, the members posted pictures on their SNS accounts that show their little reunion. This then sparked “1CON REUNION” to trend on Twitter.

To this day, many fans hope to see a reunion concert take place to see the members come together once again. As the public waits, we wonder where the members have gone off to.

The beloved center Shin Ryujin (Rank 1) and well-known dancer Lee Chaeryeong (Rank 9) of JYP Entertainment are part of the newest girl group ITZY whose unique sound has found its way to capture the hearts of many. As the group continues to conquer the K-Pop scene with their talents, they have become the pride and joy of JYP Entertainment.

Power vocalist Jo Yuri (Rank 2) parted ways with Off The Record Entertainment and worked on her solo debut under WAKEONE with the track “GLASSY.” With the number of music show wins gained, Jo will be one of the 4th Gen's well-known vocalists.

Captivating dancer Jeon Heejin (Rank 3) and charismatic vocalist Kim “Chuu” Jiwoo (Rank 5) made their debut back in 2020 with LOONA under Blockberry Creative. However, the members of the group have ended their contracts with the company because of the mistreatment they received.

Now, Jeon is a member of ARTMS with some of the former members of LOONA—Kim “Kim Lip” Jungeun, Jeong “Jinsoul” Jinsol, and Choi “Choerry” Yerim—under Modhaus. Chuu chose to pursue her solo endeavors under ATRP.

One of K-Pop's best 4th Gen vocalists, Kim Minjeong (Rank 4) of SM Entertainment, is rumored to make her debut in a girl group later in the year. While we can say not much at the moment, SM Entertainment has got everyone excited for their upcoming debut.

Jack of all trades, Shin Jiyoon (Rank 6) of Play M Entertainment, debuted back in 2020 with the group Weeekly. The group's upbeat and catchy music is produced by Shin herself. As Weeekly brings back cute concepts to the K-Pop scene, many people expect that “girl crush” will not be the norm.

Formerly under JYP Entertainment, well-known producer Y/N (Rank 7) is not signed with any company. As they work on their own terms and team, they have been releasing music on different platforms with full artistic freedom. Despite having no company, countless entertainment companies continuously contact them. They have worked with IU, Red Velvet, BIBI, Jamie Park, Pentagon, and more.

Lovable and powerful rapper Choi Yena (Rank 8) of Yuehua Entertainment recently made her debut with “SMILEY (Feat. BIBI)” whose catchy tune has trended all over Twitter. Many fans have commented that the concept is fitting for her debut. As she continues with her promotions, many fans wait to see her thrive in her solo career.

Along with that, opera-trained singer Huh Yunjin (Rank 10) of HYBE Entertainment is rumored to debut in the upcoming girl group with Produce 101 participants Kim Chaewon and Miyawaki Sakura. However, Huh has been actively posting original music and covers on different streaming platforms. As she continues to keep fans impressed with her talents, many people anticipate the debut of HYBE’s newest girl group.

Memorable vocalist Song Yuqi (Rank 11) of Cube Entertainment is part of (G)I-DLE who continues to release comebacks that showcase the uniqueness of the members. With tracks that will have you dancing and singing along, (G)I-DLE continues to showcase a different side to 4th Gen girl groups.

There have only been speculations and rumors surrounding a reunion concert for 1CON. All that can be said for now is that the members are in close contact with each other and working hard to continue dominating the K-Pop industry in their own ways.

“Y/N, you’ve got emails from H1ghr Music, AOMG, and THE L1VE. What would you like me to do with the other emails you’ve received from other companies?” Park Soeun, your manager, asks as she barges into your home office with her eyes trained on her iPad.

As she looks up, she takes in the sight; messy papers laid out on the table; knickknacks and souvenirs from 1CON members scattered all over the floor; you in your most devilish state whose hair is all over the place with clothes from yesterday. 

“God, Y/N. What in the world happened here?” Soeun asks as she picks up all the gifts from your ex-peers.

“It’s been so long since the girls and I got together, so we got kinda crazy last night.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t explain the mess in your office. Jesus… Y/N, I never knew your office could get even messier and more… disorganized,” She continues as she settles on placing all the gifts from 1CON on an empty shelf. “I didn’t even know you would end up going to that reunion.”

You sigh as you continue to click away on your computer, ignoring her last comment.

“Drunk me decided they wanted to work despite being intoxicated,” You mention as you continue to loop a specific segment in the instrumental you’ve been working on all night.

“You haven’t slept?!” She exclaims, attempting to gather and pile up the papers scattered all over your desk. When you let out a hum, she sighs as you continue to immerse yourself in your work.

“Y/N, I think we need to talk.”

“About?”

“This.” As you finally look away from your monitor, you see Soeun with her arms crossed as she hugs her iPad.

“Oh god, don’t tell me what I think it is.”

“I’m serious. We need to talk about what’s going to happen to us,” Soeun demands as she finally takes a seat in front of you. Before you could protest, she continued.

“Y/N, you’ve been doing this for a year, and I’ve stuck with you the whole time. From pre-debut, disbandment, and even until deciding to leave JYP, I stayed with you because I wanted to support you.”

Ultimately, you knew it was hard for Soeun to leave her job at JYP Entertainment to support you. Giving up her stable job to follow you has become one of your biggest burdens to carry to this day.

As she sees the frown on your face, she continues. “I didn’t leave because of an impulse decision. In fact, I left because I knew that working at JYP isn’t what I want at the end of everything. Y/N, I don’t know if you know this but you don’t give yourself enough credit for all the things you’ve gone through and accomplished.”

“I think that’s an overstatement. I don’t think I’ve–”

“You have accomplished a lot of things. You debuted with 1CON, made the difficult decision of leaving a well-known company to pursue your dreams with full creative freedom, and produced music for artists that continue to dominate the charts.”

Silence settles between you two as you try to take in her words. You love the compliments and praise you receive, but sometimes you feel it is never enough. This leads you to overexert yourself; the need to constantly achieve as if it is your only purpose in life.

“You need to give yourself more credit, which also means recognizing that you deserve more.” You knew where this conversation was going, and you didn’t want to hear her continue.

“Soeun, please don’t–”

“I’m sorry Y/N, but you need to at least hear me out. I really think you need to sign with a company.”

With that, you close your eyes as you take in her words. It hurts enough to see people on the Internet constantly discuss the success you could have gained if you were signed with a company, but it pains you physically to hear the same words from someone who knew you inside and out.

“I know your experiences with JYP and Stone Music Entertainment are some that you wish to forget, and I will never forget nor can I ever excuse the amount of mistreatment you faced under those two. However, I do think you can find yourself signed with another company, possibly a better one that knows how to treat you right,” Soeun says.

You finally open your eyes and nod, giving her the signal that she could continue. “It’s hard for both you and me to keep up with the demand. Although we have Taeyeon to help with styling and Sungyoon for photos and music videos, we only have such little manpower to keep up. You could be earning more, maybe relaxing more if you get signed with a company.”

With that, you let out a sigh. “Where is this coming from? Is it because of the number of emails I’ve left unanswered?”

Soeun shakes her head and says, “It’s not really that. Of course, I’ve had to deal with this when I still worked in JYP, but it isn’t the main reason I’m having this talk with you.”

“I’m going to be putting in my two-week notice.” You knew this day would come; she is resigning.

“I applied for jobs at different companies and I got an email back.”

“Congrats Soeun, you deserve it,” You say with a half-hearted smile.

You mean it, but it hurt to know that Soeun would not be with you as you continue your journey. She became a permanent presence in your life, and you could never imagine life without her in it.

Before you could allow yourself to be vulnerable, you decided to ask, “So, which company? I’m excited to hear who’s lucky to have Kim Soeun.” She lets out a laugh.

“I got signed with Cre.ker Entertainment. They had an opening for another managerial position,” She says as you nod.

“That’s the company of The Boyz, right?” She lets out an ‘mhm’ as you continue to nod once again.

“Y/N, you do have an email from that company, if you haven’t realized,” Soeun points out.

As you decide to finally open your email, several unread and unanswered emails greet you. Typing the word “Cre.ker,” you find the email Soeun mentioned. Two weeks ago, you received an email from them to which you have not gotten around to replying or reading.

— — —

FROM: Cre.ker Entertainment <cre.ker.ent.@gmail.com>

TO: Y/N <y/n@gmail.com>

SUBJECT: THE BOYZ’s SUB-UNIT “NEWSUN” TRACK

Good day, Y/N!

Cre.ker Entertainment is reaching out to you in hopes you will accept our request to produce a track for The Boyz’s upcoming album.

The sub-unit “NEWSUN” (which comprises New and Sunwoo) has requested that you produce their track on the upcoming album. If you wish to accept the offer, please let us know no later than two weeks.

We look forward to hearing from you and working with you.

— — —

“Huh, this is funny. I only have until today to reply,” You mention which Soeun chuckles at.

“I mentioned that you got an email from them about a week ago. You said you would get back to them, but clearly, you haven’t.”

“Yeah well, I shouldn’t be trusted with emails,” You reply to which she rolls her eyes. “Figures.”

“Anyway, going back to what we were discussing. You deserve more—a lot more, actually.” She grabs your hand. “I am not saying that I invalidate your experiences nor can I say that this type of mistreatment is not a general thing found with K-Pop companies, but I believe you can sign with a company that will understand what you want.” You think over what she says but never give a reply.

“I just want you to know that I appreciate working and supporting you for… god knows how long. I’ll be sending my formal resignation to your email. Please read it,” She begs which has you laughing.

“Yeah yeah, I will.” She smiles and stands up from her seat.

“Y/N, think over what I said.” She sucks in a breath. “You deserve more, and I want you to be secured in your career as you continue your journey in the industry. I’m not saying you should audition for Cre.ker Entertainment, but I’m saying to look into companies you’re interested to be under. I’ll just be in the room beside you.”

As she leaves your office, you are left with your thoughts and nothing more. In these moments, you miss being with 1CON the most.

It is 4:07 AM, and you are still seated in your home office. In fact, it’s your only office as you cannot afford to rent a separate place for work. You have finally finished the track for Jung Wheein’s album and sent it over to THE L1VE through email. 

As you think back to Soeun’s words, you decide to open up the email from Cre.ker Entertainment. Reading it once more, you decide to search for The Boyz on YouTube. You know of them and some of their tracks, but you decided that was not enough.

Searching up the words “NEW & SUNWOO” on YouTube, you find a video of theirs that covers “Nerdy Love,” a song you adore from an artist you highly respect. You decide to click the video and watch what the two boys had to offer.

Despite thinking you did not know enough, you knew who was who thanks to Jiwoo, your ex-peer. She is friends with New (or Chanhee) as they would be special MCs for music shows. After all the time they spent joking around behind the scenes, Jiwoo adores him and thinks of him as one of her closest friends now.

You remember how she described him to you two days ago. “Chanhee is the nicest guy I’ve ever met, and I trust him with almost everything. I hope you get to meet him one day! He’s a huge fan of your work,” She told you at the 1CON reunion two days ago.

However, you have no idea who Sunwoo is. All you know is that Heejin is sort of friends with him but they do not spend a lot of time with each other due to schedule conflicts. The most they ever interact with each other is whenever they play video games with other people their age. If you could recall, all Heejin had to say was that he was nice, and that is as much as you can remember.

Yet, you could not deny that you found him pleasing to look at. Maybe it is his hair, smile, or even the aura he gives off, but your eyes found themselves focusing on him. In the way he performs, you can see how much he enjoys performing.

Throughout your time in the industry, you have seen many artists work in their craft. Many idols share the unfortunate fate of working with peers they despise while others are not given the liberty to work on the tracks they put out. However, only some can say they enjoy what they do—only some can confidently say they love what they do. Sunwoo and Chanhee look like they fit in the latter.

Seeing the two boys vibe and perform one of your favorite songs was such a delight. In fact, you ended up looping the video as you continued to enjoy their cover. You also did not want to admit to having it just play in the background as you continued to finally go through your emails. Knowing Soeun, she would be happy to hear that you finally replied to the many companies reaching out to you.

Despite knowing what to say to which company, there is one company you did not know how to respond to. As you see the same email you read a while ago from Cre.ker Entertainment, you let out a sigh. The more you thought about it, the more you realized it could possibly help out Soeun get used to Cre.ker Entertainment.

As someone who does not want to let her go, you should have denied the company stealing her away from you. If anything, you felt as if you needed to resent Cre.ker Entertainment. Yet, you knew that Soeun resigning did not mean she would be gone forever. After everything, she is your best friend who stuck with you through thick and thin. You only want what is best for her—that is what makes her happy.

With that, you knew your answer.

“God if I knew Play M Entertainment and Cre.ker Entertainment were going to merge to form IST, I would have said no,” You say as you look up at the building in front of you.

“Sorry Y/N, I thought you knew! I think you should at least hear them out and if you can’t do it, you can just–”

“No, it’s fine. I can do this. I mean, it’s not like I will see her, you know?” You say as you take a deep breath.

With that, you enter the building with Soeun. As she walks to the front desk to talk to the woman about your appointment, you decide to take in your surroundings. The building is just like any other company; it reminds you of your trainee days. Despite being inside different company buildings to produce for artists, you can never stop being reminded of what happened to you then.

Before you could think about it anymore, Soeun loops her arm with yours. “C’mon, let’s go,” She says with a smile.

She always knew how to take care of you. With that, you two walk together to the elevator and try to make your way to the meeting room.

“I know you’re nervous about bumping into–”

“Please don’t say her name! What if someone catches on?” You exclaim which she nods at.

“Yeah, you’re right. Please don’t think about it too much because I don’t want you to be stressed about that and this meeting.”

“I’ll try. God, why did they have to merge?” You practically ask the universe as you and Soeun stand right in front of a door.

“No time to complain, you’ve got this. I hope you know I’m proud of you for still pushing through with this.”

“Soeun, you only told me that they merged when we were in the car. I almost grabbed that steering wheel.”

“Either way, just hear them out. I heard from my friends that Chanhee and Sunwoo are big fans of your work.”

With that, you sigh. “Fine. Just know I took this job because I wanted to see where you work.”

“I also know you did it because you wanted me to adjust already. I hope you know that I love you,” She says with a smile.

She then opens the door to see The Boyz’s manager, Sunwoo, and Chanhee seated. The three stand up from their seats to greet and bow at the two of you.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you all! I’m Soeun, Y/N’s manager, and I’ll be here to assist,” Soeun says as you two enter, bowing at the three. Once you and Soeun take a seat, you notice that you are seated right in front of Sunwoo.

Seeing him in the video was hard but seeing him right in front of you was even harder. As soon as he flashed a smile, you immediately looked away and hoped you were not red. If Soeun found out you were reacting this way about someone, she would never let you live it down (which is why you hope she would never notice).

“Hello, I’m Jihoon. Before anything, I think I should let them introduce themselves. They’ve been waiting for this moment to finally meet you,” Their manager says, which has both Chanhee and Sunwoo flustered.

“Ah, you didn’t have to mention that! But hello, I’m Chanhee! It’s nice to finally meet you. Jiwoo mentioned that she talked to you about me,” Chanhee greets you with a bow to which you smile.

“And I’m Sunwoo. Both Chanhee and I really enjoy your work, and we look forward to working with you,” Sunwoo follows right after with a bow.

“Ah, thank you so much. I look forward to working with you as well,” You manage to say without your voice cracking. You were flustered, and you were pretty sure it was showing with how red your cheeks were. God, you knew Soeun was going to make fun of you later.

“Alright, I guess we can start.”

The meeting was a success. Soeun handled most of it but you managed to chime in every now and then and understand what they needed from you.

“What was it with you a while ago?” Soeun asked when you two finally reached your place.

“What do you mean?”

“Y/N, I know how you act when you find someone attractive. Is it Sunwoo? I won’t judge you.” You choose not to answer her as you go to the kitchen. “So it is!”

“I didn’t even answer!” You exclaim as you look through the fridge.

“I get it though, he is very attractive.”

“Soeun, you’re so annoying. Please stop,” You whine as you decide to grab some water.

“Well, good luck to you! You have to meet with them two days from now. You have only a week from your first meeting with him to submit the final track. Yes, final track, okay? Please remember that,” Soeun says as she notes it on her iPad.

“God, I don’t know why I agreed. That’s barely enough time to produce something satisfactory, let alone a good final track.” Soeun pats your shoulder as she continues to look down at her iPad.

“Don’t forget, you were the one who said yes when I tried to negotiate.” You let out a groan and take a seat.

“I mean if you said yes because you wanted to spend more time with Sunwoo–”

“Please stop. I don’t want to cross any boundaries of our strictly work relationship” You practically beg, to which she laughs.

“You’ve got this! Let me know if you need me to negotiate with Jihoon again. Just keep me updated on whatever ends up happening between you two,” She says with a smile as she walks away.

“Soeun, nothing is going to happen!” You exclaim which only makes her let out another laugh.

“You never know!”

It has been two days since that meeting, and you regret agreeing to the set deadline. It feels as if you have not gotten any wink of sleep in the last 48 hours as the stress and anxiety got to you. As you entered the building with a cup of coffee in your hand, you informed the woman at the front desk that you were expected to attend another meeting with Sunwoo and Chanhee.

“Please make yourself comfortable and wait here. I’ll just ring up their manager–”

“They’re with me!” You hear someone shout from behind you. As you turn to look, you see Sunwoo walking towards you and greeting you with a bow which you return.

“It’s nice to see you again,” He says, making you smile.

“I’ll bring them up, just inform hyung.” Sunwoo signals you to follow him as he makes his way to the elevator.

“So, how are you? I’m guessing you managed to think of something within the two days?” He asks as you two wait for the elevator to arrive.

You laugh as you shake your head. “I wish.”

“Did you get any sleep?” You shake your head in response which he laughs at.

“Well, if you pass out, I’ll be there to cover for you,” He says only for you to get shy.

“Oh god, you don’t–”

“I was just kidding Y/N, sorry if it wasn’t obvious.” The elevator doors finally open and you both get in.

“Oh, that’s my bad,” You say as you let out a nervous laugh.

“Hey, it’s no problem.”

The elevator doors finally close and you two go up. As silence engulfs you two, you somehow think it is your fault.

“I, uhm, tend to be very shy around new people. I’m not usually like this,” You say to break the silence.

He looks at you with a smile and nods. “No worries, Chanhee and Heejin said the same.”

You were surprised to find out that he’s talked about you to others. As you continued to look straightforward, you would only hope that Heejin or Jiwoo did not mention anything embarrassing to the two.

“I never got to ask, but how are you?” You decided to finally ask him.

“Oh, well it’s been alright?” He says in an unsure manner which has you raising an eyebrow at him.

“Well, the guys and I have been practicing the choreography for our comeback, and I’ve been kind of nervous about how Chanhee and I’s track is going to turn out. Not that I’m trying to say I don’t trust you, but I am nervous about how well I’m going to execute your vision,” He admits.

“If it helps, I think whatever you do will perfectly execute what I see.” You smile at him to which he smiles back.

“Oh, so you trust me that much? How much have you seen my performances to say that?” He asks as he faces you and leans against the wall, a smug look on his face. Something about how he keeps the conversation going makes you less shy than before.

“Well, I had to do my research,” You admit with a smirk.

“Oh, the famous Y/N has done their research on me? What do you know about me?” He asks to which you decide to face him as well. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

He chuckles as soon as the elevator doors open. “Well don’t think I didn’t research you,” He says and walks out with you following.

You two eventually arrive at one of the recording studios with no Chanhee to be found.

“Oh, where’s Chanhee?” You ask as you look around the recording studio.

“Oh, I forgot to mention that Chanhee wouldn’t be sitting in for a lot of the production process because he has a bunch of other schedules to attend to. I hope you don’t mind spending this time with me,” Sunwoo says with a smile as he takes a seat on the couch.

“Oh, I see,” You say as you stay rooted in place.

“If you’re uncomfor–”

“No no, it’s okay. As I said, I’m just shy,” You cut him off and muster the biggest and most awkward smile.

Before you could apologize for your behavior, Sunwoo lets out a giggle. “Y/N, I get it, but you don’t have to be awkward around me.”

His words of reassurance allow you to breathe just for a little. There is something about Sunwoo that makes you both nervous yet comfortable. You did not know how, but that only made you want to know more about him.

You decide to take a seat on the office chair in front of the mixing console and spin it to face Sunwoo. “Alright, I think we should go through what you and Chanhee want from the track. I know Jihoon discussed it in the meeting but I would like to hear it from you,” You say as you set down your cup of coffee on the coffee table.

“Well, Chanhee and I really want an R&B track for this album. Think of, I don’t know, “Nerdy Love” if you know that track,” Sunwoo explains which makes you smile.

“Yeah, I do know that. It’s one of my favorites.” And with that, Sunwoo smirks.

“I’m guessing you’ve listened to our cover if you did research on us.”

You choose to not answer and grab your notebook and pen as you try to suppress a smile. “Ah, not answering means ‘yes’, by the way.”

“No, it doesn’t!” You scoff.

“It’s just a simple question, Y/N. Why won’t you answer it?” The stupid smile on his face has your heart doing little flips.

“There would be no fun in just answering. You’ll find out soon enough,” You say as you open your notebook to a clean page only for him to chuckle.

“Can you expound a bit more on what the main message of the song is?” You inquire as you write down some points.

“It’s a love song.” That has you scrunching your nose which Sunwoo notices.

“Hey, what’s the problem with that?!” He exclaims which makes you laugh.

“There’s no problem.”

“That expression you made a while ago didn’t say that.”

 “Just don’t pay attention to my facial expressions! I won’t react, just continue,” You say as you look up from the notebook.

“It’s hard to not look at you,” He says as he tilts his head to the side with that stupid smile you have grown to both love and hate within that small period of time. You were flustered, and you did not know how to respond.

“Yeah, it’s a love song with a twist,” Sunwoo says as he tries to get back on topic (to which you are thankful for). “Picture this, Y/N.”

“I’m listening.”

“No no, close your eyes.” He urges you to do so in which you furrow your eyebrows. “What the fuck, I am not doing that.”

“Oh come on! It’ll immerse you in what Chanhee and I envisioned.”

“Sunwoo, I think you can explain it and I’ll follow through with what you’re saying.”

Sunwoo pouts at your answer as he crosses his arms. “I wouldn’t want to inform Heejin but…”

“Is that a threat?” You gasp when he simply looks around the room.

With that, you sigh and close your eyes. “Go on, I won’t keep my eyes closed forever,” You say and you hear him clap.

“Alright! Imagine this; you’ve known someone for a while, okay? And let’s say this person is someone you’ve been flirting with. You know, the push and pull, playful flirting, all the things you would do for something that started off as casual. Are you imagining it?”

“Yes Sunwoo, I am,” You sigh, which he laughs at.

“Okay. With time, you start to realize that you might actually like this person.”

“Woah, shocker.”

“C’mon Y/N, let me finish!” You laugh and decide to shut up. “Go on.”

“So, you’re on the brink of falling for them but you don’t want to admit anything. But plot twist: they seem to also be falling for you! And there comes a night where the two of you are chilling, but you two don’t want to drink for the reason that you two might confess under the influence.” As you listened to him, you got to envision what he was saying.

“You know, being with someone you like surrounded by alcohol is a dangerous combination,” You say as you finally open your eyes.

“Exactly! It’s the risk that makes it all scary because you don’t want to come off as ingenuine,” He continues to explain which has you nodding along and taking notes.

“Hm, I get it now. I dig it.” That has Sunwoo standing up from the couch with his arms spread out.

“I told you so! Chanhee and I know what are good love songs, not saying I hate love songs but clearly someone in this room does,” He says as he continues to look around, avoiding your gaze.

“I don’t hate love songs! I never said that, so stop putting words into my mouth,” You try to defend yourself as you roll your eyes. Sunwoo takes a seat again as he furrows his eyebrows at you.

“Y/N, I researched you too. There’s no need to lie.”

You let out a sigh. “Fine, I do.”

“And why so?” Sunwoo decides to ask which has you grabbing your cup of coffee to take a sip.

“Ask me later after we make some progress and I’ll answer,” You say which has Sunwoo rolling his eyes, a little smile playing on his lips.

It’s been three hours since you and Sunwoo decided to work, and there has been little to no success.

“God, why did I agree to that deadline?” You mutter to yourself as you shut your eyes with your hands over them in frustration. Sunwoo heard you as he was writing and crossing out lyrics for the track.

“Hey Y/N, why don’t we grab some lunch first?” You open your eyes and look behind you to see Sunwoo up from his seat.

“We haven’t made any progress.”

“Yeah, but you of all people should know that creativity and productivity don’t come with an empty stomach,” He tries to reason out as he walks to you and sets his hands on your chair.

As you look back at the computer in front of you, you see nothing on GarageBand. During times like these, you knew you had to get out of the studio. Whenever you hit a wall, the only solution was to find inspiration outside.

“Alright, let’s get some lunch,” You give in as you close the program and get up from your seat. “Where to?”

“I know a place for us to eat.”

Once the two of you exit the building, you follow Sunwoo as he leads you to where you two will be eating.

“So, why hate love songs?” He decides to ask which has you chuckling.

“I thought we agreed on asking once we’ve made progress, and clearly we haven’t.”

“Oh come on, we need to talk and get to know each other so that we can eventually get over the hurdle,” Sunwoo says which has you sighing.

“Fine. It’s just, I don’t know, cliché? It gets so repetitive that it gets so boring and typical.”

“Ah, you’re one of those people.” That has you letting out a gasp and looking right at him.

“What do you mean by that?!”

He only giggles as he continues to look straight forward. “C’mon Y/N, don’t look at me and look at where you’re going. You might trip.”

“As if–” Before you could finish, you trip and almost fall. It seemed like the universe was out to get you because Sunwoo was right. You were about to brace yourself for the impact, but a pair of arms grabbed your waist before you could fall.

“Oh my god, Y/N! I told you so!” Sunwoo exclaims as he lets go of you.

You wish you could say something but you were too embarrassed about Sunwoo wrapping his arms around you to save you from falling. As the two of you stood there, facing each other, you were about to apologize.

“Uh, sorry, I–”

“Just be careful next time, okay?” Sunwoo says as he rubs your head, messing up your hair. Before you could say anything, he grabs your hand and starts to walk with you following.

Usually, you would get mad if someone messed up your hair but there was something about Sunwoo that made you crave his touch. You hated how you were reacting this way over this guy. As the two of you held hands while you walked to the restaurant, you swear your heart almost burst out of your chest.

The two of you quickly arrived at the restaurant that Sunwoo wanted to bring you to; it was a small Japanese restaurant. As the two of you entered, the bells by the door seemed to chime which grabbed the servers’ attention. “Irasshaimase!”

A lady dressed in a red kimono walked to the two of you with a big smile. “Ah, Sunwoo! How are you?”

“I’m okay! I’ve been working really hard for our upcoming comeback,” Sunwoo replies with a grin that seems to warm both the lady’s and your hearts.

“Oh, you come with a guest! Hello! You are–oh my god, you’re a member of 1CON, right?” The lady asks you, showing the same smile she gave to Sunwoo.

“Ah yes, I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you,” You say as you bow.

“Just a table for two, please.” With that, the lady nods and brings you two to a table located in a small room for privacy. As the two of you get seated, the lady hands you two menus to browse.

“By the way, I’m Hikaru, your server for today. Y/N, Sunwoo frequents here with the other members, so you can always ask him for recommendations,” She tells you which makes you smile. “I will.”

“Sunwoo, I didn’t know you were going out with an ex-member of 1CON! They’re one of Korea’s sweethearts,” Hikaru says, which has you freezing from reading the items on the menu. You knew your cheeks were red, so it surprised you when you decided to look up and see Sunwoo’s cheeks painted red as well.

“Ah, it’s not like that. We’re just colleagues,” He tries to explain which Hikaru understands.

“Oh, I see! I didn’t know. You two would make a good pair though,” She says as she leaves the room which has you both frozen in your seats.

Sunwoo lets out an awkward chuckle and decides to avoid your gaze. “So, what do you like to eat? This place is known for their sushi but they do have really good katsudon.”

“Yeah, sushi works for me.” Once Sunwoo ordered a bunch of sushi platters, the two of you were left in awkward silence.

“So, what do you mean I am one of those people?” You decide to ask to lighten up the mood which was successful as he seemed to laugh.

“I’m just saying, you are part of the people who hate on love songs to be “unique” for some odd reason,” He explains while doing air quotations.

“I don’t hate them just to be unique. I am not that shallow!”

“Alright, so why then?” You sigh as you look at your glass of water.

“I just think they set an unrealistic standard for what love really is.” Sunwoo tilts his head in confusion and asks, “Care to expound?”

“I’m not dramatic or anything, by the way. I think love just isn’t what lyricists make it out to be,” You say as you finally look straight at him.

“Okay, so what are your experiences with it then?”

“Woah Sunwoo, jumping right into it? Give me some time.” You chuckle.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to–”

“I was just kidding, Sunwoo. You’re good.” Sunwoo only smiles and drinks some water.

“What about you? Why do you seem to love love songs?”

“I don’t know what else to say other than I’m a hopeless romantic,” He admits with a small smile.

“Good experiences with love then I’m guessing?”

“Sure, but I just continue to love as if it’s my first time doing so.”

With that, Sunwoo has you smiling. Something about his answer makes your heart throb; you knew it would be a privilege to be loved by him. “Wow, you really are a hopeless romantic.”

Sunwoo rolls his eyes at your comment. “Alright, sue me! There’s nothing wrong with being one.”

You hum as you prop your arm on the table and rest your chin on your hand. “Yeah, it just adds more to my research.”

“Sunwoo, you sure know the best places to eat,” You admit as you try to keep yourself awake from entering a food coma.

Sunwoo smiles both at what you say and how your eyes slightly droop. “Thank you. My friend, Haknyeon, suggested this place back when we were in our trainee days. Now, we eat here so much that everyone seems to know the usual.”

You giggle and let out a small sigh as you look down at the table. “It must be nice to hang out with your friends almost every single second of the day.”

Sunwoo notices the small frown that is about to appear on your face. Before he could say anything, you shake your head as you chuckle and say, “Anyway, shall we head out?”

All Sunwoo did was nod and stand up with you as you exited the small function room. You took this opportunity to look around the restaurant and notice a bar with a small stage beside it. On that stage, people were playing different instruments as they performed a jazzy tune you were unfamiliar with.

Before Sunwoo could leave the restaurant, he noticed you staring in awe at the performers. There was something with how you admired a trio of musicians; the glint in your eyes as you observed how they pluck the strings of their instruments or played the keys of the piano; the slight bobbing of your head as you tried to go along with the tempo they played. The absolute adoration that seemed to show on your face made Sunwoo want—no, need to have you around to experience more moments like these.

Suddenly, your face of admiration morphed into realization. As you meet Sunwoo’s gaze, you say, “I figured it out.”

It is 8:37 PM. You and Sunwoo have spent the last four or five hours working on your own to create the best track suited for their unit song. In those hours, you managed to create the base track on GarageBand and think of a melody in your head. Yet, within those hours, you never noticed how much Sunwoo spent his time looking at you.

“I think I have it,” You finally say as you remove your headphones and look back to see Sunwoo who was on his fifth page full of messy words and scribbles. “Sure, you can play it out loud.”

You change the output settings to speakers and play the track for the two of you to listen. The sound of the electric guitar, the bass, and the drums came all together. You carefully watched Sunwoo as you await his response to the 45-second recording you produced.

As the track finally came to an end, you could not tell what Sunwoo thought of it. “I know it’s not a lot, but that was something I imagined for the track to turn out,” You admit as you continued to stare at him.

“Could you play it again?” You listened to his request and followed. One loop of the short recording turned into three more loops, and you were scared. No matter how many artists you have produced tracks for, you always find yourself anxious about everyone’s feedback.

Sunwoo bopped his head along with the track as he went through the lyrics he wrote. As it reached the end, he looked up to give you a big smile. “It sounds amazing. You never fail to amaze me.” 

Despite only getting to know him today, something about those words seemed to warm your heart. With that, you smile as you get off your seat and say, “I kind of thought of the melody too. Care to give me a hand with recording it?”

Sunwoo nodded with the same smile plastered on his face as he got off his seat. Once you entered the recording booth, you saw him seated right in front of the mixing console and desktop. You wear the headphones and test the microphone.

“Am I at a good volume?” You speak into the microphone and earn a nod from him.

“You can play the track, just make sure I’m being recorded.” With that, Sunwoo gives you a thumbs-up and presses a few buttons.

Once you heard the track play out in your headphones, you decided to hum a short tune. Sometimes, you even sang a few lines that came to you on the spot. Some of the things you said did not make sense but Sunwoo seemed to enjoy every single line you sang.

When the track ended abruptly, you look at Sunwoo only to see those doe eyes full of adoration.

“Y/N, please tell me you slept because–oh? You actually slept,” Soeun says in shock as she enters your bedroom and sees you still in bed.

“Soeun, what time is it?” You ask groggily as you rub your eyes.

“11 AM. I am quite surprised you slept.”

“Yeah well, Sunwoo and I squeezed out too much creative juices yesterday and basically ran dry,” You explained as you sat up and stretched your limbs.

“Mhm, how was it? Any progress?” You roll your eyes and get out of bed to walk to your closet

“Soeun, I know I fall quick and hard for almost any person but I am not going to indulge in this one.”

“We’ll see about that,” Soeun mutters loud enough for you to hear.

Before you could interject, she says, “Jihoon told me that Chanhee wouldn’t be participating in the production process due to the schedules he has to attend. Although Jihoon did say Chanhee was incredibly upset.” You nod and hum as you decide what to wear for the day.

“Which means more time with Sunwoo!”

“Soeun!”

“So, Y/N.”

“Yes?”

“Mind if I could ask you something personal?”

“Depends how you define ‘personal’.”

“How was it in 1CON? How was it to be the nation’s sweetheart?” The way Sunwoo phrased it had you laughing.

“God, I am not the nation’s sweetheart,” You deny as you decide to take a short break and look back at him.

“That’s not what the publications say! Almost every news outlet calls 1CON that.”

“I was ranked seventh, and it was a miracle! I even questioned how I managed to make it to the final lineup,” You argue as you take a sip of matcha that Sunwoo had surprised you with when you entered the building. You did not know how he knew but you could only guess that he researched on you even more.

Sunwoo frowns at your reply and says, “You went against a hundred contestants, you shouldn’t downplay your efforts.”

You only sigh and decide to cut the argument short. “Well, 1CON was just like any group; there’s not much to say.”

“Wasn’t the training difficult?”

You chose to keep your answer short and say, “It was, but my time with 1CON is something I still cherish to this day. I made some friends that I still talk to and hang out with until this day.”

“You’re close friends with Jiwoo and Heejin, right?” You nod as you look up to the ceiling, remembering the fun you had with 1CON. Despite everything you have been through, you would sometimes justify the mistreatment you faced with your debut with 1CON.

“I’m close with Yuri also, but I’m casual with everyone,” You tell a white lie to Sunwoo, knowing he would never find out.

“You came from JYP, right?”

“Wow, Sunwoo, you really have been doing research on me. You know you could always just ask! You can’t trust all the things you see on the Internet!”

Sunwoo giggles at your response, his smile showing up once more. “I’m just curious since Ryujin and Chaeryeong are from the same company as you.”

“Brilliant observation from Mr. Kim Sunwoo.” You point out which has Sunwoo laughing once more.

“I’m serious! Wouldn’t you have debuted with them?”

You sigh as you take another sip of matcha. “I would’ve but I am here producing tracks for others.”

Silence engulfs you two as both of you continue to bask in your answer. “Don’t get me wrong, I do love producing. Sometimes, I look at the artists who perform the tracks I produce and think, “Wow, I could never do that.””

Sunwoo was about to interject but you continued to speak. “But I can’t deny that I miss being on stage. The stadiums, the fansigns, the fans… and performing with friends. 1CON has changed my life, and sometimes I wish I could go back to when we were still together.”

It has been a while since you have gotten to vocalize your thoughts, and it felt nice to let this out to Sunwoo. Soeun knew all of your struggles and inner thoughts, but you always felt bad for repeating the same words and thoughts. Now that you got to vocalize this to Sunwoo, you felt at ease around him.

“I wish you would realize that you are talented to perform the tracks you produced,” Sunwoo speaks up which has you ripping your gaze from the ceiling to look right at him.

“Y/N, I do think you are capable enough—no, even more than capable to perform the tracks you have produced. I’ve listened to your own tracks, the ones you published yourself, and I believe they are the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard.” Your eyes are in awe over his words. “You are a very talented person, Y/N, and you might have to be my favorite producer and artist out there.”

What Sunwoo says has you starstruck. The way he thought and viewed you should have put this huge amount of pressure on you, but you were pleasantly surprised when you were met with a breath of fresh air.

“Wow, you are very passionate about this,” You finally speak up, trying to shrug off the fact that he complimented you.

Sunwoo frowns at your response and says, “Y/N, you really should give yourself more credit.”

With that, you sigh and give in for once. “Thank you, Sunwoo.”

It was weird to think how someone thought all of that about you. Having someone think of you as their favorite artist and producer? In an industry full of capable and even more talented individuals compared to little you? It felt even weirder to know that someone had to be Sunwoo.

“So, what about you? What’s it like to be in The Boyz?”

It is 2:32 AM, and you and Sunwoo are seated inside the convenience store having some late-night snacks. You could officially say you were done with 75% done with the track. You needed to work on the bridge and outro for you to finally do the final arrangements and call it finished. Sunwoo was going at a pretty good pace; he finished writing the lyrics for almost all of Chanhee’s parts and had to do some final edits on his rap.

“Hmm, I don’t know. I guess you could say it was just like any trainee experience: difficult.” You hum as you take a sip of banana milk and stare out the window.

“There were the unhealthy diets, the long hours of practice, and the scolding. God, the scolding from the company was too much that I contemplated leaving.”

“But you didn’t leave.”

Sunwoo sighs and says, “Yeah, I didn’t. Yet, there were numerous times when I wondered if all the shit I was going through would be worth it, you know? Is all the pain and suffering I’m going through right now that worth it for a debut with a group I wasn’t sure would be a success?”

You understood every word that Sunwoo was saying at that moment. The way he phrased his thoughts was exactly your thoughts back then. Despite you sharing the same sentiments with Sunwoo, you chose to not speak of the past you kept hidden.

“I see. But you’re happy now, right? Happy with The Boyz?” You decide to ask as you finally look at him.

“I couldn’t imagine my life without them. My beginning was with them and they will be my ending as well,” Sunwoo admits with a small smile on his face as he looks back at you.

During that moment, you lay your hand on his shoulder and say, “Sunwoo, I am happy that despite everything, you persevered through it all. I am so glad that you made your debut with a group that loves and cares for you. They are so lucky to have someone like you.”

Sunwoo’s eyes widen at your words, clearly not expecting to hear that. Before you could take your hand off his shoulder, he grabs it and holds your hand in his.

“Yeah… I’m so glad to have met you.” He looks out the window. “You know, you really are the nation’s sweetheart in every aspect I’ve gotten to know. The world is so lucky to have you.”

His hushed words have you flustered; it seems harder to not like him when he continues to say shit like that. As his smile followed after those words, you knew you were screwed when you felt your heart beat out of your chest. So when he said the words “C’mon, I’ll take the bus with you going home. It’s too late for you to go home all by yourself,” you knew that it was impossible to not like a guy like Sunwoo.

“He OFFERED?!”

“Soeun! Quiet down!” You exclaim as you pat your face dry with a towel.

“Sorry, I was just surprised. Sunwoo is an actual decent guy,” Soeun says as she leans on your doorframe.

“Well, he is a really good guy. He has a heart of gold.”

As you say those words while you do your morning skincare routine, you notice Soeun’s expression through the mirror morph into that all-knowing smile you have learned to hate.

“God, I can say that and not pursue him. Let me be,” You say as you roll your eyes.

“I’m just saying that with all the stories you’ve told me, it seems that he likes you too.”

You laugh at her statement and continue on with your skincare routine.

“If you’re worried about dating bans, you don’t have one. Neither does Sunwoo, I’ve asked Jihoon.” 

“SOEUN!” 

“What?! I just thought to bring it up in case you didn’t know,” Soeun says with a small smile as she scrolls through some documents on her iPad.

You sigh as you continue with your skincare routine, a mind full of last night's events. Nothing much happened if you were to be honest. You are not sure why Soeun was making it a big deal because it seemed like a basic act of decency that anyone could perform. And yet, you were unsure why your heart would flutter when you remembered it.

“I don’t know, it’s just… weird for me. I mean, I did meet him recently.”

“Yeah, but you’ve spent a good chunk of time with Sunwoo. I never held it against you when you developed this crush on him, and I think it’s healthy! I mean, we’ve spent so many years together, and I like seeing you happy.”

Soeun’s words should have brought comfort to you, but doubt took over. You bite the inside of your cheek as you stare at yourself in the mirror.

“Yeah, but work comes first.”

“But–”

“Nope, I don’t want to hear anything from you,” You silence Soeun, making her frown. The work you did was more important than anything, even more than a stupid little crush you developed for a colleague. I mean, it would remain a crush, right?

Once you finished getting ready for the morning, your phone buzzed. As you grabbed onto it, you were surprised to see a text from Sunwoo.

zzoguri 🦝: hey Y/N! i was wondering if you were up to join me for this little party

y/n: sunwoo what happened to only meeting up for work? WHAHASGDH

zzoguri 🦝: okay but we need to have some breaks you know! we deserve it after all the progress we’ve made

y/n: do you not remember that we have a deadline to meet which is only 3 days from now

y/n: plus the times we aren’t together are breaks!

zzoguri 🦝: oh cmon y/n :( if you don’t want to hang that’s fine.

You furrow your eyes as you were unsure to respond.

“Why the frown?” Soeun asks, which makes you sigh and show your conversation to her. As she reads the chat, you notice how her expression morphs into disappointment.

“Y/N, you are on a different level of being dense.”

“What?! Why?”

“He’s asking you on a date!” She says which makes you frown even more.

“Asking me out to a party is not a date. What are you on?”

“Well, maybe not on a date date, but he’s finding opportunities to spend more time with you outside of the typical meetings or work hours.” She says as she shakes her head and goes back to her iPad.

You pout as you look back at your conversation. If Sunwoo thought this was a date (which you highly doubt), he needs to step up in his game.

“I’m not saying you should take his offer, but he just wants to spend more time with you, as a friend or maybe even more,” Soeun points out, which has you pondering even harder on how to respond. Once you reached a decision, you let out a sigh and type away

y/n: kim sunwoo, i enjoy spending time with you if you’re worried about that

y/n: send me the details and i’ll make sure to attend

zzoguri 🦝: wow THE y/n enjoys spending time with me. i am honored.

y/n: don’t get ahead of yourself

zzoguri 🦝: trust me, i’m only acting like this because i’m lucky to have you 😋

It sucks that you felt yourself smile and your cheeks warm at the message.

Sunwoo did not tell you much about the party, so you wore a smart casual outfit as a safety option. When you asked about the address, he only answered with an “I’ll be picking you up.” You were seated by the kitchen island as you continued to scroll through Twitter.

The praise your recent work got for Wheein’s album was a sight you loved, and you hoped for more collaborations with the soloist. On the charts, your work was doing well alongside the title track. After all the countless nights spent working on tracks, you always find yourself at ease after seeing how the public received them.

The doorbell rings, and you are reminded that you were waiting for Sunwoo. You stood up from your seat and swung the door open, surprised to be greeted by the man you were waiting for who was dressed up from his usual hoodie. As he saw you, not a single sound left him; he was stuck looking at you up and down.

“Uh, Sunwoo?” You ask to break the weird silence that seemed to engulf you two.

“Oh, sorry. I was just—you look wonderful.”

 You smile to cover up the fact you were blushing, and joke, “You don’t think I look good the other times we’ve met?”

“Ah, that’s not what I mean. You look great every day, but today… you just look, even more beautiful right now.”

You did not expect Sunwoo to say that which has you more flustered than ever. It was impossible that Sunwoo did not know what he was doing to you; he should definitely know now.

“C’mon, we’ve got a party to attend,” He says with a smile as he grabs your hand.

As he got into the car with you, you noticed that it was Jihoon in the driver’s seat. To be honest, you were not sure why you were nervous about this whole thing. Maybe it felt weird to hold hands with Jihoon around; it also did not help to know Sunwoo had no dating ban.

With that, your hands started to get clammy, and you were about to let go of his hand. Yet, he never seemed to be bothered by your sweaty hands. Despite what you thought of the Pacific Ocean forming in your hands, he continued to hold it with the same grip. As he looked out the window to admire the city lights, you were left to admire the boy beside you.

The ride to the party did not take long. In fact, the location of it felt quite near IST Entertainment. The party took place in a building right beside the Japanese restaurant you and Sunwoo started to frequent after that one lunch. You could not help it; the sushi is to die for.

When the two of you entered the building, it was full of function rooms that could hold around a hundred to two hundred individuals. You expected Sunwoo to let go of your hand the moment you two exited the car, but he never did.

Eventually, you two arrived in front of a door. Before he could open it, you hold him back. He looks back at you with wide eyes that were laced with worry.

“Hey, are you okay?” You bite your lip as you felt your limbs fill with anxiety.

“I… I don’t know. Who are the people in there? I’m not the greatest in social gatherings so I might end up clinging onto you. Is that okay? I mean–”

Before you could continue on a tangent, Sunwoo lets go of your hand and grabs onto your face to gain your attention (which he successfully did). The warmth of his hands on your cheeks; the eye contact he held; everything about him had the ability to make you shut up and admire him like he is the only person on this earth. And that god-forsaken smile started to creep onto his lips—you were screwed.

“It’ll be alright. Cling onto me for as long as you want, I’ll make sure to keep you company. Don’t forget, I did invite you which makes me obligated to take care of you.” Before you could protest, he cuts you off.

“Sorry, don’t think I’m keeping you company as a task. I enjoy spending time with you too, and I want to spend whatever second I have left with you,” He says, which has your knees weak.

If Sunwoo did not know the power of his words, you would have smacked him then and there. There is no way the guy right in front of you is saying all this without knowing the impact these words would have on anyone. Maybe he was just as dense as Soeun thinks you are, and you were betting on it.

He eventually lets go of your face and grabs onto your hand once more. With that, he looks back to the door and swings it open. The two of you were greeted by strobe lights and BIBI’s “The Weekend” as you entered the function room.

If you had to guess, the party seemed to have at least fifty individuals (possibly a mix of idols and staff) who looked like they were having the time of their lives. As you were taking in your surroundings, you noticed idols such as Kim Yerim of Red Velvet and Mark Lee of NCT chatting with other idols you recognized.

The party was full of big shots, and that terrified you. Your nerves were starting to get to you that Sunwoo could notice. With that, you found yourself being brought in front of him so that he could hold onto your shoulders as you two walked.

“If you want to leave already, just let me know, okay?” He whispers into your ear as you continue to walk to wherever he is leading you to.

If people did not notice you were here, people definitely noticed now considering how close you and Sunwoo were. Before you could tell Sunwoo that others were staring, you two eventually arrived at a table occupied by ten other guys you knew from research—you can only assume it is the rest of his group.

“Guess who finally showed up!” Juyeon pointed out which has the rest of the group looking at you two.

“I know, I know. I had to pick up Y/N from their place.” Sunwoo says as he high-fives some of them.

“Oh my god, Y/N, please do take a seat,” Changmin says as he grabs onto the chair beside him. You give him a small smile and take a seat with Sunwoo doing the same beside you.

“I think I should introduce you to–”

“Oh, you don’t have to! I know who everyone is,” You cut Sunwoo off which has the rest of the group in shock.

“The Y/N knows us?! Korea’s sweetheart?!” Eric exclaims which has you giggling.

“Of course! Why would I agree to produce a track for Chanhee and Sunwoo if I didn’t know your group? What you guys put out is amazing!” The group expresses their gratitude after your compliment.

“I mean, the same goes for you! I would be embarrassed to admit this, but you were my bias when 1CON was still together,” Changmin says which has you laughing.

“Oh please, I don’t take compliments well,” You say as you try to shrug it off.

“I mean, Sunwoo was probably worse! He would–”

“Aish, shut up Haknyeon! Y/N doesn’t have to know,” Sunwoo attempts to cut Haknyeon off before he could spill anything.

“What? Now I wanna know!”

“Ah, Y/N! Don’t listen to him!” Sunwoo exclaims which makes you laugh at him.

“Sunwoo, I think Haknyeon has something very important to share with me. You wouldn’t want to stop us from being friends, would you?” When he gives you a pout, all you could do is giggle and pat his knee.

As the others seemed invested in their own conversations, Haknyeon says, “Well, Sunwoo had you as his bias even before you debuted in 1CON.” You gasp as you look at the guy moping beside you and back to Haknyeon.

“It was funny because he so badly wanted to meet you before but your group and The Boyz never had their schedules line up when it came to promotions. I remember when Changmin said he had you as his bias; the reaction on Sunwoo’s face is so memorable.” With that, you smile at Sunwoo who was busy sulking.

“Sunwoo, why didn’t you tell me this?” You ask which has him looking back at you.

“I didn’t think it was relevant to mention,” He mutters.

“You were just shy about it!” You exclaim as you could not stop yourself from smiling at the shy boy in front of you.

“Ah, whatever! New topic, please! Where’s Soobin and Yeonjun?”

“Uh, they were just here. However, Y/N! I forgot to mention that–” Before Haknyeon could finish his sentence, you were interrupted by your phone buzzing in your bag. As you grab it, you see a text message from Soeun.

ssongie 🐧: hey, let me know when you get back home! i’ll seriously scold jihoon if sunwoo doesn’t bring you back home.

ssongie 🐧: and i know you hate huge social gatherings so don’t hesitate to call me

ssongie 🐧: actually just call me when you're there so that i know you’re safe please &lt;3

You giggle at Soeun’s messages and decide to get up from your seat.

“I just have to call Soeun,” You explain to Sunwoo and Haknyeon and excuse yourself from the table to go to the washroom. As you were busy typing out a response, you accidentally bump into someone.

“Oh my god, I’m so–”

“Y/N? I did not expect you to be here!” The voice belonged to someone you last wished to bump into, especially at a gathering full of idols. As you look up, you see the face of your ex-peer who constantly overshadowed you from pre-debut until disbandment.

Jiyoon—the one person you hoped to avoid encountering at any given moment, especially at IST Entertainment—just had to bump into you here. You were shocked by how the universe works. How could they make you meet her here, out of all the places too?

Before you could say anything, Jiyoon wrapped her arms around your figure. The sudden action did not help how surprised you were by the whole situation.

“Y/N, it’s been a while!” She exclaims once she lets go, clearly not noticing how you did not hug her back.

“I–we saw each other recently,” You say, which makes her laugh.

“Oh yeah! But I couldn’t stay for long, remember? I had to leave the moment you got there!” Jiyoon smiled at you which made you feel awkward.

The thing is Jiyoon never intentionally did anything bad to you. In fact, your old company was to blame for cultivating this competitive environment between you two. Yet, you were sure Jiyoon saw you as a competitor as well despite the façade she put on.

“Uh, yeah. What a bummer!” If she did not notice how awkward you feel about this encounter, she should definitely notice now.

You just wanted to get out of this horrible situation. The need to just crawl under your covers to isolate yourself from your memories and reality is so strong. It did not help that people were observing the interaction between you two. I mean, who would not want to see two of Korea’s sweethearts interact once more? Yet, you knew people were curious about what would go down between you two.

“How’s producing going for you? I was shocked to hear you didn’t debut with Ryujin and Chaeryeong in ITZY! Was it because you didn’t make it to the final line-up?” You frowned at her.

“Producing is amazing because I enjoy what I do now. And no, I just decided to leave JYP.” Your response was laced with a touch of passive aggressiveness as you were uncomfortable with her question.

“Oh, what a shame. I just thought that you would have fit ITZY, but I guess JYP wouldn’t accept any of your tracks for their albums, would they?”

See, that is the problem with Jiyoon; a fake ass bitch who knew how to press your buttons. If everyone else knew how much of a bitch she was, maybe you would not have to struggle being under fire for choosing to be a producer rather than an idol.

Before you could say anything, you felt someone’s arm wrap around your shoulders.

“Hi, Jiyoon! Sorry to interrupt but Y/N and I have somewhere to be,” Sunwoo intervenes as he gives a small smile to Jiyoon.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you two came together.” Jiyoon gives a smile—the same one you grew to hate over the years. “Well, I hope to see you again, Y/N.”

Once Jiyoon finally leaves, you do not take another second to shrug Sunwoo’s arm off and make your way out of the function room. As Sunwoo follows you out, the two of you continue to walk back to the car in silence. Jihoon notices you two and starts up the car.

The moment you two get in, not a single word is exchanged throughout the whole ride. You were sure Sunwoo was confused about your reaction but maybe he did not want to ask you about it until you were ready.

What you do not expect is to feel his hand rest on top of yours. There is something that his touch does to bring you comfort. If you could unravel the reason for this, you would take it in a heartbeat. But for now, all you can do is let yourself feel at ease.

Once you were brought back to your home, Sunwoo walked you back to the door. Before you decided to enter your home, you take a look at Sunwoo who looked worried. With that, you gave him an apologetic smile and say, “I’m sorry about tonight.”

“Hey, don’t even worry about it,” Sunwoo starts off. “It’s none of my business, but just know I’m here for you.”

You cannot help but smile at him. For a moment, you do not know what to say. Yet, something possess you. Without thinking, you felt your face closer to his. As his eyes widen at the distance between you two, you cannot help but smile.

With your head leaning to the side, you felt your lips get closer to his cheek until there was no distance left. It was a short kiss to begin with, and not much thought was put into the action. The moment you pulled away, you are still met with Sunwoo’s shocked expression.

You chose to not say anything. All you did was smile and walk away. Once you entered your home, you could not help but focus on the memories you had with Jiyoon in them (and the peck you gave Sunwoo).

Having to face Sunwoo the next day was a task you were not ready to take on. As you look back at the events that transpired last night, you were unsure of how to go back to normal without acknowledging your encounter with Jiyoon (and the k*ss on the cheek you gave out of impulse).

You wish you knew what was going through your mind that made you k*ss him. Everything felt like a blur yet crystal clear. Being driven by impulse and having no second thoughts had you placed in bad situations.

Thankfully, Sunwoo did not make any comment about last night the moment you entered the studio. In fact, the only thing you two talked about was about the track. He probably did not want to put you in an awkward position, or maybe he felt awkward himself. Either way, the two of you continued to work by yourselves.

“Why aren’t you signed with a company?” Sunwoo asks the golden question that stops you from working.

You were not sure why the sudden question but all signs have to point to what Jiyoon said last night (or what she probably told The Boyz considering they are under the same company).

“You don’t have to answer–”

“Thank you, I won’t,” You say to end the conversation.

“I’m sorry if–”

“Sunwoo,” You interrupt before he could continue.

As you look away from the computer to look at him, you say, “Just continue working.” Your tone was laced with malice as you throw a glare at him. With that, Sunwoo chose to shut up and continue writing out his rap while you tried to finish the song.

The more you two continued on with work, the more you felt guilt piling in your stomach. Sunwoo was only asking a question and you treated him with such hostility. As you felt your heart get eaten away, you wondered how you could apologize to him.

Around 1 AM, it was safe to say that you were done with the base track. Thankfully, it also seemed that Sunwoo was done with the lyrics of his raps and Chanhee’s verses.

“Thank god! All we have to do is record the demo tomorrow and we’re good to go,” You say as you save the files into your USB.

Once you shut the computer down and stood up, you look back to see Sunwoo still seated on the couch. You let out a sigh as you look down at the USB in your hands.

“I’m sorry about earlier, and last night.” When you look back up at him, he had his eyes trained on you. You took a moment to think about how to approach the situation considering you fucked up.

“Do you… do you wanna grab something with me at the convenience store? Consider it an apology or an opportunity for me to explain,” You offer with a small smile.

With that, Sunwoo nods and stands up from his seat. Thank god Sunwoo is willing to hear you out.

Sunwoo took this opportunity to buy out the whole convenience store. As you two exit to take a seat in the outdoor area, his arms seemed to carry an abundance of snacks while you held onto strawberry milk and potato chips. Once the two of you got settled, you both dug into your snacks in comfortable silence.

“I’ll, uhm, explain,” You start off as you look down at your drink.

“You don’t have to if you aren’t ready to share that part with me,” Sunwoo reassures you before you could continue.

“I know, but… I trust you.” Both you and him were shocked at your words. “I–I was just thrown off a while ago because only a few people know that part of my life.”

The moment you look back up to Sunwoo, his doe eyes were full of concern. He knows that it is a sensitive topic if you snapped a while ago—and it is. Usually, you were not the type to snap at people, but this topic was a touchy issue.

“Well, you know that I used to be under JYP even before I debuted in 1CON.” Sunwoo nods. “I obviously had plans to be part of a girl group, which was ITZY if you didn’t overhear my conversation with Jiyoon. To be honest, the line-up for ITZY was tight considering that ten trainees were competing for it, including me,” You speak as you reveal the secrets of your past.

“The thing is that I was technically going to make it in the final line-up even before 1CON. So, when Soeun—who was also a staff member of JYP Entertainment—revealed that Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and I were going to audition for Produce 101, it shocked all of us. I mean, the three of us seemed like we were going to debut in ITZY, so why did we have to go through that shitty survival show?”

“Well, when Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and I made it into the final line-up, ITZY’s debut was pushed back as well. The time I spent with 1CON is something I would carry with me throughout this lifetime, but I can’t deny that the company that oversaw us was terrible.” You look down at your banana milk.

“Even after being in the final line-up for 1CON, there was this competitive nature that made it impossible for me to feel at ease. Of course, I can’t speak for everyone because most of us got along. However, I guess the most evident rivalry was between Jiyoon and I.” As you look at Sunwoo once more, he was only listening to what you had to say. There were no interruptions on his end, and that made you grateful.

“I mean, you’ve watched Produce 101, and I’m guessing you followed the news on my group. I’m sure most media outlets would focus on the rivalry between me and Jiyoon as fans would try to defend our relationship. As much as people wanted to believe that we were best friends, we really weren’t.”

“It also didn’t help that our company, Stone Entertainment, seemed to favor her over me. I swear, I respect her as a producer since we were the only people in the group who dabbled into that. Yet, it was always hard to be a producer for 1CON when your company denied your works or would completely rearrange it without giving you credit.”

“They did WHAT?!” Sunwoo exclaims for the first time since you opened up about this topic which has you giggling.

“Yeah, it was terrible. Stone Entertainment never touched Jiyoon’s works. If they did though, they always made sure to give her credit. The rivalry I had with Jiyoon was something I knew I lost the moment they took my name out of the credits for one of the tracks I produced for the group.” You sigh. “Of course, I couldn’t protest because I would be risking my position in 1CON. Along with that, JYP would have been pissed if I spoke up.”

“So yeah, I had to live under the shadow of Jiyoon. I thought that things would go better for me once I came back under the care of JYP, but I was mistaken. There was no creative freedom with the tracks I planned to produce for the group. In fact, it felt like I was being used by the company. And despite all the countless producers JYP had contact with, they made sure to use me somehow.”

“So, imagine this: I was being starved, overworked, and overwhelmed by JYP. The fact that I couldn’t do what I love without being constantly criticized took an absolute toll on me. What I went through with Stone Entertainment was traumatic in some way, to be honest. While I was trying to get over that, I had to deal with JYP.”

“In the end, I made the decision to leave, having to pay off any expenses that they covered. Soeun followed me, and it’s a burden I carry with me. I can’t pay her much despite all the work she’s done for me. Yet, she stuck with me, and I’m happy she’s taking the decision to work with IST.”

The silence that engulfs you two should be deafening, but it was calming for you. Vocalizing what you went through felt like a weight off your chest. Somehow, saying all of it made you realize just how much you had to go through to be where you are now.

Once you looked up, you were greeted by Sunwoo’s eyes which were full of sorrow.

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” He whispers which has you shaking your head.

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. In fact, the people who owe me an apology are JYP and Stone Entertainment,” You say with a laugh, looking at the starry sky.

“That’s why when netizens talk about how I’m a wasted opportunity or question what my future plans are, I don’t pay attention to them. What I went through at those two companies was enough to know how I’d be treated in the industry.” You sigh. “But I love music at the end of it all—I love the music I worked hard on.”

As you admired the sea of stars that seemed to surround you two, Sunwoo grabbed your hand from across the table. The moment you look back at him, he does not say anything. Instead, he continues to rub his thumb on your hand, drawing patterns as you two sit in what you shared.

You were over what happened then; you did not cry like you used to. Yet, there is something so comforting about Sunwoo’s hand caressing yours that says, “You can cry if you want to.” And cry you did.

The tears slowly streamed down your face, and you realized just how vulnerable you were around the man you supposedly just met a few days ago. Before you could say anything, you see Sunwoo give you a smile of sympathy as he continues to hold your hand that starts to shake.

Once the sobs started to pour out, you could not look at him anymore. Your body started to bend forward as you felt your heart start to ache at the memory. Somehow, you felt your body be brought towards the warm figure who was once seated across you. As Sunwoo let you cry into his chest, his arms stayed wrapped around your figure as he rubbed circles on your back.

You were never the person who could easily be vulnerable around others. Yet, it was so easy to be that way with Sunwoo. Despite the small period of time getting to know him, he did not seem to judge you as tears and snot continued to drip. That was the moment you realized that Sunwoo is everything good in this world.

Having to meet Sunwoo the next day to record the final track was probably the most nerve-wracking experience yet. In the past two days, you managed to k*ss him on the cheek (god, you hate thinking about it that you cannot even say it) and also sob your eyes out to the point his hoodie was soaked. You are not sure how you can embarrass yourself even more.

When you entered the recording studio, the universe seemed to save your ass since you saw Chanhee and Sunwoo together. Thankfully, there would be no opportunity to spend some time alone with him (at least for now).

“Ah, Y/N! It’s so nice to see you again,” Chanhee exclaims as he grabs your hand to shake it.

“It’s nice to see you too, Chanhee! Has Sunwoo shown you the lyrics and melody?”

“Yes, he did. I was practicing all night, so I’m hoping you’ll be satisfied later.” You shake your head with a smile on your face. The moment your eyes land on Sunwoo, you see his eyes on you. Still nervous from yesterday, you look back at Chanhee to get rid of the fact that Sunwoo was staring at you.

“No, this is your track. Whatever you do should live up to your standards. I’m sure whatever you do will blow my mind anyway,” You say letting go of his hand.

Once you take a seat in front of the mixing console, you say, “Chanhee, you can step into the recording booth first so we can record your parts. Sunwoo seems to have his rap under control, so let’s work hard to do the bigger tasks.”

The whole process of having Chanhee and Sunwoo record their parts seemed to pass by quickly. In fact, you managed to only spend two and a half hours just recording their parts since they wanted to experiment and figure out which went best.

What followed after was for you to combine their vocals with the track. It did not take much, which surprised you. Usually, you would struggle with this segment of the process. Yet, it helped to have Sunwoo and Chanhee in the room as they talked about whatever.

As you were immersed in cleaning up the final track, you never noticed how Sunwoo was preoccupied with admiring you. Although Chanhee caught sight of it, he continued to talk to the wall to not blow his best friend’s cover.

What you do not catch is one boy whispering to the other about admitting his feelings for you after everything.

On the next day, you were not as nervous as you expected to be (maybe it is because Chanhee and Sunwoo enjoyed the final product). You were seated with the two across from Jihoon, Soeun, and the CEO of IST Entertainment, Mr. Yoon, to present the final track.

“Thank you again for meeting with us today and accepting the offer to produce the track for Chanhee and Sunwoo,” Mr. Yoon says with a smile.

“Of course, it is a pleasure to be given this opportunity,” You say as you bow your head.

“Can you give us a brief explanation of what you have prepared for us?”

With that, you nod and give Chanhee and Sunwoo to explain the meaning behind the song.

“Mr. Yoon, the track we have prepared with Y/N is entitled “Don’t,” which is a love story with a twist. It’s a story between two people who started off casually flirting but slowly realize that they have feelings for each other,” Chanhee starts off.

“The story of this song is that the two possible lovers don’t want to admit anything and would like to stay away from alcohol in fear that they might confess under the influence,” Sunwoo continues, allowing you to say the last segment of the explanation.

“The track is R&B with a Soul feel. Sunwoo is responsible for creating the meaning behind this track, and I just worked with his idea. We hope you enjoy what we have to offer,” You finish off the explanation and signal Soeun to play the track for Mr. Yoon.

As the track played, you noticed Soeun, Jihoon, and Mr. Yoon going along with the music. In fact, it looked like they were enjoying it. As you were waiting for the track to end, you felt someone’s hand grab onto yours from under the table. When you look down, you notice that it was Sunwoo’s hand that grabbed yours. The moment you look at Sunwoo who is seated beside you, he does not spare you a glance but continues to hold your hand that rests on your lap.

You two have not talked about the k*ss on the cheek or the sob moment you had back at the convenience store. In fact, you have not talked about how he held your hand in the car or how he held your face to calm you down. Never once did you two mention the flirtatious comments you two would throw at each other.

So, what happens once the track gets approved? Will these all stop once you and Sunwoo do not have to work together anymore? What will happen to the relationship between you two?

The moment the track reaches its end, you are snapped back to reality. Once you look back at Mr. Yoon, you see him nodding with a small smile. He seemed to look satisfied with the final output.

“Y/N, I really enjoy what you put for us today. Your specialty is really with R&B tracks considering the artists you’ve produced for.” You were not sure whether that was a compliment or not since you produced tracks of different genres.

“Here at IST, we really appreciate what you put in for us. We’ll make sure to make good use of this demo.” You started to frown.

“I’m sorry, demo?” You ask, clarifying what you just heard.

“Yes, demo,” Mr. Yoon answers, leaving you taken back.

“Demo? Mr. Yoon, we agreed on Y/N producing the final track. This is not a demo,” Soeun says as she shared the same confusion you had. Mr. Yoon snaps his fingers, signaling for Jihoon to respond.

“Uhm, we sent an email a few days ago to Y/N’s email to inform them of the changes in the contract. We assumed that you two got the memo despite getting no response.” With that, you immediately stand up from your seat, Sunwoo’s hand not holding yours anymore.

“Even if, you should have clarified with me regarding this matter. I mean, we saw each other recently. Why did you not bother to ask me if I received your email?” You ask in disbelief as you set your hands on the table.

“If you were signed with a company, then you wouldn’t have to bother with fixing your habit of reading emails,” Mr. Yoon comments, which makes you scoff.

“Ah, so it’s like that then. The nerve of this company to comment on how I am an independent producer is disrespectful. Mr. Yoon, I’ll have you know that I signed that contract under the impression it would be the final track. I cannot accept giving you this as a demo knowing my work would be taken advantage of.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but we are only willing to accept it as a demo.” You cross your arms as you shake your head in disbelief.

“Mr. Yoon, don’t think this is the first time people have attempted to screw me over. I’ll have you know that I’ve been in this industry longer than your groups. Chanhee and Sunwoo can keep their lyrics while I keep my track. This agreement is over,” You say as you step away from the table, storming off the room to leave Soeun to deal with the rest.

As you made your way out of the building, you began to walk on the sidewalk to think about what just happened. Yet, you heard someone calling your name from behind. As you let out a sigh, you stood still in place and feel Sunwoo’s hand grab onto your shoulder.

“What now, Sunwoo?”

“I’m sorry about–”

“Sunwoo, you don’t need to apologize for anything. It’s your CEO and manager that need to apologize for the fact that they modified the contract without my knowledge, attempted to take advantage of my work to call it their own, and insulted me as an independent artist and producer,” You say as you were shocked with how things turned out.

Clearly, you were not in the right headspace to continue talking about what just happened. In fact, you were pissed with the events that transpired a while ago. You signed up to produce the final track with possible minimal changes, not a fucking demo.

“Y/N, will you hear me out?” Sunwoo asks which makes you let out a sigh.

“Yes, sorry. Please, say what you need to say,” You say, hoping he would understand what you felt considering how you opened up to him two days ago.

“I think you should still agree to it.”

Upon hearing those words, your mouth opens in shock. The one person you trusted to understand what you felt about this issue seemed to be turning their back on you. Considering that Sunwoo knew what you went through, you could not believe what he was asking you to do.

“I’m sorry?”

“It’ll still be a good opportunity! I’ll make sure they credit you for it, and I’ll even express my gratitude to ensure that people know you worked on this.” You let out a chuckle of disbelief as you shake off his hand that was once resting on your shoulder (and held your hand countless times).

“Kim Sunwoo, I expected better from you.” Before he could say anything, you cut him off.

“No, you don’t get to speak just yet. Sunwoo, you are an artist in this industry. You know how companies treat demos, and how there are opportunities for artists like me to get fucked over. Your company is not that different from others; they only care for profit as artists continue to struggle in this fucked up industry.”

“Sunwoo, I can’t believe that after everything I told you a few days ago, you dare to ask me something so difficult. I would have thought that out of all the people you would be the one who would understand, but clearly, you are no different from the companies who took advantage of me.”

You stand there for a few seconds in hopes to hear Sunwoo argue that he is not like the people who took advantage of you. In fact, you were waiting for him to say he understood and that he would like to apologize. But when no words came out of his mouth, that is when you knew that you were played with.

“Yeah, fuck you, Sunwoo. Don’t bother contacting me again.” With that, you stormed off and left him to sit in with what you said. You did not like to admit it but you were sure you felt tears fall as you continued to make your way back home on foot.

if you liked this, please take some time to like and reblog this!

[thatsofic]

BEST SOLOIST (FEMALE) IS A GRAND PRIZE AKA DAESANG AWARD!

Who's the best soloist in the fic? Meet the eight amazing female artists who are nominated for BEST SOLOIST!

BORN IN THE CAPITAL OF THAILAND, naiyana’s introduction to the world was bloody and wretched. She danced because her m jiho loved when she danced, enrolled in singing lessons, and was whisked to seoul to audition at a company she didn’t know. because she ought to put her talent to good use, no? \\ @xonaisu

VERONIKA  (  베로니카  ),  a  fictional  female  soloist,  emerges from the shadows with  unique  haunting  music  style  and  witch-themed  visuals.  her  self-titled  debut  album,  released  alongside  an  intense  music  video,  created  a  buzz  in  the  industry  with  its  dark  and  mysterious  theme.  the  concept  resonated  strongly  with  audiences,  who  were  drawn  to  the  blend  of  mythology,  witchcraft,  and  music. \\ @iamvercnika

HEEJIN KWAN, also known by her stage name, ASTELLA is a fictional soloist that originally debuted on July 13th, 2017 with her former group PARADISE, and later in late 2021 as a soloist is managed by STARSHIP Entertainment. \\  @heejinkwan

Dayna Seo was originally set to debut with CLC, but due to a lineup change last minute. she was benched. That's in the past because now she is a talented producer, creating all of VIVID's songs alongside Sora under the duo name SoDa. She finally made her solo debut on January 12, 2021, with the single "거기너!" and has also contributed her songwriting and producing talents to various idol tracks, working closely with Sora. \\ @alwaysvivid

Sora first gained widespread recognition by competing on Unpretty Rapstar in 2016, where she placed 3rd, and Produce 101 from 2016 to 2017, just missing the final I.O.I lineup by placing 12th. Her solo debut came on April 4, 2022, with the release of her debut album CHERRY under Angelico Entertainment. Every song on the album was written and produced by Sora and Dayna under SoDa. Sora’s creativity and artistic vision have made her a standout figure in the music industry. \\ @alwaysvivid

Judy (judi. 주디, often stylized in all caps) is a soloist managed by cult creative. The singer was originally a part of Project HotPink, she debuted with Heart Attack in the spring of 2013. Gaining the name disaster rookie due to her debut being a complete disaster. it wouldn’t take long for the singer to redeem herself, however; the release of Purple Night did wonders for her failing career — peaking at two on the Gaon Digital Chart and securing her two end-of-the-year awards. \\ @anqelsweep

SHIM MIYEO, also known as MEW is a fictional south korean soloist under glasshouse inc. she debuted in 2017 with a single album, CATz TALK. originally under alfea labels, MEW was in the lineup to debut with VENUS TRAP in 2020, but after a conflict in her contract, she left the company three years earlier to debut as a soloist. \\ @mimcw

CHLOE KWON is a kpop SOLOIST and CEO of LOVELY RECORDS. she was first introduced in the survival show SIXTEEN, where she placed 10TH overall, just missing the final lineup of TWICE. she then debuted as a SOLOIST less than a year later, skyrocketing in popularity. \\ @chloekwon

  ┈─★ ⠀⠀⠀CLICK HERE TO GET TO VOTING!

[xohyeona]

LOVE, PATIENCE & ADMIRATION.

SUMMARY. some of the significant moments of aeri and kaleina’s journey through produce 101

AUTHORS NOTE. here it isssss @urmykrushhh i’m so sorry this took forever 😭 BUT!! i really enjoyed working on this. i kinda filled in some blanks, like their audition performance, kaleina & kiyeon’s relationship, etc, but hopefully i got this somewhat accurate of the girls’ journey. btw i got a lot of inspo for this fic from the greatest by billie eilish, literally had that song on repeat

hearing the news of being sent to produce 101 brought on two different reactions from aeri and kyungja. for aeri, it only erupted her nerves even more, the threat of having to compete against on hundred other girls for a debut worried her. kyungja, on the other hand, took this as another opportunity; a solid chance to make her dreams come true in case she couldn’t debut under bighit.

having the title of “bighit trainees” alone already gave them a higher up. shocked stares and whispers filled the room upon the girls’ entrance from compliments like, “they’re so pretty” to questions such as, “since when did bighit even have female trainees?” to comments about how kyungja looked a bit familiar.

aeri and kyungja could feel a mixture of awe and tension when they walked into the room, however their smiling faces never faltered, making a good impression. cheetah let out a sudden sound of surprise while looking through the girls’ profiles, kyungja specifically. she did a double take, whispering to bae yoonjung sitting next to her before turning her attention to kyungja. “kyungja, your sister is an idol, correct?”

kyungja sheepishly smiled, “yes. my older sister is girls generations’ kiyeon.”

as soon as she said that, they entire room filled with gasps and surprised looks. so that’s why she looked so familiar.

“are you going to perform a girls generation song?” jang keunsuk asked.

“no, no,” kyungja laughed, comically waving her hands in protest. that was a discussion before entering the show, what song they would perform. aeri suggested run devil run or mr. mr. but the younger girl detested the idea. of course she liked those songs and she knew that promoted herself as juyeon’s younger sister would garner lots of attention, but she didn’t want to do that. she didn’t want to use her sister’s popularity to get herself ahead. she was gonna get there on her own.

finally, aeri and kyungja were able to perform. deciding to be confident and make a strong impression, the girls performed i am the best by 2ne1, which received praise from the judges and contestants. jeA complimented aeri on her vocals but told her that her dancing needed improvement. kyungja received praise for her rapping and dance ability and was asked to freestyle, which only put her in higher graces with the judges.

“i’ll announce the rankings now,” jang keunsuk exclaimed, holding the microphone close and looking down at his papers, “trainee jang kyungja, A.”

kyungja smiled and sighed in relief as all of the other trainees clapped for her. nobody really excepted anything less.

“trainee yamamoto aeri,” keunsuk continued, leaving a long pause before announcing her ranking, “B.”

though she was slightly disappointed she received a lower rank than kyungja, she still smiled and nodded, clapping for herself along with the other trainees.

“thank you.” the girls both bowed and walked off stage. as the two walked up to their seats, finally, they held hands and smiled at each other in encouragement; a silent saying of “we got this.” they were already off to a good start and while the only place you can go after being at the top is down, it seemed unlikely at the moment.

kyungja almost doesn’t believe it when a staff member hands her her cell phone. her eyes blink rapidly and she looks at the female staff skeptically, “really?” she asks while being urged to take the phone. she slowly takes it, in fear that the staff will change her mind and instantly take it back. when she’s told to make a phone call to someone important, she immediately thinks of one person; kiyeon.

“hello?”

“oh thank god you answered,” kyungja dramatically sighs in relief, basically throwing her entire body against the wall. she really didn’t think her sister would, being already a debuted idol and kyungja being so busy training, it’s been a while since they’ve had the chance to really talk.

kiyeon lightens up hearing her baby sister’s voice, “kyungja-yah! are you okay? how are you? aren’t you still doing the show?” she floods kyungja with multiple questions, but it takes a moment for kyungja to find an answer. she didn’t realize it until now, but she really needed to hear her voice.

kyungja lets her body slide down to the floor and holding her knees to her chest. “don’t worry, i’m not eliminated yet,” she jokes, though the threat of possibly being eliminated never leaves her mind. “they gave us our phones to call someone, so i decided to call you. sorry if you’re busy.”

kiyeon hums, “you know i’m never too busy when you need me. what’s on your mind?”

the younger sibling sighs, feeling the weight of kiyeon’s words. what is on her mind? besides constantly practicing and working hard to not be eliminated, kyungja had very little time to process her feelings.

“i’m tired,” she knows that for sure. probably not just physically, but mentally too. kyungja has been doing this for a long time, six years to be exact. she loves this, she really does, but goddamn does she need a nap and a couple hours to herself.

“that’s okay,” kiyeon tells her. “you’ll get tired a lot doing this job. but don’t let yourself be tired for nothing.” kyungja tilts her head in confusion, raising her eyebrows.

“if you really want this kyungja, use that tiredness to find the strength to push through. don’t let it go to waste.”

“but also, don’t overwork yourself and get sick, you need to be healthy too.” kiyeon quickly adds, but kyungja smiles and laughs, “got it. thanks unnie.” her words replay in kyungja’s mind and she finds herself feeling a little better, more determined if anything.

“you got this, kaleina.”

“aeri is the center?” jeA asked.

as the concept evaluation round of performances were just a few days away, led to aeri and the rest of her team practicing yum-yum. cheetah and jeA, who were monitoring the performance, were quiet for a moment as the girls completed the routine. tension filled the room with the girls out of breath and nervous, worried about what they will say.

“what happened? aeri, you messed up once and suddenly your face looked scared for the rest of the performance. you looked like you didn’t know what you were doing.” cheetah scolds. her tone isn’t harsh, but aeri can practically hear the intimidation in her voice. in respond, she could only nod and let out a soft apology.

“don’t apologize. just fix it, okay?”

after what seemed like forever, kyungja and aeri meet up in an empty practice room. since performing the signal song, they’ve been on separate teams. it’s been a while since they’ve had the free time to talk.

“you okay?” kyungja asks, taking a seat on the floor next to aeri, who’s leaning against the wall. aeri, who only hums, watches her sit. the two sit in a comfortable silence for a moment.

“i think i’m in trouble,” aeri laughs, though serious. “i’m worried about this performance.” she actually worried about a lot of things right now; the fear of being eliminated, the public audience slowly beginning to turn on her, but this upcoming performance weighs heavily.

“let me see.” kyungja declares, and aeri looks at a bit taken aback. “you have the music, right? let me see you do it.” she gestures for aeri to get up. the older girl hesitates for a second before grabbing the music player. kyungja was one of the best dancers she’s ever met. if anyone could help her, it would be her.

as aeri plays the music and begins to dance, kyungja looks at her intensely. it’s a look that makes aeri believe she’d be a good judge if she wasn’t a trainee. as the song reaches the chorus, kyungja suddenly stops her.

“relax. you’re so tense, it’s why you’re off beat. it’s causing you to move too fast. you might be thinking too much, which i completely understand, but it’s not helping you.” aeri nods, intensely taking in everything she’s saying. she understands, but how is she supposed to relax? they’re not exactly in a calm situation right now. it almost makes her feel worse.

kyungja seemingly senses aeri’s worries. “here, close your eyes.” again, aeri looks at her confused.

“close your eyes, turn around, and do the choreography. it might be easier if you make yourself believe you’re alone.” she can read the skepticism written all of aeri’s face, but her stance doesn’t change, staring at her until she decides to do it.

“okay,” aeri draws out, slowly turning around and closing her eyes. she doesn’t really understand how this method is supposed to work, but kyungja’s the only dance expert in the room right now so she’ll go with it.

the music begins, and aeri takes a deep breath. she starts to dance, and oddly enough, her body feels calmer. she’s not looking at anyone and therefore, doesn’t feel the stress of being judge, even while knowing that kyungja is right behind her. she goes through the entire routine, not completely perfect, but better than the first time. as the song closes out and aeri completes the final move, kyungja smiles and softly claps for her. “see? that was better, right? how was it?”

aeri turns back to face her and smiles and nods, slightly out of breath. “yeah, i think that was better. now i just have to do that with my eyes open.”

“come on, just practice a few more times like that and you’ll be okay. you got this aeri.” kyungja encourages, and while it doesn’t make aeri’s worries completely go away, it leaves some hope in her mind.

kyungja sent a warming smile towards aeri, attempting to lift up the older girl’s spirits. aeri reciprocated, but as the names of other trainees began to be called and less spots became available, her worries only grew.

kang mina in 18th place, zhou jieqiong in 19th place, jeon soyeon in 20th place, jung eunwoo in 21st place. aeri’s eyes were squeezed shut and her fingers tightly crossed. she had to be next, please let her be next. she knows the public hasn’t been in favor of her recently, but if she just had one more shot, she’d do better. all she needs is one more chance to prove that she deserves a spot and─

lee soohyun in 22nd place.

the tenseness in her body slowly eased. her fingers uncrossed and her eyes slowly open as the realization hit her. she didn’t make it. her mind starts to spin, going over everything she did wrong or could’ve done better; how she could’ve done better.

will she have another chance after this?

sure, there were still plans for bighit to debut a new girl group, but in this industry? everything is uncertain. aeri’s eyes began to well into tears, but she quickly blinked them away at the sight of kyungja, who had a look of pity on her face. all of their encouragement of making the group together was suddenly down the drain.

“it’s okay.” aeri mouthed to kyungja, hoping to make the younger girl feel better. she shouldn’t be sad, kyungja still has a chance.

although regrettable, she can’t change the past. she did what she did and this is what happened.

days later kyungja would find herself in the same position, surrounded in the mist of the remaining girls, all anxiously waiting for their fate. it was the final. after months of rigorous practicing, tough competition, and stressful eliminations, things were coming to an end.

names began to be called, painfully slowly might i add. from lim nayoung in 10th place to jeon somi and kim sejeong in 1st and 2nd. only 11th place remained. kyungja stared at the tv screen displayed in front of the girls, jumping in surprise seeing her face appear along with three other girls.

kyungja couldn’t even find the words to speak when asked how she felt. a million thoughts ran through her head, she could barely think straight. 14th place was announced, then 13th; neither of which were her.

no pressure, right?

now, it was between her and yeonjung. a top tier vocalist versus a top tier dancer. it was anyone’s game at this point, either one of them. kyungja didn’t know how much longer she could be patient. her hands were shaking and she could only stare at the floor. when she heard the words, “starship, yoo yeonjug,” she let out the huge breath she had been holding since the beginning.

one spot. kyungja was one spot away from making the lineup of i.o.i. just one. she walked over and hugged yeonjung, who had bursted into tears, reassuring and congratulating her. no matter how disappointed in herself she was, these were still her friends and colleagues. she was happy for yeonjung. though, she could help turning away from everyone else to wipe her tears after letting go of her.

‘don’t let it be for nothing.’ kyungja heard kiyeon’s words in her head. she won’t quit. there was still hope for her at bighit. she’s gonna go back and continue to work hard for her dreams. she won’t let her struggles be for nothing.

[thornilee013]

WIP Wednesday - March 6th 2024

I AM BACK FROM THE DEAD. I HAVE EMPTIED MY INBOX-BASED FEEDING PAIL AND AM HUNGRY FOR ATTENTION SUSTENANCE ONCE MORE.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO FEED A HUNGRY WW-PARTICIPATING AUTHOR, FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO THE RODEO:

Step One: CHOOSE ONE OF THE PROJECT TITLES BELOW AND THEN FEEL FREE TO SCURRY OVER TO THE "ASK" FUNCTION IN ORDER TO OFFER THE AUTHOR A SCOOP OF FOOD.

Step Two: AS THANKS FOR THE MEAL, THE AUTHOR WILL PRODUCE A MINIMUM OF THREE-SENTENCES' WORTH OF PROGRESS ON THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT.

Step Three: REPEAT Step One AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE (but only if the author has specified that it is truly this ravenous; respect the stomach capacities and limits of other authors!!!!!)

Step Four (Optional): SPREAD THE WORD. REBLOG THIS POST. REBLOG ANSWERED ASKS. TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO FEED THE AUTHOR. SHARE THE LOVE. PUT FOOD ON THE PLATES OF ALL (participating) AUTHORS.

Below is your choice of feeding options:

1. Baby Jean 2. TLC 3. 101 Ways not to Say I Do 4. Needle AU 5. Silly Little Jean Moreau Fic (+ ONE potential Etienne per requester)

Under the "Read More": A (long) snippet from Silly Little Jean Moreau Fic

“Please. I’m begging you. Don't make me do this,” Jean said from the floor, his limbs stretched out in every direction so that he resembled a starfish.  “Come on. One more. I believe in you,” Jeremy said, bent over Jean’s head and staring directly into his soul.  “I cannot watch another movie musical. Every time I see a film about the American school system my concern for your sanity grows. The fact that there’s two of them is atrocious.”

“Oh don't worry,” Jeremy said, his grin wicked, “there are other ones out there that are even better. Consider it preparation for meeting my family.”

Jean glared up at Jeremy.

“These last two were for my sister. And also most of the team. Almost everyone on the team knows every song by heart. This next one isn't even about the same characters. It’s my parents’ favorite, though.”

Jean crossed his arms over his chest.

“Please? Think about it, my parents will be so impressed if you know all these songs,” Jeremy said, reaching out and poking the tip of Jean’s nose.

Jean groaned again. “Why does it matter if your family likes me or not?”

Jeremy flushed and straightened himself up before sitting down next to Jean. “Because they’re my family, and you’re my friend. I want them to see how amazing you are, but I know that it can be hard to talk with new people. So now you know you have something you can talk about with them.”Jean stared at the rambling mess of a human next to him. It was almost impossible to comprehend that the Jeremy in front of him at that moment, mumbling and fidgety and awkward, was the same person he’d seen announce his transfer on live television while preening for the camera. He’d always seen Jeremy Knox exactly as Jeremy wanted to be seen: pristine and charming. But it’s impossible to keep up that facade forever. Sometimes a mask like that was the heaviest burden on someone. He’d seen it before, in Kevin and Riko.

[dayeongi]

FIGHTING DREAMERS by dayeongi

Chapters: 2/?  (9,419 words)

Fandom: Naruto

Rating: Mature

Summary:

Shinobi Entertainment has opened auditions for its new survival show. 150 lucky contestants will go through several missions and fight their way to the top of the top 20, who will debut as a coed group for a limited amount of time before getting signed onto the company. That is; if they can survive the entertainment industry and their own personal drama! Who are you rooting for?

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

NOTICE: I may update a chapter after my friend and beta reader/editor (@macchiato-dreaming22) has had the chance to make some comments! Nothing too big about the story might change, but if you go back and see some subtle differences, that's the reason why! This fic is a constant work in progress.

Tags, etc below!

Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Inuzuka Kiba/Kankurou, Kankurou/Tenten (Naruto), Hyuuga Neji/Tenten, Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino

Characters: Temari (Naruto), Kankurou (Naruto), Hyuuga Hinata

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Main couples are shikatema & naruhina, Kankuro’s love problems, Performing Arts, the villains are capitalism and the entertainment industry, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Modern Era, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexism, Body Image, References to Depression, Death, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Sex, Bullying, Friendship, Unrequited Love, Alternate Universe - Music, inspired by produce 101, Inspired by Real Events, this is the moment being a kpop stan since 2010 comes in handy, not so much about the romance as it is about the challenges of the ent industry and personal growth, romance is fun tho, Self-Esteem Issues, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Discovery, Personal Growth

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Idea #53: House of the Dragon, but make it Quasi-Salic

Everything about the Great Council of 101 AC sets Westeros up for a future Dance of Dragons - and always would have, regardless of the outcome. There's no way around that. Rhaenys was the only child of Jaehaerys I's oldest son, Aemon. Viserys I was the oldest son of the king's second son, Baelon. The choice of Viserys I as king goes against every tradition of the Seven Kingdoms save chauvinism - and sets the stage for a thousand future wars of succession.

But the other frontrunner in the Council was not Rhaenys: it was her son, Laenor. Had the Council chosen him, it would have set a precedent among the Targaryens for Quasi-Salic inheritance - and, likely enough, lead to the exact same situation we find ourselves in in HotD.

Or: What if Laenor Velaryon had acceded to the Iron Throne after the death of Jaehaerys I?

Bear with me:

Quasi-Salic inheritance excludes females from the line of inheritance, but allows their male children to inherit their claim.

In HotD, this would mean that inheritance would pass through all of Prince Aemon's male descendants before Prince Baelon's claim could be considered. Princess Rhaenys would still be excluded, but her son Laenor would inherit her claim.

Until Laenor had a male heir, next in line of succession would be Viserys I, his male heirs, Prince Daemon, his male heirs, &c.

Under this law, none of Laenor, Viserys I, or Daemon's daughters could hold the throne in their own right, which seems in accordance with Andal thinking.

Just imagine it:

Laenor becomes king following Jaehaerys I's death in 103. He is nine years old. His mother, Princess Rhaenys, is regent - but Otto Hightower remains Hand of the King, in part to retain a sense of continuity in the realm, in part because he's actually good at his job.

Meanwhile, Prince Viserys is either given the lands along the Blackwater Rush (that would, in a different future, be given to Daemon I Blackfyre) or a minor role at court. His need for male heirs is not as pressing as in canon, but still kills his wife and leaves him only with a single living child, his daughter Rhaenyra.

Once her son is old enough, Princess Rhaenys needs to find Laenor a Valyrian bride so that he can produce heirs as soon as possible. While pairing him with his sister Laena is attractive, that does nothing to mend the fences broken by the Great Council. And so Laenor and Rhaenyra wed for much the same reasons they do in canon - albeit at few years earlier.

Until they produce a son, Viserys is still next in line to the throne and without any male heirs of his own. This changes after he marries Alicent Hightower - again, for much the same reasons in canon (because Otto may be good at his job, but he's also in it for himself, as are most people who rise to become Hand; Viserys is still the best groom he can get for his daughter by medieval standards) - who births three sons and a daughter in short order.

Problems start when Rhaenyra gives birth to a son - Jace, who looks nothing like his father - and continues with the births of Luke and Joffery. Bastards, everyone whispers.

Things get worse with the birth of her younger children - Aegon, Viserys, and Visenya - for while they look the image of Valyrian royalty, many assume they're actually the children of her uncle and goodbrother, Prince Daemon, who is seen more often in Rhaenyra's company than her husband.

Though Laenor maintains Rhaenyra's children are his, there are many who begin looking towards Viserys to succeed him.

Then in 129 AC, two things happen: Laenor Valeryon and Viserys Targaryen both die - perhaps in the same hunting mishap, perhaps from an illness that sweeps through the Crownlands.

Jacaerys is crowned king...

...and the people rebel.

There are a variety of reasons why people would not be happy with the king's legally recognized heir succeeding him, ranging from 1) not wanting a bastard on the throne to 2) not wanting someone partial to Daemon - and inclined to take his advice - on the throne to 3) genuinely disliking the policies implemented during Laenor's reign and hoping for a return to the good times under a Targaryen king to 4) wanting to use the chaos as a ladder for their own advancement. Like the canon Dance of Dragons, it's a complicated intersection of social, political, religious, and economic issues at play.

And that's really all I have - the same players, the same game, just a slightly different board. The actual outcome of this Dance and how it comes about is entirely dealer's choice, but the takeaway should be that these characters were always doomed by their circumstances to a war they could possibly stop if they tried - only to see it play out in the next generation or the next, until war has wiped out all alternative contenders.

Bonuses include: 1) Laenor being a doting father and a sweetheart of a human being, but a disappointment as a king. He is indecisive, generous, friendly, easily swayed by his friends, and - ultimately - not strong enough to stand on his own in the cutthroat world of Westerosi politics; 2) Less concentration being given to the people in power than the children who will succeed them: Jace, Aegon II, and their respective siblings. The focus should be their bright childhoods and friendships being destroyed by the realities of their positions, which are entirely out of their control; and 3) In keeping with previous, a childlike wonder at Westeros and the glittering court at the Red Keep that slowly turns dark and heavy with the burden of adult expectations and inherited sins placed on young shoulders. The fracturing of a storybook, safe world into the nightmare that Westerosi politics actually is. Or: coming of age in the Seven Kingdoms.

As I said, that's all I really have. As always, feel free to adopt this bun, just link back if you do anything with it.

More Terrible Fic Ideas

[northstories]

Chaos Controlled:

For all my fics find me on Archive of Our Own

Twt: @ northsstories (no minors)

My message inbox is always open for drabble requests bc I love chaos 🤟

🐿️Jilix 🐥

Reverent

Rated: E

One-shot University AU

Jisung thinks Felix is very, very pretty and can't stop looking at him. Felix might be into that.

Words: 16,713

Completed: ✅

Naturally

Rated: E

Multi Chapter Canon Compliant

They're in love your honor, they're just being idiots about it

Words: 32,692

Completed: ✅

Status Quo

Rated: T

Social Media University AU

Jisung is truly hopeless, hope you're into that

(because Felix sure is)

Completed: ❌

Praying At Your Altar

(if you know what I mean)

Rated: E

Sweet, Christian, innocent Jisung vs. filthy minded Felix hunting him like prey

Part 1 of Be Gay - Do Crimes (works as standalone)

Words: 17,579

Completed: ✅

I Dare You (To Be Mine)

Rated: E

University AU

Jilix vs. Alcohol and Party Games, this can only go well, right? Right?

Words: 32,805

Completed: ✅

🐰Minchan🐺

Cheesy

Rated: E

University AU: Bang Chan using the cheesiest lines to whittle away at Minho's sanity and resolve. We all know Chan is a total dad, he deserves a proper dad-joke fic.

Words: 37,826

Completed: ✅

Little Birdie Flies So Far

Rated: E

Dead dove: do not eat. Victorian era, Murder mansion, serial killers AU.

The manor stands proudly within the vast expanse of its estates. Well-kept gardens, neatly kept grounds, lavish furnishings, exquisite architecture. The gem of the town.

But behind its walls, an evil lurks. Invisible to the eyes of the people, hidden away.

Completed: ❌

🐺Chanlix🐥

Freesia

Rated: M

Police AU, Hybrid AU

Chan is a detective with an impossible case. In a desperate attempt to crack it, he ends up taking in the hybrid Felix in the hopes that he can provide any leads.

Part 1 of The Language of Flowers

Words: 49, 204

Completed: ✅

🐰Minsung🐿️

Dandelions

Rated: E

Set in Freesia Universe

Minho is a cop and a control freak

Jisung is a hermit producer with anxiety

Part 2 of The Language of Flowers

Completed: ❌

blushes, butterflies and heart flutters and shit...

Rated: T

One-shot University AU

Just dumb best friends doing best friend stuff... Platonically, I think?

Words: 14, 076

Completed: ✅

🦊Jeongsung🐿️

Sweet & Spicy

Rated: E

Omegaverse AU, Strangers to Lovers

Jeongin is generally good at minding his own business. But when he sees a scared omega pushed up against the wall of a nightclub, facing three looming alphas, his moral compass decides that he should do something. The problem is that said omega turns out be the cutest fucking thing Jeongin has ever seen in his life. Even if he is drunk off his ass.

Words: 42,983

Completed: ✅

It's Only Fair

Rated: E

University AU, Practice fic.

POV: You hate the education program you're in, but your parents pressured you to apply for it when all you wanna do is skateboard. Then, when you get in, you get stuck with a hardass prof who makes you do stupid weekly tests, meaning you actually have to read the course material. This one nerd in your class is always sitting alone so he should be fairly easy to manipulate into helping you though. What you didn't account for was the fact that he wants to do a knowledge for knowledge kinda deal.

Yeah, Jeongin is fucked.

Completed: ❌

🦊JeongSungLix🐿️🐥

Domming 101

Domming 102

Rated: E

Canon compliant. M/M/M. Polyamory. Practice fic.

Words: 21,725 + 9,091

Completed: ✅

🦊JeongLix🐥

Tell Me I'm Pretty (Sweet Words On Your Tongue)

Rated: E

Canon Compliant, first times, queer platonic relationship.

“Step out! Hello, we are Stay Kids, and we are here today with Teen Vogue! And today we're gonna try out the Compliment Battle.” This is Jeongin's worst nightmare.

Words: 9,401

Completed: ✅

🐰Minhyang 🦊

Moved By You

Rated: E

Alternate Universe - Non-Famous.

Jeongin is shy and clumsy — this he knows. Which begs the question; Why the heck does he think signing up for a dance class is a good idea? Well, aside from the fact that Hyunjin's gorgeous dance teacher Minho said he should. And the fact that he's drunk off his ass while staring at the sign-up sheet. Perhaps he should? Hell, he can do this, right? He can impress Minho. Right?

Words: 14,587

Completed: ✅

🐺 Chansung🐿️

Under Your Skin

Rated: E

Alternate Universe - Non-Famous. Childhood friends to lovers.

Jisung lets himself be touched. Kissed. Girls, guys, doesn’t matter. He feels like he knows everything about the world. It doesn’t mean shit. Because they’re not him. They’re not Bang Chan. How pathetic, to fall in love after a single smile. Jisung doesn’t even try to get over it.

Words: 34,284

Completed: ✅

🐶 Seungyang🦊

Et Ensomt Tjern (A Lonely Pond)

Rated: E

Viking AU. Mythical Beings & Creatures. Norwegian Mythology & Folklore.

Seungmin has never held much stock in wanderer’s tales or myths, but when he constantly finds himself feeling watched after moving to a cottage in the deep forest, it’s hard not to at least consider it. Especially when he swears he keeps seeing the shadowed silhouette of what looks like a man with a fox tail swinging behind him.

Perhaps he's just gone mad?

Completed: ❌

🐶Seungsung🐿️

Objectively, Of Course.

with @anautumncarol

Rated: T

Alternate Universe - Non-Famous. Strangers to lovers.

In which Seungmin is willing to admit that his dorm-mate isn't super bad-looking, and not not kinda cute, even if he is annoying as hell. Objectively, of course, because Seungmin is nothing if not a level-headed scholar.

Words: 7,851

Completed: ✅

🐷🐰 3RACHA 🐺🐿️

What Makes It So Special

Rated: E

Inspired by art.

Canon Compliant. Established poly relationship.

Jisung is staring. These late night working sessions are prone to get the best of him. It's late, he hasn't slept for a while, hasn't left this room in hours, it's hot… Hot enough that Chan at one point forgoes his shirt. Hot enough that Changbin's thigh feels like a space heater pressed against Jisung’s own where they're slumped on Chan’s bed, leaning against the headboard. He doesn't stand a chance, really.

Words: 7,043

Completed: ✅

Between Us

Rated: E

Alternate Universe - Non-Famous. Hybrids. Omegaverse.

Chan's tail keeps wagging and wagging, looking at Jisung with wide, astonished eyes. Changbin nudges him with his elbow. "Dude, control that thing, would you?" "I dunno what’s happening." "Hi Bin! So, this is the boyfriend Chan, huh?"

Words: 18,618

Completed: ✅

🐶🐰 2minjeongchan 🦊🐺

Right Under My Nose

with @amiandthechaos. Inspired by art.

Rated: E

Alternate Universe - Non-Famous. Hybrids. Omegaverse.

Dog-hybrids are weird, Minho has always thought so, but somehow he has ended up living with three of them. Three omegas to boot. Maybe it's because he's a cat-hybrid himself that he doesn’t really get their deal; The tail-wagging, and the sniffing, and the sleeping in a big pile, but he’s somehow made his peace with it. That is until all three of them collectively decide to start sniffing him, like he is the most interesting thing on the planet despite the fact that he is most likely just an unpresented beta.

Words: 34,103

Completed: ✅

🐺🐰🐷🐰🥟 Drabbles 🐿️🐥🐶🦊

Six Minutes 'till Midnight

🐿️/

Rated: T

Canon compliant, fluff, birthday traditions, soulmate au

Words: 1,153

Would You Be So Kind, As To Fall In Love With Me?

🐰/🐺

There's something so oddly juxtaposing about Minho patting his head, Chan thinks. Minho makes him feel so many things.

Words: 849

Yeah, Kinda.

🦊/🐿️

Jisung purses his lips, leans in with his eyebrows raised, eyes gleaming mischief. "Kiss me."

God, he's so relentless. He just won't quit, will he? Has no respect for the fact that if Jeongin kisses him once, he might never be able to stop. Stupid. Jeongin kisses his own fingers, then presses them to the back of Jisung's hand, mutters "There," then raises his phone back up to keep scrolling.

Words: 2,136

Taking Turns

🦊x everyone

Rated: T

bebepieuvre once said that "if Jeongin's hyungs aren't taking turns kissing him then 😡 😤 😠"

I agree. Big-time.

Words: 2,254

[terrence-silver]

How would Terry react if beloved was sick one day after eating some bad eggs and threw up on the Persian rug?

Inspired by the fact that I got sick the other day and wrote myself (and @atmostories) a funny little self-care fic on Discord. 🐔🥚🍳

---

On route 101, there's a farm just outside of Santa Monica. Terry Silver has a trip.

And it is a matter of zeal that takes him there --- a place he handpicked, personally, after much pondering, vetting and deliberation, having disqualified several other spots and smaller family establishments once it turned out they were inadequate to what he was looking for. For the particular stock he had in mind. For the quality of produce he needed. Could've hired a driver. Could've been chauffeured there. Could've even driven there himself, but no, it is a helicopter or nothing at all that has him lowered out into the open plain field just outside the wide, spacious fencing enclosing around the homestead. His people let these people know he was coming, announcing his presence in advance purely so he'd ensure they were present to negotiate and do honest business with him personally. He buttons his corporate blazer up as he looks around, though the gold rimmed shades of his glasses, concealing the intent his gaze as he steps off the helicopter, polished leather shoes landing in a grassy patch of dirt, a small measure of discontentment interrupted by the elderly couple, stocky and homely, ironically seeming like they could be his own age even though they appeared older, peer at him huddled near the front gate, waiting to approach. Barbara and Herbert. He looked into their files. They seemed like they belonged in a rustic Norman Rockwell painting. The five stars they had on Yelp for admirable hospitality and favorably reviewed products as only a bonus.

Good.

-"Mr. Silver!"- The husband steps forth first with an air of hospitality laced with nervousness.

Holding unto his cap to avoid it being blown off of his head by the intensity of the spinning propellers overhead. They shake hands. Adequate squeeze. Terry Silver has to quirk up his mouth into a smile. He's merciful. He tries not to apply too much strength seeing as how the guy already seemed daunted enough by the mode of transportation he arrived in. It was only the most practical way to get here so quickly. And he needed to get here extra quick. -"How nice of you to visit us on such a short notice! We've got what you ordered."- The man fidgets with a polite, albeit awkward smile and his wife nods in approval as they lead the way forward, directing him, kindly, not to step here and there, to avoid the mud. -"I've seen my share of mud."- He reassures them, somewhat more cryptically than he would've liked, slipping off his shades to look at them and really take them in, passing through the gate and the decorative style wooden arch with a sign that promptly said 'Barb and Herb's Fresh Farm Eggs!'. Well now. -"Are they as fresh as the advertising claims?"- He has to ask, pointing a bejeweled hand at the welcoming plaque, making a joke that was anything but. Terry really needed to know with certainty, otherwise he wouldn't waste his time with this shit when he could import, from literally anywhere in the world.

-"Fresher, sir!"- The man reassures eagerly, rubbing his hands together, red in the face with excitement and work. -"For all I mind, you can watch the hen pop them out and take them home still warm!"-

-"Herb."- His wife chastises him softly, quenching his abundance of enthusiasm, it appears, lest he oversteps a certain boundary of comfort with Terry, not realizing how amused he was with all of this as he's led through fenced off portions housing cows, sheep and as marketing promised; chickens galore. Workers shoveling and feeding the animals hay looking up from their duties to inspect the newcomer from afar. One of them even slips out his phone to snap a photo, promptly frightened back into place by one of the managers who whispers something discreet into his ears. Terry didn't mind being recognized either, in fact, he relished in it quietly. For once, he actually wasn't doing anything illicit. Being immortalized here, for all places, could only add to his image, not subtract from it. He was thinking well ahead. -"No, that is quite alright."- Terry interjects with the wife softly, amused, who appeared like she was continuously trying not to look at him like he was an alien from another planet, only her kindness holding her back from it, a sentiment that Terry appreciated. -"I actually wouldn't mind buying them right from the source."- He tries not to sound hyperintense about it, but he is intense about it as a barn comes into sight; newly built. Fresh paint. A facility in its own right. Neon, white bright lights emanating from inside, alongside the cacophony of clucking and thousands of hens, neatly categorized, each into it's fenced off portion. It is warm enough inside for Terry tilt his head, cracking his neck.

Game on.

-"Mr. Anderson."- He almost sounds like a Matrix villain as he utters the farmer's surname, standing speculative at the doorway of the state of the art yard barn. He realizes that. Even as the man was so enthusiastic to show him around immediately, wife in tow. -"Who would you say is your champion among these?"- Terry inquires speculatively, in vague terms, lifting his hand to discreetly, in circularly elegant motions wave at the scene, looking around, twirling his pinkie ring, unsure how to else to phrase 'So, which hen among all of these has the eggs of the most favorably high quality worthy of my home's plate?' Understanding, once more, that he was sounding oddly like a Sensei picking a prize fighter for the ring and the mat, the professional bleeding into the private, luckily, the guy understands his intent. Funny that. Funny how they weren't quite so different, ironically. Appearantly, the man won the annual competition for 'The Best Chicken of the Valley' five times in a row, accolades and all. Herbert Anderson knew a thing or two about champions and victory too. That's why Terry Silver picked him, precisely, out of every home grown farmer in a hundred miles vicinity. Not that distance would ever stop Terry. He'd go to the ends of the world. Get on a jet. An airplane. On an overseas cruiser. Extreme circumstances, turns out, required extreme measures. Yet, it was preferable if he had his product now, today, as late as this very evening, making travelling long distances, or having someone travel it for him the less favorable option, for once.

Wherever it took, to buy some eggs. Literally whatever, no matter how…absurd.

-"Noah! Get Helga!"- The old farmer alerts one of his workers manning the chicken coops. And the boy is immediately underway, practically running, down the elaborate, colossal hangar. They follow suit, the three of them, through the expansive maze of feathered birds. There she is, finally; the titular, plump, well-fed Helga. In an accommodation entirely of her own. Coop 787900. A highlighted notice next to her coop, listing all the prizes and medals she's won. The animal was appearantly a more accomplished chicken than most fighters were fighters.

-"She's a fine, pedigreed Buff Orpington, isn't she? One of a kind."-

Herbert beams up at Terry, talking about her like he was talking about a superior, keeping a respectful distance from Helga, tuckered into her nest made out of clean, shiny straw, all puffed and puckered. Terry could swear that that chicken looked at him in a challenging manner he could appreciate. -"And her eggs are as pale as an angel's feather from the outside, and as yellow as a burning ember from the inside."- Her owner describes, but no, Terry learned a long time ago, that whenever you intended to invest in a product, you'd have to sample it first. Be it a car, coke or a suit. Pale as an angel's feather, though? Yellow as a burning ember? Waxing poetically, surely, but that marketing tactic description sounded apt to what he was searching. -"How about taste?"- He inquires just that, maintaining firm eye contact with the hen. He wouldn't leave here until the bird's eggs were to his specific liking, and no, he couldn't leave the choice up to his some random intern, secretary, or chef's assistant he'd send over here in his stead. He had to make the decision. Only he. And immediately, the famer perches up, waving the assistant over, who, as if this was somehow anticipated was by Terry's side, opening and showcasing an antiseptic, clinically neat, small crate labeled 'Helga'. Eggs inside pale, still warm, demonstrating their shape, consistency, coloring and texture. Within another second, the boy rushes over to what seemed like a lab table in the middle of the barn, and there amidst of it, bottles, flasks, containers and a…stove. He was frying an egg, in front of him, in the flesh, in a white pan, making a showcasing in the flesh. These guys really wanted to make a buck badly, huh? Were willing to put up a whole elaborate show for it too. Not bad at all. Men of business, truly. Within less than a minute, it served and handed to Terry for a test. -"You be the judge of that."-

The silent assistant holds the plate and the farmer encourages. Fork in hand, Terry tries. The egg yolk golden covered with a thin crust that breaks, leaking a solidified liquid.

Rich.

Savory.

It's whites chewy, appropriately balanced and salty. Rushing down his tongue like an elixir, taking only a couple of mouthfuls for him to feel sated. Terry closes his eyes for a second, measuring the taste like it was a fine, rare Whiskey. Deciding whether he approved of it or not, as everyone watched him, bated breaths. He did want to torture them a little, admittedly.

-"What do you need the eggs for anyway?"- A voice interrupts his careful, slightly sadistic, deliberately drawn out reverie of anticipation and Terry can't help but take a sharp intake of breath he immediately attempts masking. The young farmhand with somewhat vexed eyes. Ah, yes. Impertinent youth. Didn't realize the gravitas of all of this. -"Noah! Don't be inappropriate with the gentleman! Mr. Silver is a very important guest and we're honored for him to test our product!"- The wife shoots in, feeling like she has to de-escalate. Feeling she might lose a customer over this. She wouldn't. Terry Silver's already made his decision. He just enjoyed dragging things out to poke at people a little. Gage their reactions. Watch them squirm in an elaborate 'Will we or won't we'. -"No, that's quite alright."- He manages a chuckle, sounding low and hushed, even to his own ears, taking out his silken monogrammed handkerchief to wipe his mouth once nobody offers him one (Takes everything within him to forgive that misstep, reminding himself not everyone was raised a Silver) and hand the boy back the plate, fork and all. -"You see,"- Terry waves his hand in vague circles with a smile, trying to explain himself. -"I have someone back home who recently got sick off one of these."- He begins, nose pointing at the container of eggs on the clinically clean working surface, trying not to crinkle his nostrils too much, lest it seems like he actually feels a certain distaste towards eggs as a concept starting as of yesterday. -"And in maintaining a fulfilling diet, I need to her to intake an appropriate amount of vitamin B2, B12 and Selenium."- Terry reaches out, plucking one of Helga's prized eggs out of it's special box, holding it up for emphasis. Investigating it. Not a single blemish. Immaculately pristine crust. Admirable shape. Good curvature. Polished. It even smelled nice. Healthy.

Perfect.

-"From the right source, of course. Only the best."- He grins into his chin at his hosts. Throwing them crumbs of flattery.

-"And yours, of course, I found, is the best. Homegrown too."- He brightens up, spreading his arms, feeling a bit like a TV-evangelist about to sell the masses snake poison. Herbert Anderson has to smile along with him, perking up. Turns out, talking about investing into local economy and local entrepreneurs always served to oil up people's gears the right way, especially when dealing with these working class types hungry for acknowledgement amidst a budding, competitive market. Practically starved for it. -"Why, sir, I'm so happy that…"- But, no, Terry hasn't the time for pleasant small talk and empty exchanges --- not now when he's hit a bingo. You vomited all over the Persian Carpet last night as was due courtesy thanks to the rare eggs Rene prepared and now, Terry was on the hunt to fix the quality of his own kitchen's products. Feed you better than before. Take care of you. Take care of you in every way conceivable, with any resource he had. Nothing was too stupid or too much. -"I'm buying the eggs."- He pushes in, stepping forward, towards the farmer, looming over him. -"And I'm buying Helga too."- He adds, slowly, and this time, he finds Barbara crossing her arms over her chest and the farm boy looking perplexed. Herbert's color drains from his sun-kissed face. He doesn't have time to formulate words. His wife doesn't have the time to nag either. Terry doesn't let them. -"Of course, I'll pay you handsomely. More than anyone else ever will. You'll find she'll have a good home with me at Sierra retreat. You'll find I have an appreciation for champions."- Terry amps up the heat, flaunting his postal code --- one of several --- in case it wasn't obvious enough by the helicopter, his suit and the secretary that contacted Herbert Anderson of Herb and Barb's Fresh Farm Eggs that Terry Silver wasn't coming here on a budget. -"A champion like that,"- He clicks his tongue, pointing at Helga clucking from her coop. -"Deserves to live comfortably."-

Spotting hesitation in the couple's collective expressions, he reaches inside his blazer.

-"Cash or card?"- He suggests, raised chin, opening his ultra slim, black crocodile Stefano Ricci wallet purely so they'd spot the vague hint of green inside. They immediately relent. Just as he thought --- their disposition visibly changing, body languages shifting. Money talks, even though these people were far from economically impaired. They seemed to be doing good for themselves out here. -"What do you need Helga for, if I can ask. I mean, sir, I'd feel awfully sorry if she was bound for a Sunday roast, if you know what I mean. I groomed her from an incubator egg."- There's something pathetic about Herbert's pleading and prolonging, stretching out these negotiations for far longer than Terry intended them go on, but he found he couldn't be as irritated as he wished to be, coming prepared to do business however long it took. Something peculiarly peculiar about a man's devotion to his bird, paired with his fear that Terry might order his cooks to prepare eggs and meat tonight. Oh, but the loyalty of all of this. It was funny. Maybe even touching. -"I want my wife to have a steady income of high quality eggs back home, which Helga can provide."- Terry confesses, bluntly and they all seem…surprised. Like it wasn't the answer they expected to hear out of him. They undoubtedly supposed the man from LA needed a chicken to devise an anti-aging crème concocted from its boiled liver or whatever new age bullshit these people thought of him, but no, his response has them lost. So, he briefly clarifies, saying nothing but the truth. When you got sick, briefly, it is like Terry's gotten sick with worry too, infected by it all, against all better judgement, control and logic, imaging you dying way before your time, even though he knew how ridiculous and downright mad the notion was. He couldn't help but think about you lurching over and heaving your own heart out. Leaving him. Being stolen from him over another stupid mistake that was his fault. He was so afraid.

Haunted over everything, every mundane nonsense, ever since he's met you.

-"I am very meticulous about what she puts in her mouth."-

Barbara Anderson's expression softens and only then does Terry know this is a done deal.

He's won.

----

On the ride back home, Terry has Helga sitting in his lap. Surrounded by a collection of accolades fastened and strapped into place, to avoid them accidentally thumbing 12.000 above ground, into the nearby fields, golden trophies sliding into the sliding chopper door. Last thing he needed was being responsible for the death or severe injury of some passerby, fisherman or hikers smacked square across the scalp with a 'California's Prize Hen Queen of 2018' award conveniently shaped like a golden chicken perched up proudly on one foot, bearing a crown --- he has to chuckle at that one. He understood how downright absurd this was. Love and the things one did because of it, perhaps, had inherently absurd elements. Devotion too.

A container of eggs neatly airlocked, by his side --- the bird takes to helicopter flying surprisingly well.

The pilot has him face to face with the skyline of Los Angeles well within the hour, the veil of clouds and smog clearing to reveal the network of streets, houses and buildings down below as his hand smooths the bird's golden feathers --- he could be home with you and you wouldn't even wake yet from him instructing --- no --- ordering you to rest and stay put. You would have your allotted meal, all the food groups involved, all the medications, vitamins and proteins due on your plate. All greenery he had ordered over to the mansion, the tender meat prepared by a Michelin star chef, cheeses imported over from France --- an intensity amplified by the fact you landed yourself with something uncontrollably unexpected; food poisoning. The sole bad egg that, for some reason, didn't agree with you. Even the doctor he flew in for a mandatory check up said you were entirely fine, but he wouldn't leave it at that. He couldn't. He flew in another one, and he just about said the same thing and it is like these payroll medical practitioners were out to deliberately rile him and prod at his thinning patience. He wasn't young anymore. He was an old man not to be trifled with. Truth was, Terry was on a tirade as of late, going to great lengths to ensure your biorhythm was running to perfection and that you were fed the way he felt you deserved to be fed. Clothed. Bathed. Taken care of. These eggs, well, happened to be the last agenda on his scheduled list. Now, he had the one producing it too. Helga clucks as he pets her. He was more prone to snakes, Anacondas, Boas and Cobras himself, but a domesticated bird would do, even though his father always tended to say a chicken was a poor man's dish, refusing to ever eat the damn thing and anything lower than a Bourbon Red Heritage Turkey. Yet, Terry would have a coop erected for her. Acquire a worthy Rooster. Hire a couple of workers to tend to her. Manage her. -"Helga," - Terry purrs at his newly acquired friend.

-"You'll serve my love very well, won't you?"- That evening, Rene fries you and him a pair of eggs each and you dine heartily, post-recovery. After some micromanaged consideration that you handled the meal favorably, Terry is pleased with his purchased investment. Come morning, seated on the leather arm chair in the lobby, he brings in Helga from the coop to pet her as a reward for a finely provided service.

[uselessheretic]

god also gotta love MMC connecting a post that doesnt even mention izzy to feeling the need to yell at me about izzy because for some reason literally everything revolves around him and i dont get it. like if im ever out here on tumblr getting hyper aggro with people over a fictional character and hopping on every post i can to cuss people out over when i could be playing with my grandkids or some shit literally take me out back and shoot me. like what a disproportionately bitter and vile bitch only capable of saying the same three things over again and then blocking people when it doesnt go her way. all while making it out to be the most serious of street fights or some shit like every other tumblr nerd with a superiority complex about being a tumblr veteran as if "you cant handle the streets of tumblr go back to twitter" is the most hardcore gangster shit she can say to the applause of white 20 yos and geeky poc who got bullied for talking too white at school and decide to project that onto the one website so startling caucasian that they eat it up. fucking stupid ass entire crew of "i learned sjw 101 through tumblr and twitter qrt's and now im going to poorly regurgitate any half remembered talking point i can think of because my fic may be bland, my art may be mid, and my personality untenable but thank fuck i can produce madlibbed discourse that falls apart if you blow too hard and substitute being an interesting person for that instead." like i feel like i'm going insane because i literally avoid talking to or about MMC because some primal part in the back of my brain keeps sounding off with "there's no need to yell at an older black woman esp in front of white kids just leave her be" like she's the bitchy neighbor complaining to my dad about how his kids are playing too loud in the backyard and you just have to remind yourself that some people prefer to stay miserable like their lives depend on it. angry at some white male character and apparently incapable of interacting with fandom unless its to complain when everybody else just wants to eat their food and have a good time. cant even discuss any aspect of race or antiracism in fandom without linking it back to izzy as if shes paying his bills or something. like what do you contribute other than annoying everybody else in fandom? are you capable of even holding a conversation with a fandom "friend" for more than 24 hours without circling back to shit talking characters? are you having fun? is this a good time for you? have you tried taking a walk or petting a dog recently instead of this?

[avidbeader]

I posted 3,202 times in 2022

That's 1,249 more posts than 2021!

86 posts created (3%)

3,116 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@avidbeader

@josilverdragon

@flashedarrow

@story-kat

@tattooedsiren

I tagged 2,948 of my posts in 2022

Only 8% of my posts had no tags

#voltron - 2,222 posts

#sheith - 2,127 posts

#the great sheith reblog - 1,389 posts

#sheithart - 1,303 posts

#sheith meta - 129 posts

#dent-de-leon - 94 posts

#sheith fic - 81 posts

#lightningstrikes-art - 69 posts

#pretty - 63 posts

#avid writes - 59 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#look i'm just saying that in at least three of those languages they chose the most passionate and romantic version of the phrase possible

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Finally upgraded my Google Docs into a nice basic website. Things will be added when I have the opportunity and if you have suggestions/corrections, please let me know through a DM!

47 notes - Posted March 30, 2022

#4

100 followers on Twitter!

30 followers here on Tumblr!

37 fics in the tag where there were 9 two weeks ago!

Hope everyone is thinking about what to write/draw!

49 notes - Posted March 18, 2022

#3

Commission from @Macu_artz on Twitter! This is a scene from my Sheith fairy-tale AU The Six Cursed Heirs. I am so happy to have this.

101 notes - Posted December 4, 2022

#2

Okay, so, about “The Sandman”...

It’s amazing.They pulled off a really elegant adaptation, based on the fact that I cannot point to either the comics or the series and say one was better than the other. Plots were tightened up. Characters got shifted here and there. They did the wise thing, in my opinion, and removed just about every reference to the DC superheroes other than a pair of name-checks. By allowing characters to be played by actors regardless of race or gender, they ended up with a cast that did a stellar job. Where there was classic bloody gore/horror, they surrounded it with intense psychological horror so that even those of us who are the type to look away from the screen got almost the full impact. And they took full advantage of the medium to produce incredibly rich and lush visuals and bring iconic pages in the comics to life.

As I said last night, if you feared what a live-action version would do to a story you treasure, don’t be afraid. And if you’re hesitant to watch a series without having read the source material, don’t hesitate. This feels like the once-in-a-generation event where the adaptation not only lives up to the original, but can stand beside it as an equal.

Spoilery thoughts under the cut for both the series and the comics.

I am still really astonished at just how deft an adaptation the series it. Every time I went, “Wait a minute, I don’t like this change,” by the end of that episode or the next I was sold. For example, I was missing Miranda, Rose’s mother, at the beginning of Episode 7, as the buffer between Rose and Unity and also because we were shown the circumstances of their separation from Jed and not just told. But when Gault took on Miranda’s appearance and then railed against Dream because she didn’t want to be a nightmare anymore, it made perfect sense.

And Gault herself was a revelation. In the comics we have a team called Brute and Glob, a rather dumb pair of nightmares, trying to make their own little Dreaming in Jed’s mind. (And if I remember correctly, they’re a reference to one of DC’s older horror comic titles.) They are the ones who capture Hector Hall at his death and bring Lyta to live with him in their fledgling kingdom, and Hector is the “Sandman” of Jed’s dream world. It works in the comics because the text and art pay homage to an early 20th-century comic strip called “Little Nemo”. But it would have been extremely hard to do that on screen without losing the viewers, so they made Jed the star of his dreams instead and gave him all the hokey superhero trappings. And that works because Jed is a kid, with a kid’s imagination. But it gets even better when we see that Gault’s motivations weren’t about power, but about protecting Jed from his abusers because she had changed and wanted to be free of the limitations of her origins. It hit me a little later--it’s such an elegant metaphor for those who are constricted by society because of their race or sexuality, constantly fighting the huge obstacles wanting to prevent such people from any kind of metamorphosis (I mean, Dream gave her butterfly wings when he recreated her as she wanted to be). Which leads me to the one giant tonal shift that has me curious about future seasons. Dream in the comics is almost completely without humor. He is ultra-serious about his duties and responsibilities and way too proud, unwilling to change as the aeons go by. And his inability to change leads him to his end in a classic literary tragedy - even though he knows change will be necessary, he resists and even plans for his demise by setting up for the possibility with Lyta’s child as his successor. But it’s really hard to get a TV series off the ground when your leading man is not just the aloof emo archetype but stoic and stern to the point of needing to be introduced as a prisoner to garner sympathy for him. My husband and I were genuinely surprised in the first episode when Dream cried over Jessamy’s death, because it signaled a depth of caring that we don’t see until much later in the comics. But the TV Dream does show emotion, albeit mostly quietly and with a lot of amazing face acting by Tom Sturridge, does appreciate humor and irony, and at the end of this season does seem to see the need for change.

So now I’m very curious as to how they will herd Dream to his death. Will there be a back-and-forth because Dream can’t change enough? Or will the undertone about the universe having rules mean that Dream’s arc will be less about tragic choices and more about circumstances, with him having to accept the consequences of spilling family blood when he gives Orpheus the coup?

(Of course this is assuming that Netflix allows the series to be completed instead of cutting it off after 2-3 seasons. Yes, I’m still bitter about Sense8.)

TL;DR - I loved it, I think Neil Gaiman has taken full advantage of his previous TV experiences to find what works and find who will work best with him, and I will re-watch this series many times and keep watching any future seasons.

145 notes - Posted August 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

tagged by @josilverdragon

favorite color: royal blue, purple, red and black together

currently reading: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

last song: “Fire and Rain” by Matt Kearney

last movie: I genuinely don’t remember

sweet/savory/spicy: Sweet

currently working on: a major work deadline so I can get back to writing fic

Tagging: @attheendofsummer @goldentruth813 @stlgeekgirl @rangergirl3 and anyone else who would like to play

177 notes - Posted October 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[welcometololaland]

Link to the syfy Justin Bieber fic please and thank you.

Also, some more songs:

3, 12, 25, 44, and 101? 👀

haha that is just my original fic speak for yourself (sfy) - i wrote the whole thing listening to Stay by Justin Bieber and Kid LAROI over and over it was A. Time. But also it was an amazing experience and it brought me many, many friends and an amazing beta in @rmd-writes (which is why the second half is much better than the first) and vastly improved my life so thank you Ao3, thank you fandom, thank you CMQ, thank you Alex and Henry and minor thanks to JB lmao.

(I will give you more commentary no one asked for):

3. Summer of Love - Aluna, Punctual (very catchy - i listened to this 2304829034 times while walking around the park near my work trying not to rage quit my job).

12. Volume - Kiddo, Johnny Narcotics (i THINK the producer is from Melbourne, Australia and i have a random link so that's why i listened to it and then it lived in my head rent free for like 3 months).

25. The Motto - Tiesto, Ava Max (look. this song is just taking me back to the days where i would actually tolerate waiting in a 1 hour line outside the club).

44. End Up - Sevyn Streeter (this song is super short and super random but i just liked the tune - the intro lyrics are like "i'm a bad bitch/i make bad decisions" and that is like...everything i am not. so i use it to convince myself not to be a wimp on the daily).

101. ...i didn't know how to find this ksdhfkjsdhfkjshdf i'm SORRY. In exchange i'll give you #61, which was Sex and Stardust - ZZ Ward ;) I WONDER WHY.

Thanks for asking me questions and delving into my terrible music choices for 2022 <3 Here's to another year of listening to whatever I want and never getting the aux cord!

[thatsofic]

BEST SOLOIST (MALE) IS A GRAND PRIZE AKA DAESANG AWARD!

Who's the best soloist in the fic? Meet the three amazing male artists who are nominated for BEST SOLOIST!

fictional idol soloist SEO SEJUN. former member of project boy group 1V1 (@archive-1v1). currently represented by C ENTERTAINMENT. explores themes of LONELINESS, SURVIVING ADULTHOOD, and BEING YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY. \\ @seosejun

Born in 2001 and the youngest member of Plastic Flowers, Oliver Song is a musical prodigy. Oliver was given the role of producer by the Superbloom representatives and has been working hard to emulate the success of his earlier work. In March of 2023, he also be the first member to make their solo debut. \\ @plasticflwrs

 HERO  (  히로  )  –  previously  known  as  WOONG  –  is  a  fictional  soloist  under  GLASSHOUSE’s  subsidiary,  MIGHTY  DEVIL  RECORDS.  his  solo  debut  was  one  of  the  most  anticipated  ones  due  to  him  being  wildly  popular  during  the  fourth  season  of  PRODUCE  101  (  PRODUCE  X  101  ),  where  he  ranked  SEVENTH  OVERALL  and  debuted  in  X1  as  one  of  their  members.  after  the  group’s  disbandment,  HERO  debuted  solo  mid-2021,  with  a  single  KILLING  ME  SOFTLY. \\ @anqelblccm

  ┈─★ ⠀⠀⠀CLICK HERE TO GET TO VOTING!

[spectershaped]

I think one of the most fascinating takes on non realistic fiction and its use of metaphor I’ve seen recently is how, in an episode of AMCA, Austin Walker discusses how people were hoping this one prison factory in Andor would turn out to not actually produce anything for anything, and his own response to that is that he did hope they were making actual goods, because, while the former scenario has a pretty neat existential horror to it, the latter is kinda...how real products are actually being made all over our world and that production itself is used to justify, in some shape, the continuation of that exploitation

(“The cruelty is the point” has rightfully become a saying about a lot of fascistic systems, but I think it’s important to keep in mind how sometimes exploitation is just practical and serves material interests that can only be escaped by dismantling the system itself. As someone - Jeanette Ng, I think? - once pointed out, 1984′s Room 101 is horrific but a bit of an egocentric flourish, with breaking your mind specifically being the point despite the fact that RL torture is often...pretty bog standard and one-size-fits-all)

It’s a bit like the whole empire-as-metaphor-for-thing-that-is-not-empire-thing - using or drawing strongly from systems of oppression and exploitation and abuse that actually exist in our concrete world as a fanciful spec-fic metaphor for something else can end up feeling pretty crass. Of course, the things you come up with are not gonna be completely unrecognizable from, and to, reality and its inhabitants, and it’s very much arguable and to some extent arbitrary where the line is drawn, but I think it’s worthwhile to reflect on how glibly you are using a thing that is actual, massive and abominable as a narrative prop or signifier for something that is largely unrelated to it (and which you and I, to some extent, kinda benefit from materially). I believe that “art is inherently bourgeois” is. kind of a wild, pretty out there and incrrect take, but I think artists - especially storytellers - ought to at least understand that they exist in some sort of context

[dayeongi]

Agsyahevs that's EXACTLY what's going on!! Making a fic inspired by produce 101

FIGHTING DREAMERS AU - Chapter 1: AO3 ✨️ More art -> Tumblr tag