#there was for sure some planning with them considering a new nct unit

[ningtual]

also i don't think it's too far off to believe that sungtaro were originally meant to be in a unit that is closer to their age group and considering that sm doesn't have a ton of trainees (according to sm idols themselves), there could've been a real possibility that current riize members also could've ended up in a new unit lineup at some point or another. but no they went with the 16 y/os

in my humble opinion sm should've stuck with making riize the new unit and making nct wish the new boygroup what do you mean one of them is from 2007 what do you mean he's 11 years younger than doyoung what do you mean he's 12 years younger than johnny and taeyong what do you meannnnnn he's 13 years younger than taeil

[127luvr]

Hey, could you do (if u feel up to it) a platonic NCT Dream x male reader where he feels he doesn't fit into the group (only added in 2019)

Thanks

Best Friend 𓇼 ⋆｡˚ 𓆝⋆｡˚ 𓇼

Nct Dream x Male Reader

It was early 2019 when the company announced you were to be added to Nct Dream. The exact date slips your mind more than you would care to admit. Mostly due to the fact that everything seemed too rushed—from Mark’s graduation—to your sudden addition—to the release of the first album as Dream without Mark Lee.

You were never sure if the decision to add you to the group was something the company had planned beforehand or something they came up with on the spot—you were too scared to ask. Nevertheless, fans had the same questions. They were split—half saying that this scheme the company had planned to replace Mark wasn’t going to work—while the other half were defending you. Busy making sure your name wasn’t dragged through the mud just because of the shady planning behind the scenes. None of it was your fault—the graduation system was always something that was on the table for the unit.

Knowing this information and understanding it didn’t stop you from feeling guilty.

Your late addition was awkward at first—having never been in the group when Mark was in it shifted the dynamic. You didn’t have to get used to Jeno being the leader, you were introduced when he was the leader. And although they never consciously made the effort to make you feel excluded, the feeling was still there. It was clear that they were still grieving the loss of their friend in their group—and suddenly here you were. Preparing for their first album without Mark.

After the success of We Boom, you went from being Mark’s replacement to just (Y/s/n). Fans saw you as a proper member now—and while there were still some skeptics, they acknowledged you and your talents. There were no malicious intentions towards you but something still didn’t feel right.

Following Reload, you were tired. It had been over a year since you had been added to the group but the feeling of being a disposable member was still overwhelmingly present. You felt like you were watching the members from afar, as if you were still a trainee admiring them from a screen. So close but never quite close enough to reach out to. There was no point in bringing up your concerns with them—scared of how they’d react to it, considering they have been friends long before you were a part of the company. If one of the members disliked you—it was more than probable that the rest would follow.

When the news broke out that the company was abolishing the graduation system, the group was overjoyed. Of course, you were excited too. You got to experience Mark Lee in the same group that you were in. But as the time quickly came to pass, his addition back into the group made you feel worse. He was everything you envied. Perfect at dancing—at singing—at rapping—at communicating. There was nothing he couldn’t do.

Luckily this came at a time where a full album was being promoted—no one would be able to analyze your interactions with your unit if you were busy in others.

“You’ve been avoiding us.” Sooner or later—you would have had to face your members. You had hoped it would be later. Maybe never, as you would have rather spent your time watching videos on the internet on yourself—how you didn’t fit into the group as a whole—let alone your set unit. But it’s come now, in the form of leader Mark in all his glory. “I know I haven’t been back for long, (Y/n). I know that this has been our first comeback as an eight member group, but something’s off.”

It’s after a live video. The eight of you are sitting in the living room of the large dorms. Jeno, Jaemin, Mark and Jisung all share a couch while Chenle sits on the floor. You share the couch opposite to them with Haechan and Renjun, sitting as far as you could get with your ankles crossed. It’s an uncomfortable silence that follows Mark’s words, all eyes on you while you played with the frayed ends of your sweatshirt.

“(Y/n). We are all a part of this group. Regardless of how long everyone’s known each other, you are a part of this family too.”

“I’ve been waiting so long to hear that.” There are collective gasps that come from around the room. It catches you off guard when you make eye contact with an angry Jaemin. His hard eyes paired with his long eyelashes intimidate you.

“(Y/n), I know you’re entitled to how you feel and this has been such a drastic change for you, but we have been trying with you for over a year. We have gone out of our way to make sure you didn’t feel left out.” You hate how well he’s able to articulate himself even under stress, his words falling on your ears heavily as he continues. “I do want to apologize on behalf of everyone for not noticing how hard you were struggling, we should’ve pieced it together. You never came to us with problems but we also never established that you could. We’re sorry for never giving you verbal communication but you can’t say we didn’t try. We are not a group who has to really say things out loud so we understand each other but you didn’t know that.”

You let yourself inch closer to the members next to you. There was no point in trying to make yourself smaller when the attention was still centered on you. It’s an odd sensation—to think back on the interactions you’ve had with individual members.

They were always there for you—whether it was a simple affirmation from Jeno or an invite to hot pot from either Renjun and Haechan. To them it was small acts to try and ease you into the group—it was sharing water outside of the recording booth in between sessions. It was sharing jackets and pushing their leftovers towards you if they didn’t want anymore.

“Jaemin… Haechan, Renjun, Jeno, Jisung, Chenle,” you make eye contact with each member as you call out their names, trying to express how you felt through your eyes, “Mark. I was too in my own head—thinking about how you guys didn’t like me or want me here that all of the effort you put into making me feel wanted and welcome was ignored.” You couldn’t hold eye contact with Mark anymore, too embarrassed to acknowledge his nod of encouragement.

“We also should apologize.” Jeno’s voice startles you. Even if he was across the room, his voice carried so far it sounded as if he were sitting right next to you. “We should’ve done a better job of noticing that you were struggling.”

“I think if we keep going like this we’ll never stop passing the blame around.” You can’t help but smile at Jisung’s comment, mouthing a small thank you towards Jeno as he elbowedJisung’s side.

“Jisung’s right for once!”

The group erupts in laughter, the scene causing you to chuckle through teary eyes.

“Here’s to new beginnings, guys. We’re a family.” Mark’s eyes never stray from you and for the first time in over a year, you believe those words.

[neonacity]

Black Daisies: Chapter 1

“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”

An NCT mafia AU with OT23. 

Summary: Working for the mafia comes with many layers. There’s excitement, violence, loss, and betrayals. Yet there’s also friendship, family, loyalty, and code. The last thing it needs? Love and all the complexities it brings. 

TW: violence, death, mentions of drugs and other illegal activities. If you’re uncomfortable with any of these, feel free to skip. 

Author’s note: This is purely a work of fiction. In no way am I supporting all the illegal activities and behaviors that might be mentioned in the story nor am I implying that any member of NCT acts whichever way I may write them here--they’re all sweetiepies that need to be protected! 

That’s all! Enjoy! 

Slight static sounded from the earpiece as the woman behind a computer pressed a small button to activate it. A few miles away from her, the same low hum could be heard from the ear of a young man as the line came alive. The boy barely moved from the shadows where he was crouching, his head twitching just a little bit at the alert. 

“Haechan, target just entered from the main hall, door A,” a voice sounded from the small electronic bud attached to his ear. His eyes lifted to look at the shadowy pillars above his head where a quick glint of light confirmed that another boy hidden there heard the same words. 

“Got it, noona. Plan C?”

“Plan C. Where are Jisung and Chenle?”

“Two floors down from us. Jaemin’s with them. Renjun’s done with the wires.”

“Jeno, you good?”

Up above the rafters from Haechan’s head, a darker shade of shadows moved. The metallic glint flashed again, followed by a low sigh that could be heard from the earpieces of the two people involved in the conversation.

“So I can’t use my gun again?”

“No. I already told you, right? What’s family rule number 2?” The female voice answered from the other end of the line, a tinge of laughter lacing her tone. Haechan giggled softly from beneath the rafters, enjoying the banter. 

“....we don’t shoot people in the head and kill them.” 

“That’s right.” From her screen, the woman’s eyes followed the movements of their targets as the man boarded the elevator that would take him straight to the penthouse of the high rise building. Her nose wrinkled a bit as she watched him wound his arms around two giggling women who look half his age. 

Disgusting. 

“...there’s something we can do though…”

Haechan tightened the scruff of his gloves as he heard the soft hum of the elevator climbing closer to where he and Jeno are. He smirked slightly to himself as the welcome ding from the penthouse reverberated just one floor below them.

“We put them in their right place.”

“Good luck, boys.” 

A soft buzzing sound indicated the earpiece temporarily being turned off the same time loud explosions sounded from the floor and roof of the penthouse.

“Noona!” 

I whipped around on my creaky swivel chair to face the group that just bounded through the door, wide grin plastered on my face. The blonde boy who called my name closed the distance between us with his long, excited strides, cheeks plump from his smile. 

“Look what I got you! Pretty nice, eh?” He asked with pride as he took a seat beside me, opening his palm to show a blood red stone nestled there. I moved a little forward to squint at it before gingerly picking it up. 

“Red diamond. I think two carats, at least. Wow, that’s impressive, Chenle! Thank you.”

The boy’s grin widened as he turned to the others who just settled on the scattered chairs and bean bags across the plain cement floor. 

“See? I told you she’d like it!” 

“We almost got busted because he wanted to take it.” Another boy with light purplish hair piped up from one of the bean bags on the ground. It’s adorable how only half of his body could fit on it, leaving him with no choice but to splay his long legs on the floor. 

“Did not.” 

“Did yes.” 

“Shut up, Jisung. You’re just jealous I’m the one who got it for her tonight.”

I chuckled from my seat, rolling the princess cut diamond against my palm. The kids always do this--if it’s not Chenle who is giving gifts from their little rendezvous, it was the others. It was a sweet act, at least if anyone counts out the fact that it came from ransacking a high profile businessman’s penthouse.

“Who wants some ramen? I’m starving.” A black-haired boy asked from across the room where a counter was set-up to serve as the headquarters’ kitchen. Five heads whipped up and gave various forms of yes, making him turn towards the group, one hand on his hip. 

“Yah, Lee Haechan. Help me cook.”

A groan sounded from the leather couch as the boy in question winced at the request.

“But I’m tired. I detonated two bombs today!”

“And I had to unlock three high-security safes. Come on.” 

I chuckled as I watched Haechan pull himself up from the couch, his boots still on. Three consecutive beeps from the monitor behind me made me turn back towards the table again, fingers tapping over some keys to review the message.

“Noona, how about you? You want some?”

“No, thanks, Jaemin. Just ate,” I flashed him a quick smile before turning to read the notification on the screen. Slowly, the corners of my lips lifted into a full grin as my eyes finished scanning the words. 

“127’s back from Tokyo. They got the goods well and secured.”

“Whoah, really? I gotta ask Mark-hyung if he was able to get me my favorite chips!” A boy with black and white hair said as he swiped his phone up from the back of his pants pocket to send a quick message. Beside him, Jeno propped his head up from one of the love chairs, looking at me. 

“Who sent the message?” 

“Doyoung.” 

“Did he--”

“P.S. Tell Jeno I got him the silencer he wants,” I read the closing note on the message with an amused eye roll and a smile. Jeno gave an excited whoop from behind me, clearly excited over his new toy. 

I quickly shot a reply to the message, making sure to give them a quick update from my end. A green logo flashed after I hit send, a special kind of cyber filter that automatically deletes all traces of conversation that passes through my computer at my command. My eyes registered the familiar three letters before it flickered and glitched to black. 

NCT. 

For anyone living a mundane life, those three letters might be senseless. However, it’s a different case altogether for anyone who is in any shape or form involved with the underground. It’s a name that is often said in low whispers of reverence… or spat with spite. Whichever of the two, the name itself only means one thing to those who know it: the top mafia group ruling the underground of Seoul--if not the whole of Korea. 

The “family,” as I’d  like to call it, is divided into three different smaller sub-groups of varying specializations and activities. First is 127, the primary group in power over Seoul. The unit specializes in drug dealings, assassinations, and smuggling of firearms, and its members are also the ones managing the many businesses (both legal and illegal) falling under the protection of NCT. As the group with the most experienced members, they are also the ones who often go across countries like Japan where they also have their own hold. Limitations and Prohibitions: none.

The second group; Dream. Despite having the youngest members, the sub-group also has its own chokehold over the city of Seoul. Specialization: Heists and Ambushes. It doesn’t matter if it is a high-tech bank or a high-walled fortress like Alcatraz--once Dream sets its sights on a bounty, they’ll make sure to get it. Limitations and Prohibitions: no killing allowed. 

Finally, the third cluster: WayV; the current ruling crime group of China. Specialization: Organized Cyber crimes and biological warfare . While the sub-group has its original roots in Korea, it didn’t have any problem taking over Beijing’s underground in a few years time. They are considered the visionaries of the family--always one step ahead when it comes to anything technology touches and influences. Limitations and Prohibitions: none.

I leaned back against the chair and gave a soft sigh. Compared to the others, I don’t have as much exposure to the so-called thrills of the job. Still, I do admit that being the eyes and ears of the whole group is not a leisurely walk in the park. It’s been a few months of being temporarily assigned to Dream, but with 127 back, work will surely double again in no time. Not that I’m complaining with how well the job pays, of course--I did get a blood red diamond today, after all--but things sure can get tough sometimes. 

Lifting my arms up, I gave myself a well-deserved stretch before kicking back from the desk. The smell of ramen hit my nose, making me smile. Another day, another job well done. 

“Hey Jaemin, changed my mind about that ramen. I think I’ll have it after all.” 

Chapter 2: Overture

[skjaem]

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬

This account is not affiliated with Na Jaemin, NCT Dream, NCT U or SM Entertainment in any shape or form. This is simply a chatbot made purely for entertainment only. No speech or actions here portray the real person whatsoever, and all backstories and plotlines are complete works of fiction.

This chatbot deals heavily with dark and potentially triggering content such as murder, blood, violence, gore, mild to strong language, torture, deaths, police, stalking, psychopathic tendencies and serial killers. If triggered by any of the aforementioned topics, do consider treading through carefully if at all. Every triggering post will be tagged accordingly, so do filter the tags for maximum comfort.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝑱𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓

You've always had a thing for the blue haired photography major at your university. With his charming smile and seemingly perfect personality, it didn't come as a surprise that he's stolen the hearts of almost everyone on campus. After a chance encounter of you, very embarassingly might I add— tripping over your own feet right in front of him and sending the both of you tumbling to the ground, you slowly grew closer. But the seemingly flawless friendship you've developed just had to be destroyed, during one walk home after a late night convenience store run one day when you heard some muffled screaming coming from the nearby alley. With curiosity getting the best of you, you decide to be a good samaritan and check. What will you do once you witness the horror that was Jaemin hunched over the lifeless body of a man, carving his heart out of his chest?

Plot code : 02001

𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈

As a police officer working under the Violent Crimes Unit, you're certainly no stranger to serial killers and horrifying crime scenes. Having solved countless of cases before, your entire life gets turned upside down when the Blue Reaper makes his debut as a new serial killer. You and your team have been chasing after him for months, following a multitude of leads and countless of clues but always ending up empty handed. While you're out here getting no sleep trying to formulate a plan to catch him, unbeknownst to you, he's already had his attention caught. Intrigued by none other than yourself. He's been stalking you, wether it be getting off from work, on the crime scene or even in your own home. It's a mystery to everyone including himself as to why he's so enamoured, but one thing's for sure. He's obsessed. And after you wake up once in the middle of the night and find him watching you sleep from a dark corner of your room, will you accept his morally contradicting attraction? Or will you choose to do what's normally right and take advantage of his obsession to turn him in?

Plot code : 02002

𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓, 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒖𝒏

The ever bustling and lively city, the capital itself, Seoul has always been your hunting grounds. You preyed on the unsuspecting under the cover of the night, making a name for yourself through multiple killings that always leave the authorities frustrated at each failed attempt of arrest. One night, you had been following after a male in a dark hoodie, certain to yourself that you've found the next prey to add to your ever growing record. But what would happen when the victim you'd have pinned against the wall of a dark downtown alleyway brandishes his own knife at you? What will you do, once you've caught the infamous Blue Reaper himself?

Plot code : 02003

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨

⤷ Keep messages that are sent between 1-4 only. Any more than that and you will be given a warning due to it being classified as spam.

⤷ Respect both Jaemin and Admin. Any messages, asks or interactions that involve elements of harassment, hate and non-constructive criticism will be blocked with no hesitation. Keep in mind that Admin is still a real human being with feelings, rudeness (to a certain degree) will not be tolerated.

⤷ Roleplaying, with Y/Ns especially, will be kept SFW. Although admin is of age, I simply don't have the energy to keep adding smut into my roleplays anymore, and that privilege of NSFW will be reserved for only those that Jaemin trusts (eg: his s/o(s)). Suggestive content, however, is still acceptable as long as the threshold of admin's boundaries is not crossed.

⤷ Jaemin's safeword follows the traffic light system; red for stop the scene, yellow for hold on / slow down and green for everything is alright. This safeword is not only to be used during NSFW scenes but also during the main roleplay if ever Admin or Jaemin is uncomfortable with the current situation.

⤷ Chats that have been left unanswered for more than a week's time with no prior note will be terminated. If ever you return after the chat has been terminated then you may restart your roleplay with Jaemin, but keep in mind that it will be reverted back to a clean slate.

⤷ Please note that Jaemin is likely to be poly in relationships, which means that he is open to taking on two or more partners at a time. This however, does not mean that you as an s/o are obliged to pursue a romantic relationship with his other s/os at all as DM interactions are still kept as 1 on 1. Before confirming of a relationship, details will be discussed privately.

⤷ Asks are almost always open so please don't hesitate to leave a letter or two or any inquiries for Jaemin if you ever find the want to! Admin is usually faster at answering them compared to DMs.

⤷ We accept everyone wether that be chatbots, OCs or Y/Ns! Limited RP slots will be constantly updated on Jaemin's pinned post as well as wether new intakes are open or closed. Casual talk however is limitless and available for chatbots and OCs.

(𝐃𝐞) 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

To activate, simply reblog the activation post and DM with your;

Name / Nickname / Name that you'd like to be addressed as

Age

(optional due to roleplays being mainly SFW. But you're encouraged to still drop it just so admin can determine what can or can not be done. This info will not be shared to others at any cost.)

Pronouns

(he/his , she/her , they/them)

Triggers

(as many and as detailed as you need it to be)

Safeword

(absolutely mandatory. Although roleplays will be SFW, safewords are important for me to check on wether or not you're comfortable with the scenes that may occur)

Timezone

Admin's timezone is GMT+8

Chosen or Created Plotline [Plot code : 02004]

(If you've decided to come up with your own plotline and are struggling with it, that's alright! Just let us know your idea and Admin will gladly help you create one that's suitable and fits your liking!)

Once you've completed the steps above, Admin will recheck and have some inquiries just to confirm before your roleplay will start!

Please note that admin may not be able to reply everyday consistently due to her own responsibilities in daily life. Admin rps in lit (literate) : actions “dialogue” and is open to all 1st, 2nd and 3rd Person POV.

To deactivate, there will be two options present for you.

Simply ignore Jaemin for a week with no note of leave or reasoning and you will automatically be removed from the roleplay list.

Or

Ensuring that both you and Jaemin are in a stable and safe environment, tell him “I'm done with you and your sick lifestyle. I'm reporting you to the authorities.” and he will take your life, thus ending the roleplay.

Keep it mind that there is a probability of you being killed during roleplay. When that happens, admin will inquire wether or not you'd like to restart the roleplay and you'll be given the opportunity to choose a new plotline and work towards your next ending.

𝕳𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖋𝖚𝖓 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖑𝖚𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖕𝖊𝖗~

[dojae-huh]

Funny how we talked about NCT Hollywood yesterday and suddenly got a bit more info today lol The part about a new NCT U formation is interesting too. Sounds like a permanent unit, even if it's called NCT U? I don't really expect a whole album or EP from them because WayV, 127 and 2021 promotions will prob occupy fall-winter. Maybe a single, then they release more unit songs or join other temporary U combinations as part of the NCT 2021 album.

I wonder if the new NCT U will be a unit for Sungchan and/or Taro. It could be a vocal unit or a mix of existing members too. All is vague atm. Ofc, I do agree SM must have fixed unit(s) planned for Sungchan and Taro. It's just that, when can they actually find enough members (if not adding members from Dream or other units) and form the unit. I remember how Kun and Ten had no fixed unit for a long time. SM has plans, but the time they need to execute the plans is another thing.

I'm guessing, Taro will likely get to join a JP-based unit after the pandemic. I'm not too sure because they already have 127, but with NCT-H announced, SM might want to have local units in JP and US and let 127 perform there too since they have quite big fanbases in both countries. Yuta and Johnny can still be representative members.

I honestly think Sungchan will be for another SK unit. Sungchan might be able to join the JP one, but I doubt it because he's being pushed a lot in SK. To the point I think he might be a leader, considering all the years he trained. I don't keep track of full details on Sungchan's solo activities and don't know how popular he really is in SK, but even if he's not so popular yet, I'm sure he'll still get important role in his new unit. Center or face of the group at least. Or leader. Or even all of the said positions at most.

On the other hand, Taro barely gets SK activities and might be saved for the JP unit (or it could be, Taro's Korean is still a challenge for more Korean content).

Personally, I'm not 100% sure of fan speculations that Taro and Sungchan will be in the same unit. They debuted at the same time, are living in the same dorm with the Dreamies, but it might be like Woo, Kun and Lucas all over again.

NCT U new formation releasing a single and it being included in NCT2021 album (an EP is pretty doable) sounds plausible. If NCT2020 was designed to bring all the units together, make WayV officially part of NCT, NCT2021 is about SMCU. It was said that NCT's concept/universe will get more explanation (new nctmentary videos, hopefully?).

Just to remind you, that in 2018 127 had Empathy, Chain, Regular-Irregular and Regulate. And in 2019 Awaken and Superhuman in addition to the Neocity tour in the first half a year. (Plus Tae, Hyuk and Mark were involved with Dream and SuperM). Making albums is A&R and producers' problem, neos need to sing a couple of lines, and most B-tracks don't require choreos.

Fans having enough money is the bigger problem, lol. But with the lack of concerts and a few months of break between units' comebacks and NCT2021?

I doubt the new U formation will be permanent. This info just raises interest and makes people talk. Ten seems to be in it.

I've checked RV history yesterday. Some of their singles sold in millions. Maybe this new U will get to try to win over gp with a catchy songs as well to sell the song as a single before NCT2021?

WayV will be in Autumn, probably late Autumn. 127 is going to be before them. I still think it's July-August for them. We will know once Dream's repack promotion is over.

I still doubt there will be a Japanese unit soon. I'd bet if there is one formed in the near future, it will be through a trainee-selection programme on Japanese TV. Shota actively learns Korean and is very popular in SK.

Kun, WW and Ten had a designated unit from the beginning - Chinese unit. Not SM's fault the Chinese ban happened.

[k-llama-llama]

Scarves on Scarves

SuperM AU: 8th member

YinYin x SuperM

YinYin receives a surprise package from her mother.

A/N:ALSO FYI check out my patreon (patreon.com/kllamallama for exclusive posts!)

Requests are CLOSED…but your feedback is still super important to me.

Masterlist and other Follow Me links in bio!

“Has anyone seen my stretching bands?” YinYin asked, coming into the lounge. “I had them in the practice room yesterday but now I can’t find them.”

Mark looked up from the couch. “I think Lucas was hanging laundry from them.”

YinYin rolled her eyes. “Of course he was. I guess I’ll just stretch later then.”

She sat herself down next to him, pulling her phone out of her pocket. She loved hanging out at the SM building, because she never knew who she was going to run into. She’d visited today with the goal of working on her new routine, but she’d settle for hanging out and then getting a coffee before heading back to her dorm.

The elevator dinged and Haechan and Chenle got out, each carrying a pile of boxes.

“What did you buy?” Mark asked, sitting up straighter. “Anything we can eat?”

Haechan shook his head. “It’s mail. When we moved last month they redirected mail to the head office. So now we have all of this.”

“Yinnie, you got a package.” Chenle told her. “It’s from Tianjin.”

“From my parents?” She stood up, hurrying over. Rather than helping them unload their boxes, she just grabbed hers off of the top. It was huge, especially when you considered how much it would’ve cost to shop from China. “I wasn’t expecting anything.”

“Maybe it’s a Christmas present.” Mark suggested. “Open it up.”

YinYin didn’t reply, seriously doubting that it was a Christmas gift, but ripped the tape anyways. 

“What is that?” Haechan asked, peering into the box. “A blanket?

YinYin tilted her head, but reached it. Grabbing the first item, she lifted it up, realizing that it was a scarf. In fact, the entire box was filled with scarves. All of them were knit the exact same way, though some were in different colours.

There was a note on the bottom of the box, which YinYin hurried to open.

She read it in silence, blinking away tears. Since she’d been in Korea, or even working in China, her parents had never sent her anything. Not because they didn’t want to, but because she knew they could barely afford it and always put up a fight.

“Yinnie, what is it?” Chenle asked. “Is something wrong?”

She folded the note and stuck it in her pocket. “My mom sent gifts for everyone.”

“What do you mean, for everyone?” Mark asked. “For WayV?”

YinYin shook her head. “21 scarves, for WayV, and al of the NCT units. Plus three more for Baekhyun, Kai and Taemin.”

“She bought 25 scarves?” Haechan’s mouth dropped open. “That’s crazy.”

“No, she made them.” YinYin answered, pulling the only pink one out of the bag and wrapping it around her neck. “You guys can all pick one.”

“That’s amazing!” They dug through, looking for colours they wanted. “You have to tell your mom thanks for us!” Mark exclaimed.

“These are so nice!” Chenle grabbed a green one. “Your mom has to be the nicest person in the world.”

“I’ll tell her you all said thank you.” YinYin smiled. “Next time I call her. You don’t have to take them if you don’t want to.”

“Are you kidding, I love it.” Mark draped his around his shoulders. “Are you going to take them to the meeting later, to give out?”

YinYin nodded. “Yeah. And I have gifts for the other members of SuperM too, so I’ll give them to them when I do that.”

“Does your mom always make you something for Christmas?” Haechan asked, settling finally on a blue scarf. “That’s a really nice tradition.”

YinYin shook her head. “We never really did Christmas gifts growing up.”

“No, why not?” Chenle asked.

YinYin bit her lip. “Money was always tight, I guess. And there seemed to be more important things.”

“Are you going to visit your parents soon?” Chenle wondered. “We should send presents with you.”

YinYin shrugged. “I don’t have any plans to see them. They don’t really like to travel.”

“When was the last time you were home?” Mark asked.

YinYin pushed some loose hair behind her ear. “I haven’t been home since I was signed at SM.”

Chenle gasped. “Weren’t you signed in 2014?”

“Yeah.”

“You haven’t seen your parents in almost six years?” Mark’s mouth dropped open.

YinYin nodded. “Yeah. I mean, we call all the time. And since I bought them nice phones we face time too. But I haven’t seen them in person since I got in the cab to go to the airport.”

Haechan looked into the box. “So your mom..without ever having met one of your groupmates...made every single one of us a scarf?”

She nodded. “Yeah. She’s excessive like that. You sure you guys like them?”

Chenle clutched at his. “It’s my favourite scarf. We should all wear them the next time we have an event. Would your mom see if we all wore them?”

YinYin smiled. “She watches every single one of our events. I’m sure she’d love to see you guys wearing it.”

“Then I’m never taking it off.” Mark flipped the end of his over his shoulder. “Because this is honestly the warmest scarf ever.”

“Wait until you give it to the others.” Haechan laughed. “I think someone might cry.”

“It’ll be Jungwoo.” Chenle hedged his bets. “Or maybe Jisung.”

YinYin shook her head. “I guess we’ll find out.”

[mercury-retrograde-concept]

what are your thoughts on that lee soo man/blockberry creative partnership and loona's financial situation during the post-butterfly hiatus?

Oh, juicy question! Full disclosure time: from the moment I started this blog I intended to address this issue, because I’m intensely curious about it. This is one of those kpop situations where you have just enough information to kind of guess what might have happened. But there’s just enough ambiguity that you end up hoping the tarot cards come through for you. 

And after doing this reading I feel like I do have a better idea of what might have done down.  

Disclaimer: This tarot reading is for entertainment purposes only. All speculation comes from my interpretation only.

This question basically involves two question. Namely, what forces might have been at play during Loona’s long hiatus after Butterfly, as well as what’s up with the SM/Blockberry creative partnership. I separated these two questions in to two different segments, however it was the same pull (i.e. I didn’t put the cards back together and shuffle) because I feel as though the latter was influenced by the former. Also, since each questions involves three different entities I used some of Caroline Myss’s archetype cards in order to better anchor this reading. 

Okay, y’all ready? Let’s goooooo! love_4_eva.mp3. 

Post-Butterfly hiatus

Heart of the problem: Four of Pentacles (Reversed), The Hanged Man BBC role: Monk Nun Archetype Card What BBC wanted: Ten of Wands (Reversed), The Empress Jaden Jeong role: Trickster Archetype Card What Jaden Jeong wanted: King of Wands (Reversed), Four of Swords (Reversed) Loona role: Servant Archetype Card What Loona wanted: Three of Pentacles (Reversed), Seven of Pentacles (Reversed)

So, shortly after Butterfly, it appears as though BBC realized they were essentially hemorrhaging money. From what I’ve read over the years - and readers please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong - it appears as though BBC is better off than most k-entertainment companies, in terms of finances. However, that doesn’t mean that their resources are infinite either. While it often feels like Loona is someone’s passion project - and it definitely was Jaden Jeong’s (more on that in a second) - this is still a company. They still would like to make some money back on such an investment. More than that it also feels as though BBC also wanted attention and acclaim and other things that are hallmarks of soft power. Loona obviously has its die-hard fans, but I think it’s fair to say Hi High and Butterfly didn’t take off the way that matched the pre-debut hype. 

As a result, it appears as though BBC kind of panicked and worried about becoming something of a laughingstock. They went back to the drawing board with their plans for Loona, and became incredibly fearful of doing anything with this group.�� They put the breaks on everything, to the point of giving everyone involved some metaphorical whiplash. While it’s a good thing to consider one’s budget and goals, management was so in their own heads about what to do that they stopped doing things they should do. Including following through with some deals they made with investors. They also kept these concerns close to their chest, rarely communicated well about them, and made a lot of promises they had no intention of keeping. Because, again, they didn’t want to do anything. Essentially, the company basically saw Loona as an albatross and didn’t know what to do with them, so they just buried their heads in the sand for a while. Surprisingly, the problem didn’t go away. 

This would have been annoying to any creative director, but the cards are indicating Jaden Jeong was especially agitated by this whole situation. He also probably further aggravated it in some ways. I cannot stress enough how little he cared about the financial situation of BBC. He was only concerned about the creative side of things and getting to execute his vision. He really wanted to do a group that’s on the more avant-garde side of things and he thought he finally had a chance to fully pull this off with Loona. Practical logistics were not that important to him. He wasn’t shy about confronting BBC about this, either. This probably made BBC double down on their stinginess, which in turn made Jaden Jeong act out even more. It was a vicious cycle that was bound to fall apart. Eventually, he decided to just bounce. 

As for Loona’s role in all of this ... they didn’t really have any agency to speak of. They were basically treated as pawns during this situation. BBC made it pretty clear they thought of them as a liability, while for Jaden Jeong they were pretty much avatars to fulfill his creative vision. The members were effected by this, too. It was a rude awakening after the excitement of the pre-debut era. They struggled with feeling like a cohesive unit at this point because they hadn’t gotten to do much as a group, and their future was up in the air. 

Lee Soo-man Involvement

What drew Lee Soo-man to Loona: Ten of Swords, Queen of Wands Lee Soo-man role: Teacher Archetype Card What Lee Soo-man wanted: Five of Pentacles, Temperance BBC role: Warrior Archetype Card What BBC wanted: Chariot (Reversed), Two of Swords Loona role: Exorcist Archetype Card What Loona wanted: Death, Seven of Cups (Reversed)

This was interesting and not entirely what I expected. 

Lee Soo-man’s interest in Loona appears to have been sparked by being stung by disappointment in the financial state of SM. I had a vague memory of reading that SM operated on a financial loss in 2019. I googled this and ... yep. Appears to have been the case (again, correct me if I’m wrong.) This was really, really bothering him at the end of 2019. Part of it was because the dude was a CEO and just wants the company he founded to still be making money. There’s a bit more to it, though. Beyond wanting his company to be known as the best of the best in terms of making money, he also seems to want it to be renowned for it’s creativity and boundary pushing. He appears to take it incredibly personally when an idea of his doesn’t instantly take off. 

This is where Loona comes in. It seems that he was rather flattered by the fact that they covered NCT over any other SM group (I know NCT is doing well, but the structure of the group has been something of an acquired taste, and SM seems invested in proving that this rotational structure is workable. It’s partially about money but also partially about being right.) It also didn’t escape his attention that Loona is a meme around the world.  I’ve seen some people speculate over the past few months that he was trying to sabotage Loona’s career. I really don’t see that indicated in the cards. He wouldn’t have lost sleep if the concept change costed Loona all their fans, but he generally wanted those comebacks to make a splash.

This is because investing in Loona is a win/win for his ego. If his contributions to Loona are successful, then he can take credit for ‘rescuing’ this group with a lot of potential. If their Lee Soo-man backed comebacks flop ... Well, it’s disappointing but it’s not like they’re an SM group. Any failure of theirs won’t really be seem by the public as SM failing.  Essentially, these creative partnerships with BBC allow for him to do creative work and try to push some of the more unusual songs in SM’s catalogue without getting any real pushback about it. 

Regarding Blockberry Creative, I have to wonder if they got some new leadership? I tried to google this but came up empty. They were definitely more assertive in 2020 given that they managed to pull off 2.5 comebacks (counting Star as one.) They’re still a little tentative, though. It’s not quite as bad as things were in 2019, but they were relieved to be having Lee Soo-man take the reins in 2020. They still haven’t decided what direction Loona should go in, let alone what to do with all the lore. 

As for Loona, I get the sense that 2020 was interesting for them. They were frustrated about some things, but they were still very, very ready to move on from the stagnation of 2020. They aren’t sure if they’re on board with their 2020 comebacks but they were mostly just excited to have something to do. Even if there was clear room for improvement, they still committed to their work as much as possible. They’re also working on being more proactive in their careers. 

[sometime-in-1995]

The last time I could remember, we/I was just concerned about how NCT as a whole would work considering all the things that's been going on in its sub-units. Especially after Mark graduated from Dream, WayV debuted, 00line graduating by the end of 2019, and 127 being so busy in the west. They're just yet to establish that limitless possibilities of having limitless members and limitless sub-units concept. WayV's just yet to establish itself in China, it hasn't been a year for fuck's sake! It's also ludicrous how SM could miraculously pull out their Chinese artists and use them to make money when they can't even have the guts to relate them to their main group.

And then suddenly, this new supergroup just came out of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I love the boys all 7 of them from the bottom of my heart and I will support them because it's something they have to do to help the company get back in the game. It's not like they asked for it. We all know why SM is doing this, it's all because of money especially now that it's in a bad business shape. But seriously, it's all messed up! It all came out of nowhere.

This supergroup concept isn't new to me. I've been introduced to this concept years ago after listening to EXILE TRIBE's 'Lovers Again'.

I wasn't in depth on the group tho but it seems like this is what SM is trying to do and that's understandable. It's a business strategy afterall. What's not understandable is if they even considered what these artists, these boys wanted for their career before plucking them out of their main groups? Did they even consider the consequence it would make on these artists' main groups?

Another thing that's not understandable was the groups name/brand. What the heck is SuperM?!?!

I don't want to say this but I had to: SUPER is and has been Super Junior's brand.

​Super Junior '05

​Super Junior KRY (Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, Yesung)

​Super Junior T (Trot)

​Super Junior H (Happy)

​Super Junior M (Mandarin)

​Super Junior D&E (Donghae & Eunhyuk)

​Super Girl

​Superman

​Super Duper

​Super Show

SuperTV

​Super/SuJu Bong

Ring a bell? As a business graduate, I don't think it's a good idea. Branding is crucial, it takes time to brainstorm and all they came up with is SuperM?? Like WTF?? They've literally just omitted the word 'Junior' in Super Junior M. If you want a brand name that carries the company's initials, then there's a lot of words that starts with S & M! Can't you give them the brand/group name that they deserve? Something that they own, not something that sounds like someone else.

They've also taglined the group with 'The Avengers of KPop'. Yeah, sure. It suits them. 'Coz you literally made these boys save your bankrupting ass!

Seriously, SM. How many times are you planning to disappoint me this year? How many times more? 'Coz like we only got 4 months left and I've seriously had enough. It's like you have new bullshit every freakin' month and it's tiring.

I know the boys won't say anything about this. They'll just focus on the preparation for the launching of this group and work hard together. 'Coz it's not like they could actually and literally say anything against SM or even complain. They're not something like TVXQ or SJ who could probably say at some point that 'SM is a shit of a company'. Anyways, let's just see how it goes and enjoy the contents this new boy group has to offer, probably.

[monohart]

stardust. (idol!au)

ft. huang renjun, failure and a secret relationship.

i’m back after a long break, haha. this was an old writing that had been sitting up in my drafts for a while... happy 2019! please spend this year showing more love to renjun. :)

thank you, and enjoy!

when you were cut from the line up for sm’s new group renjun was 100 times more devastated then u were

u were like hey rj cmon don’t worry i’ll be fine??? i’m sure i can audition for another company or smth?? or wait for the next unit debut??

u even jokingly said maybe u could debut in an nct unit but he couldn’t bring himself to smile

and your chest :(( hurt :(( from seeing him so hurt ;;;

ofc for as long as you remember y’all had been talking about both debuting under sm at the same time so y’all could be chasing your dreams and not be too far away from each other

but that plan failed when renjun debuted first with nct dream and had his schedule Packed w nct promotions and concerts and stuff

he and the other nct guys would sometimes let u sit behind the camera in vlives

this one time omg

(( ok so refer to this for a visual :) ))

u sat behind the camera in the chenle jaemin renjun react to baby don’t stop vlive

even though u were hella scared to be kicked out chenle was like HEY DW I’LL FIGHT ANYONE WHO THINKS YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE THERE OKAY

so u snuck out of your practice session slightly earlier to watch them

renjun was so excited u were there but obvs he had to keep it together for the live

then!! lolololol rip your manager found out u snuck out of practice and found u in the room and pulled u out of the room

(u kno that moment when they all looked behind the camera and then turned down the music.. yeah issa bc ur crazy manager almoST ruined the mood)

manager scolded u outside the room for a good few minutes and then told u to get yourself together

and u stood outside the room for a bit longer after manager left

and u were literally about to leave but then guess who u ran into!!!

chittaphon knew about u and rj since the day he met u and him both

it was kinda funny really bc u and rj stood rly awkwardly next to each other at this company event a few years ago and y’all were standing around the other dreamies and some other trainees and suddenly renjun’s hand brushed the side of your leg and u glance at him and he smiles at u and u look away smiling

AND chittaphon, who happens to be taking a nice long sip of his soda SEES THIS and spits his soda out

accidentally sprays soda onto jeffery’s back

but yeah thats another story

anyway!!!!

ten sees u sulking outside the door and peers in and sees renjun and hears bds

u know that smile smirk ten does when he knows whats Up™.

yeah he does that and be like

“eyy why don’t u go in???”

then u give him a breakdown of what happened with skipping practice and being caught by the manager

and hes like :o

but chittaphon is chittaphon so he grabs you by the wrist and pulls you back into the practice room and hides you in a corner just out of view

and then he sneaks onto them!!

then jaemin... quick-eyed, lovely doe-eyed jaemin... sees u hiding and nudges renjun ever so slightly

he sees u and before he gets flustered ten’s all over him asking how the mv was and flustered rj tries to keep his cool while showering chittaphon w compliments

and u know how ten looks at him like That :^)

and jaemin keeps peeking over their shoulders

yeah :))

OK I SPENT TOO LONG DESCRIBING THIS

but anyway, on that night u were cut from the line up

after the news got to him he sits down and was just like

:(

because he knew how much debuting meant to u and

and... YOUR DREAMS TO BE TOGETHER :(( debuting together and always being close to each other

and u mentioned before that if u dont debut in the next five years u prolly would quit the entertainment industry

maybe go back to school and study some or idk work in a less chaotic industry

in that moment he remembered what u said and was a little heartbroken too

he tried to find you in your usual practice room but u weren’t there and he shouldn’t be loitering around so he gave up and let you have some space

bet u he sulked all the way home

you had travelled back to your dorm because u needed some time alone oof

it took u a good few hours to deal with the news and when u were ready to talk about it again, it was like 3am but u still gave his mobile a call

he picked up on the second ring and said to meet him outside your dorm in a few mins and y’all can go take a walk or smth for some fresh air

so u guys go to the park for a nice quiet walk in the dead of night hhh

u had so many things to say but mostly u were worried with your relationship w him and how y’all were supposed to balance that out given his priorities with nct and you as... just a trainee...

u didnt have to explain anything or other bc he suddenly goes

“what if we went public with our relationship?”

u look up at his face that was hidden behind a mask and his glasses

u deadass thought he was kidding but his that look in his eyes were like hella serious

“just think about it for a second. maybe we don’t have to bring it to the fans, but at least let the company know”

and u were like no way they’ll just do anything to keep yall apart

he didnt answer after that and not too long later yall started heading back to your dorm

it was almost 5am and the streets were still dark and renjun had an arm around your waist and you leant against him and yall walked slowly bc honestly u guys haven’t slept a wink and its been a Really Long day

your dorm was a street away from his

actually he stops about a street or two away from your dorm bc another idol group also lived in the same building as u and there were always sasaengs and people w cameras outside your dorm

u were a trainee so it didnt bother u but renjun was renjun :,)

plus he actually wanted sum privacy so he could kiss u.. so...

hsaksdnd

there was a narrow alley just around the back of the apartment block next to yours

u would never go there alone kasdnj it was scary at any time of the day

tbh

u wouldn’t go even if someone was there with u

maybe it was the heat of the moment or u were just so down that day

it didn’t rly bother u when renjun gently backed u up against the wall and hugged u n took off his mask n buried his face in the crook of ur neck

and that immediately put a smile on your face ur like baby wyd its 5am

hes looks at u like :(( and says “i miss u” in a quiet quiet voice & in his mother tongue

u knew what it meant and hearing him say it in chinese made you uwu to mars

then he showers u with like tiny tiny butterfly kisses and he wraps his arms around u to make u feel safe and warm

which u do!!

he holds u up too when ur knees buckle a bit but then just continues kissing u hehehe

its all sweet and innocent but his kisses last just a tiny bit longer each time, as if hes scared that you’d run away

after he finishes kissing u he meets your eyes and u literally watch his orbs go all soft and he hides his face in your neck again while u mutter about how much of a big baby he is

the goodnight was!!!

the hardest thing y’all had to do omg

he literally didnt want to let u go

and when he did and when u started walking toward ur building u kept looking back, wanting him to head off but he didnt and stood there waiting for u to go in

and u didnt want to go in without knowing he was on his way home and was safe on the walk back wdf it was almost 6am

then when u were almost at the door u saw he hadn’t moved an inch

so u run back to him

he was still standing at the spot where y’all parted - which was a few streets down and out of sight

he scolds u for running back out but he smiles when doing so and u snap his mask back onto his face and kisses him over the mask like 200 times and u couldnt see but hes like dying from the giggles

anyway eventually y’all go home :,) it just took forever :,)

the next day u head to the building in the afternoon to catch up on some sleep

u were a bit guilty to find out renjun went back to work at 7am which meant he practically didnt get any sleep

y’all brush shoulders in the cafeteria but he was walking w hyuck and his manager so u couldn’t stop and chat

tho u couldn’t help but notice his manager steal a glance at u when u walked by and he had this really weird smile on his lips

made u go like huh.,, maybe he recognises me from the many Brief encounters yall had before

anyway u were doing some vocal and keyboard practice later in the afternoon when the door to the private training suite opened and two loud boys stumbled in

made u rly surprised bc u never expected it to be them??

it was taeyong and winwin??

they were both looking at u like :))) as if they did something great :))

taeyong introduces himself formally but you’re like ,, um u know we’ve met before at this function and hes like OH,,, sorry

anyway they were there to tell u how renjun couldn’t shut up about u since he went back to the dorm last night and now all of nct knows about everything to know about u and him (if they hadn’t already)

you’re just like .,, oof what embarrassing stuff did he say

they’re like NO ALL NICE STUFF,, a bit cringey at times

but !! nct wanted to help u

so earlier today

johnny and jaehyun spoke to their managers and night night producers and asked if they could hire a third radio dj - yknow someone who also speaks english and is really nice and entertaining and funny and cool like u are!!

that idea is now In The Talks

winwin brought up a variety thing china line and their managers had been thinking about for a while and also asked if they could consider u

nct managers be like ok so who actually is this trainee and why are all 18 boys obsessively asking to include her in nct activities

later that day when u see renjun again he was just heading off but he came around your practice room to see u before he left

thankfully u were the only one left at practice as the others were away busy preparing for their debut or smth :,)

u didnt hear him come in bc u were sitting in the middle of the room on the floor scrolling replying to week old texts oop hehe

renjun sneaks up behind u and hugs u from behind and kisses your cheek

he got a bit scared when u didn’t respond as explosively as he thought... for a second he thought he got the wrong person poor bean he was so nervous hhh

you chuck your phone aside and tackle him and he falls onto his back and yall kinda lay there on the ground for a bit

and you told him about taeyong and winwin visiting u and he just smiles

“you inspire me.”

“me? inspire you? you’re huang freakin’ renjun, and i, of all people, inspire you?”

“yeah”

“don’t understand u sometimes”

he turns his head to look at u and u turn to look at him and he kinda just admires you for a while then reach over and touches your cheek

it wasnt even a sweet caress or anything he literally just

touched

your cheek

“renjun what the heck”

then he laughs and u laugh and u snuggle against him and for the first time that week both of u feel completely at ease bc even though the dream u guys shared at the beginning was completely shattered,

y’all would still find a way around it

and knowing so many people around u still supported u guys meant so much

especially to renjun bc u were his everything and he’d do anything for u

and i mean it!!!

[lookastarlightnight-blog]

Can’t Cover Up

[Admin Lyric: Damn, sorry that I haven’t uploaded anything in awhile. My sister (Admin Ummie) and our family are in the midst of moving so we’ve been real busy for a few months. I actually have a few fanfictions that are done but just need to be revised so I’ll try to get them up as soon as I can. Thank you for understanding. I hope that its good because I typed this at like 3 am one morning. This is inspired by one of Taeyeon’s songs Cover Up.]

Characters: Mark, Taeyong, Yukhei/ Lucas, Doyoung, Jaehyun

Genre: Fluff, Angst? (Mark needs a hug)

Word Count: 4,400+

Warnings: Language (not much)

Mark was scared, no, more like terrified. What was he supposed to do? Keep it to himself? Not the best idea when the thought was eating away at his brain cells. He needed to tell someone, if not everyone. What would they say? The mere thought of telling everyone about it made him feel nauseous. How was he supposed to put in words that he had the most biggest, enormous, gayest crush on Taeyong? Would they think he was disgusting? He hoped not.

Mark has had a crush on Taeyong since as long as he could remember. The crush only started out as admiration towards the elder, thinking he looked cool and the way he portrayed his stage presence made him look up to Taeyong. This eventually turned into him watching NCT stages (mainly Taeyong focuses) on his phone without anyone knowing. Basically this turned into an obsession with him watching Taeyong on stage. Lastly this turned into him staring at him from afar, blushing easily when they were close to each other. That’s when he knew he had a crush on him but it’s been like a whole year since he realized it and it’s only gotten worse.

It’s hard for Mark to even physical be around him without him getting nervous and anxious. He always tried to make sure he was around others when Taeyong was in the room with him. The only one who knew about his crush was Doyoung. He had known since he saw Mark’s watch history on YouTube filled with Taeyong fancams. He eventually asked Mark about it and he cried being afraid he was gonna tell someone. Doyoung assured him he wouldn’t tell anyone without asking first.

Skipping ahead, NCT U was about to fly to Ukraine to film there music video for Boss, their upcoming comeback with 2 new debuting members. Mark had always been a little afraid of flying so he took the opportunity to sit next to Johnny for some “comfortableness,” he’d never admit that to him though. Luck wasn’t really on his side today considering the fact Ten was going with them which means he would have to sit near someone else, cause Ten tends to whine if he doesn’t get to sit near him. And he also found out last minute Ten was going to be in a sub unit with Taeyong.

Not that he was mad or anything…but that’s exactly what he was saying. Why wasn’t he in the sub-unit with Taeyong? Although he was pretty sure he’d pass out due to extreme exhaustion and probably avoid him, but none the less, couldn’t he have got an option to do it with him anyway? He was sure that someone had planned this. As much as he tried to avoid him, he still wanted to have Taeyong’s full attention on only him. At that thought Mark sighed, running his fingers through his hair out of frustration. Was he really that selfish? To have one of his hyungs ignore the other members because of his own infatuation, was beyond his imagination. Why would he think something like that? He closed his eyes and tilted his head up towards the sky. It was snowing. He felt delicate snowflakes fall and melt onto his lukewarm skin, coloring his eyelashes a pretty white. His lips curved upward at the thought of being able to expand and broaden his verses on the airplane with the soothing feel of the way the snow fell lightly on to the ground, covering it like a blanket.

He opened his eyes and looked at the snowflakes falling from the sky, drifting towards his face. They reminded him of Taeyong. Bright, vibrant, captivating, free. He was just…perfect. Why must he make him act so dumb? He would just stand there and Mark would get all hot and start blushing when he looked at him. His sharp yet soft doe like eyes, long eyelashes, autumn red hair that pared perfectly with his gorgeous sun kissed skin. His beautiful carved nose, sexy chiseled jawline and perfectly shaped lips, ah, those lips. He’s definitely thought of kissing his lips more then he could count on both of his hands. His personality adorned his looks perfectly. So patient and loving yet reassuring and logical. His aura was so relaxing. He’d do whatever it was to make you in a better mood even if he wasn’t in one himself. He was so selfless. That’s what he loved most about Taeyong.

He shook his head. Think of something else. You need to act astray when it comes to your feelings. Why are you so weak? He sighed again. He missed Vancouver. He didn’t have to think and do so much there. It was a lot easier for to him to get things done without constant thoughts of over excursion to his body. He tilted his head back down and sighed again to only realize everyone was outside already, waiting for their manager. He hadn’t noticed Taeyong’s piercing gaze burning holes into his forehead or more like he tried to avoid it. Jaehyun had said something to Mark in plain English, but with Taeyong staring at him so intensely, made him forget how to speak.

“Huh?” Jaehyun rolled his eyes.

“I had asked you if you were okay. You looked lost in thought.” Mark’s eyes widened. Had he not been mindful to not cover up his feelings today? He’d been so good with keeping his stress, worries and depression down in the abyss of his distorted mind. With every unit coming back within the month put a lot of stress on him, but he didn’t want anyone to notice. He didn’t know what to say to him. He wasn’t gonna say he’s fine because Jaehyun’s a hawk, he’d know if he was lying.

Jaehyun sighed. It was practically written on his forehead. STRESS. He could see it. Mentally but mostly physically. Mark had lost some weight since they started their diets again but it was worse then their last comeback. He was just worried. He patted Mark’s head and smiled crookedly.

“Don’t overwork yourself. If you’re tired, say so. I don’t want you to die because you’re not healthy.” Jaehyun had a frown on his face. If only he had known the real causes of Mark’s spacing out and stress. Mark was used to the overly packed schedule. It didn’t bother him that much anymore. He was still worried about it, but that wasn’t the main cause of all of his problems. It was Taeyong. The same Lee Taeyong that had watched over Mark, made sure he was okay and wasn’t over doing it in practice. The same Lee Taeyong that had comforted him when he was home sick and crying about missing his family. The same Lee Taeyong that he was head over heels for. He was still staring at him after all which didn’t make the situation any better. Mark just coughed and smiled at Jaehyun.

“I’ll be fine hyung, I promise I won’t cause any harm to myself.” Jaehyun grinned widely and gave Mark a pat on his back.

“Good.” Jaehyun beamed and walked away. Mark sighed heavy. He just wanted to go back to the dorm and sleep.

Everyone arrived at the airport not long after the manager came outside. Mark had been listening to music the whole time, zoning out, skipping songs that reminded him of… that someone. He wanted to feel normal again. Sometimes he wished he never found out about his feelings for him, maybe he’d be able to be around him and not feel the need to run away. Maybe he’d be more at ease, maybe- Someone pulled out one of his ear buds. He jumped. It was Yukhei.

“Mark, we gotta go.” Mark looked at everyone walking away from him and slightly jogged up to the rest of them. He bumped into a guy taking pictures of the rest of the members and fell straight onto his ass. You’ve gotta be kidding me. He just carelessly walked into someone and is now being trampled over? It hurt like hell. People touching him, not regularly but inappropriately, trying to get his attention, people yelling in his face. He tried to get up only to fall back down again due to the amount of fans around him. He felt a pair of hands around his waist and internally screamed from being scared it was a saesang fan. He was indeed wrong, it was Taeyong.

He helped him up off the ground and pulled Mark towards him, putting both his hands on either side of his shoulders out of protection. Taeyong gave the crowd of people a dirty look and pulled Mark closer to himself. If looks could kill, they’d probably be dead by now. Why did he help Mark if he was no where near him when walking through the airport? Mark hadn’t dared to ask, afraid to make Taeyong upset any further. He kept his question to his self. Taeyong didn’t say anything, trying to get his mind off of the people who almost hurt Mark.

As soon as they were out of the paparazzi’s sight, Taeyong moved his gaze to Mark and started to search his face and his body. Mark yelped as his hands went straight under his shirt. What was he doing!?

“You’re not hurt anywhere right?” Mark gave no answer and pushed Taeyong’s hands away. He looked up at him since he was kneeling. Mark blushed, a light rosy pink dusted his cheeks as he looked away.

“I’m fine hyung. D-don’t worry about what hap-“

“No.” Mark looked at Taeyong through his peripheral vision and frayed his eyebrows together. Taeyong sighed and stood up. “I’m not gonna just forget about-“

“Hyung I’m okay. I wouldn’t lie t-to you.” Why do I keep stuttering? I know he’s beautiful but I need to keep my composure. Taeyong nodded slowly and frowned. He opened his mouth to say something but their manager called for him. Mark was grateful for that. Did he have some type of luck today even if it’s tiny? He wondered. Did Doyoung tell their manager!? No he wouldn’t, why would he? He was probably over analyzing it, he had been over analyzing things a lot lately. He sighed.

Everyone was eventually on the plane, Mark sat by himself in the back listening to music like he always did and working on his studies. He did still go to school so he had to make sure he was on top of things that involved it. He’d been falling off a bit, no one actually realized but himself. He needed to concentrate, but Taeyong is taking up his mind and is causing him to stall. He closed his laptop and tilted his head back on the seat. Get a hold of yourself! If you don’t now you’ll hurt yourself! No one can do it for you Mark! He started to get a headache from arguing with himself. He needed to throw whatever doubts and distractions he had out the window and finish his studies or he’ll end up falling behind. Mark really just wanted to go back to Canada.

They ended up in Ukraine not that long after getting on the plane. Only cause Mark fell asleep it went really fast. He was disappointed in himself for falling asleep and not finishing his work, but with his pact schedule who wouldn’t fall asleep? Their manager had explained to them that there was only 4 rooms so someone would have to share a room with him and the rest split off in to twos. Mark had a mini panic attack and almost had to excuse himself to the bathroom when their manager said that he picked the arrangements for the rooming situation. He knew that their manager would room him and Taeyong together. Doyoung looked at Mark, fear had slapped him in the face. He put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and leaned close to him.

“You’re rooming with Xuxi, I made sure manager hyung didn’t question me about why you guys should be in a room together. I mean you guys are the same age.” Mark breathed out a heavy sigh he didn’t know he was holding and smiled.

“Thanks hyung.”

“No problem, I got you.” Doyoung winked. Mark hit him slightly on his arm and laughed when he pouted. He walked to the hotel room with Yukhei, talking about some random anime he watched, he started to feel drowsy. He was used to jet lag and him constantly feeling tired but he felt drained, lifeless even. He didn’t do much that day but his internal battles had been making him feel like this. He started to drown out Yukhei, not on purpose, but due to his head pounding and lack of focus. Mark pushed the door open and flopped down on the queen sized mattress closest to him. He sighed and closed his eyes and put his arm over his face. Not a headache, migraine. He rubbed his eyes with his fists and yawned. Why was he so exhausted? He started dosing off. The mattress was so soft, comfort hugged him, inviting him in to a deep slumber. His body felt heavy, he was almost-

“Mark! You cant just fall asleep on me like that!” Mark jerked up quickly. Yukhei’s voice was loud. He stretched and yawned again.

“Sorry bro.” Yukhei gave Mark a serious look and sat next to him. Mark was started feeling nervous. Yukhei rarely ever got serious.

“Okay, spill. What’s been bothering you? Or more like who’s been bothering you.” Mark was taken back. What makes him think he’s not fine? Well he’s really not fine but he’s not telling him that. He didn’t say anything. Yukhei sighed and shook his head.

“Mark, I’m not gonna tell anyone!” Yukhei laughed. Mark turned his head in his direction and shushed him.

“Be quite! Someone might hear you!” He half whispered half yelled. Yukhei rolled his eyes and just stared at Mark till he said something. Mark sighed and pulled his knees up to his chest and put face in his lap.

“Well… How can I be sure I can trust your judgment!?”

“Mark, Doyoung hyung told me to switch rooms with Taeyong hyung. He was supposed to be in here with you and I was supposed to be with Jaehyun hyung. I know it has to do with Yongie but, I don’t know what it is exactly…” Mark didn’t say anything, instead he got his laptop out of his bag, opened it and typed out what he was gonna say without having to say it out loud. He was embarrassed. Would Yukhei think he was disturbing? Would he not wanna be friends with him anymore?

“What are you doing? Yah! Just tell me already, please!” Mark shushed him again and Yukhei apologized to him. Mark was hesitant with showing him the documents page on his laptop. One, this shit is very, very personal, two, Taeyong doesn’t know Mark’s feelings and he’s afraid he might tell him and three, it’s kinda…long. Yukhei pouted angrily and snatched Mark’s laptop from his sweaty palms. Mark gasped and hid behind a pillow that was on the mattress. Why was he so stupid? He shouldn’t have wrote all that. After awhile of silence, Yukhei moved over to Mark and gave him a hug. Mark was confused, why was he hugging him? Shouldn’t he be mad and disgusted with him?

“YOU’RE SO CUTE MARK-AH!! YOU’RE IN LOVE~~!” Mark hit him and buried his face further in the pillow.

“Stop, someone’s gonna hear you.” Yukhei managed to move the pillow away from Mark and have him look directly at him. Mark seemed tense. From the way his stature looked, he seemed some what off.

“Why would you think I’d not like you? Is it cause your gay?” Mark nodded his head softly, looking down at his hands. Yukhei rolled his eyes.

“You gotta be shittin me right? Mark, you’re the coolest person I know. You put up with my shit for one. Two you are in three subunits after all and you’re still kickin it, and three, you’re balancing all of that with school, taking care of dream, and having your own secret love life. That’s something I don’t think I would ever be able to pull off. Who gives a fuck if you’re gay? That doesn’t bother me one bit. And if it bothers anyone else then fuck them.” Mark just sat there. He was shocked. Did he really mean this? Wait of course he did. Why do I always make everything seem so damn difficult?

“Wow…Thanks, I don’t think I’ve ever actually got a compliment like that before. It feels kinda weird. Sorry for being delusional” Yukhei smiled and ruffled Mark’s hair.

“Don’t apologize bro. What makes you think you’re delusional?”

“I’ve just been so downcast lately to the point where my cognition of how I view everyone and everything has changed. I wish it hadn’t but I feel like it won’t completely change my view on things, as long as I have you guys… besides Taeyong…” Yukhei frowned. Why does Mark think like this? Yukhei wished he didn’t beat himself up about useless stuff like this.

“Why don’t you think he returns your feelings?” Mark stopped his soon to be speech and froze. Why would he return Mark’s feelings? Mark shook his head.

“He obviously likes someone else, he told me before. He said to me one day that he had feelings for someone. I asked who it was and he said he didn’t wanna tell me so I just let it go. It hurt a lot. It still hurts but I can’t control who he can and can’t date. That’s out of my jurisdiction!” Yukhei gulped and looked away. Mark’s face softened. He’d been out of pocket, he should probably apolo-

“Sorry I walked in on you guys, the door was un…locked…” Mark’s eyes widened like a dear caught in headlights. He knew that voice from a mile away. It was Taeyong.

“Hey I’m gonna go ask Sicheng something, be right back.” Mark tried to protest but Yukhei didn’t listen to him one bit. He closed their hotel door behind him and left. Mark was alone with Taeyong. He was more scared then the first time they went on stage to perform The 7th Sense. His face felt like he dipped it in boiling water he was so hot. Taeyong turned around and smiled. Mark felt like he was blinded. He was too bright. I’m gonna throw up.

“Sorry I walked in on you two having such a serious conversation, I should’ve knocked.” He was too kind for his own good, if only he knew that they were talking about him. Mark wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and watched himself do it while replying a very quick, your fine, so that he didn’t have to look at him. He felt the bed dip a little and there was heat to his right. Mark turned his head towards him but didn’t realize how close their proximity was. He backed up quickly and Taeyong laughed. His cute giggles always made Mark squeal like a teenage fangirl, but he tried to ignore it this time.

“Have you been avoiding me? Well I- I mean I’ve noticed it these past few weeks but didn’t say anything till Doyoung brought it up. He seemed like he wasn’t supposed to tell me because he had this dumb panicked look on his face.” Mark opened his mouth but words didn’t come out. He can’t lie because the evidence was right in front of him, staring at him with the cutest doe eyed expression. He sighed for what seemed like the 20th time that day and nodded. Taeyong eyed him curiously and turned his entire body towards him. Mark sat in the same position, but eventually turned his body slightly to be able to see him. He immediately regretted doing so. The look on Taeyong’s face made Mark’s whole body feel heavy. Guilt was all that he felt in his heart.

“How come…no uh.. Why did you?” Taeyong’s voice came out small, weak almost. He wanted to know what he did to make Mark upset. He wanted to fix it so that they could be okay again. Mark was on the verge of tears he wanted to run. Run all the way to Doyoung and slap him right in the face. No, he shouldn’t take his anger out on him, this was his doing, not Doyoung’s.

“I…I…” Mark couldn’t speak. If he did he’d probably cry, he didn’t want Taeyong to see the weak side of him. How was he supposed to tell someone he was in love with that he loved him when he obviously likes someone else. His eyes stung and his throat hurt from holding back tears. Mark shook his head.

“I’ve just b-been a little depressed l-lately… I’m fine now.” It wasn’t actually a lie purse, he was depressed and in his own head a lot. Taeyong sighed and grabbed both of Mark’s hands.

“But it was only me you avoided, right? Why is that? I know you probably don’t wanna talk about it but I just want you to tell me the truth. Please don’t lie to me.” That’s all it took for Mark to start sobbing. Taeyong’s arms flew around Mark quickly, his sobbing grew louder. Taeyong just hugged him, whispering softly in his ear to try and calm him down. It worked after awhile. Mark’s breathing evened out, only sniffles could be heard. Taeyong still had his arms around him, drawing invisible shapes on Mark’s back with his index finger. Should Mark really tell him? Maybe he should do this for himself for once and be greedy. He lifted his head up from Taeyong’s chest. He put a hand over Taeyong’s eyes and sighed.

“Can you not look at me w-when I say this?” Taeyong nodded and closed his eyes under Mark’s hand. He moved his hand away from Taeyong’s eyes and looked at him. He couldn’t cover up his heart anymore, especially when it came to him. Maybe it was a good thing? He was happy to be around him and that’s all that mattered, but should he really be greedy? Even if Taeyong wants to know what’s wrong with him? Wouldn’t this end their close friendship? He shook his head. He need to do this or he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night anymore.

“I…I’m…I think that, uh…I’m in l- love with y-you…” Wow, I stuttered a lot. Taeyong’s eyes fluttered open prettily. He had the biggest, brightest grin on his face and Mark thought he was blinded again. Taeyong grabbed Mark and hugged him so tight, he knocked the wind out of him and he almost couldn’t breathe. Mark tapped on Taeyong’s shoulder and he let go quickly.

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” Mark shook his head and the worry on Taeyong’s face was gone as soon as it came and replaced with a big grin again. Mark started to think, maybe he didn’t mind getting blinded by him after all. Taeyong grabbed Mark by his arms and made him sit on his lap. Mark started blushing. Their faces were so close. Mark could see every pore, every perfection, every imperfection. He tried to look away but Taeyong put both of his hands on either side of Mark’s face preventing him from doing so. His face flushed a deeper shade of crimson. Taeyong smiled. “Cute.”

“I-Im not cute!” Mark huffed, Taeyong laughed. He put his hand over Mark’s eyes like what he did to him earlier. Mark was confused but complied and closed his eyes. Taeyong moved his hand away from his eyes and stared at his face. He loved Mark in every single way. He didn’t realize he loved Mark till a few months ago but didn’t say anything because he thought Mark only thought of him as an older brother and nothing more. He looked down at his lips and leaned in slightly, he could only feel Mark’s breathing tickling the hairs on his face. Mark grew inpatient and opened his eyes to only find Taeyong staring back at him. He couldn’t look away though. His gaze was almost hypnotic, putting him in a trance that made him lean forward.

His eyes fluttered shut when he felt Taeyong’s lips on his. His lips were softer then he imagined. Pillow soft, making him want more. Taeyong put his hands back on his face to deepen the kiss further. Mark loved the feeling of Taeyong’s lips on his. He tasted sweet, like warm milk chocolate on a summer evening. He felt like he was in paradise, only to be interrupted by oxygen tapping on his shoulder. Taeyong was the one to pull away first, putting his forehead on Mark’s like the many times he did for Mad City, but this time Mark wasn’t as shy. He kissed the tip of Taeyong’s nose. He giggled and Mark let a squeal past his lips.

“I love you too Mark. I always have, that will never ever change.” Mark put his hands on his cheeks to cover his everlasting blush. Taeyong moved his hands away from his face.

“So…does this mean that we’re dating?” Taeyong nodded. “Only if you want to.” Mark shook his head.

“Of course I want to hyung.” Mark was as shy as ever and Taeyong found it adorable. He kissed Mark’s forehead.

“Hey, what good are those lips if they’re all the way up there?” Taeyong laughed and cupped Mark’s face with his hands.

“Do you want me to kiss you?” Mark pouted. Taeyong took this opportunity to kiss him while he was caught off guard. Mark kissed him back. Taeyong smiled to much to the point they weren’t kissing anymore. Mark pouted again.

“HYUNG!” Mark whined and Taeyong laughed again. Mark hit his chest and put his head on his shoulder. He was actually happy for once. He put his arms around Taeyong and breathed in his scent. Clean laundry and cologne. He heard the door open.

“Thank god!! Hey everyone! Markyong are together now!” Fucking Doyoung. He’d have to yell at him later and thank him. He heard murmurs in the background. He didn’t care if everyone saw him sitting on Taeyong’s lap because he felt better, mentally and emotionally. Normally he’d feel embarrassed for something like this, but if it wasn’t for Doyoung slipping up, he would have never confessed to Taeyong. It was much appreciated.

He started thinking, maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe he shouldn’t cover up his heart and true feelings anymore, maybe it won’t be so bad with the annoying overflowing schedule of his. As long as he had his members, and now Taeyong as his boyfriend, everything would be okay.

[neonacity]

Chapter 4: Crescendo

Preview:

“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”

An NCT mafia AU with OT23. Summary: Working for the mafia comes with many layers. There’s excitement, violence, loss, and betrayals. Yet there’s also friendship, family, loyalty, and code. The last thing it needs? Love and all the complexities it brings.

TW: violence, death, mentions of drugs and other illegal activities. If you’re uncomfortable with any of these, feel free to skip. Author’s note: This is purely a work of fiction. In no way am I supporting all the illegal activities and behaviors that might be mentioned in the story nor am I implying that any member of NCT acts whichever way I may write them here--they’re all sweetiepies that need to be protected!

Chapter: 1/ First Stage

Chapter: 2/Overture

Chapter: 3/The Conductor

"What did Kun say?" Doyoung's eyes followed Taeyong as he strode back to the room. Fourteen heads peered at him curiously as he silently slipped his phone back into his pocket. 

"The announcement was also blasted to them. WayV are also considered as candidates."

"And…?" Yuta asked slowly, urging him to continue. 

"They said they won't participate."

A collective round of sighs echoed around the room. I slumped back on my seat in relief despite knowing this doesn't entirely solve the problem. Not even a few heartbeats after and a stillness settled over the crowd of men again, not a single soul wanting to bring up the elephant in the room. 

Finally, a boy with almond-shaped eyes spoke up from his seat by the stairs. The vulnerable look on his face made the fact that he was the one asking the question much worse. 

"And us…? Nobody is going to participate from us, right?" Jungwoo asked with a hopeful tone as his eyes scanned over the room. Nobody made a sound at first until Taeyong finally sighed and decided to speak out again. 

"I can't really speak for all of us. I understand how heavy and important the situation is. Being the Don...is a very big deal. I wouldn't take it against anyone here if someone wants to give it a try," he said as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Taeyong, you know if you do want to give it a go, 127 will back you—" 

"I'm not planning on it, Taeil-hyung," he politely, but firmly interjected before the eldest of the group could even finish. 

The current stand of the group didn't really surprise me that much. Each member of NCT are ranked as capos, the generals of a crime family—with everyone managing a small cluster of lower-tier soldiers and associates—but each sub-group has their own internal ranking as separate units. Taeyong and Kun are currently the de facto leaders of 127 and WayV, while the responsibility is shared between Jeno and Mark for Dream. 

"How about Dream?" Doyoung decided to ask the youngest of the crew. Jeno and Mark exchanged glances before the latter finally spoke up. 

"We're not planning on it either," Mark replied, speaking for his group. 

"Yeah, Chenle and Jisung can barely remember to eat three times a day, imagine them trying to be a Don," Renjun added, though his usual snark and sass was a little bit dulled this time. 

"I just don't understand what is happening," Doyoung said in frustration, crossing his arms over his chest. "So there is a need for a new head, but why make it a competition? Couldn't they just pick candidates and choose? It's not really like freedom of choice is a thing here."

"I think this is the first time that a Don blatantly waived the code, too," Johnny added as he leaned back against the stairs. "It's like they're inviting us to kill each other."

"But we won't, right? We won't do that," Jungwoo asked again, his eyes wide. Taeyong noticed the panic in his voice and he reached out to him to squeeze his shoulder. 

"Of course, Jungwoo. There won't be any problems with us."

"Well, if none of us are participating, I guess we won't have any problems. They'll have to think of other ways to choose the new Don," Haechan said from his seat by the floor. The rest murmured their relief in response.

"That doesn’t solve anything." For the first time since the meeting ended, I found my voice again. Everyone turned to look at me, probably surprised by my presence after being so quiet for so long. My throat felt dry, but I pushed myself to speak. 

"The position is open to anyone. Soldiers, associates, everyone, including the underlings you manage." Slowly, my eyes lifted to meet some of the confused faces as my words started to sink in. "Even Cypher."

The mention of the name itself made some faces in the crowd go stone cold. While NCT is considered the most influential within the family, it is not the only organized group in the brotherhood. It has always been the ruling steel hand over Seoul, but Cypher acts as their counterpart, reigning over Busan. Of course, just like any dysfunctional family, competition runs high between the two groups. Cypher, in particular, has always been after NCT out of plain, egotistic jealousy. In fact, the rivalry runs so high and tense that everyone knows the only reason the two groups haven't tried to blatantly kill each other yet was because of the code of loyalty and honor the family followed. 

And now even that is gone.

"Maybe we should talk to Jihoon…" Jaehyun suggested, though his tone clearly shows his aversion towards the idea.

"There is no way I will talk to that asshole," Taeyong interjected, his voice barely concealing venom. He turned around in frustration and ran a hand through his face. "Fuck. We have to think this over."

I silently watched everyone from my seat, my stomach tied in knots. I felt like death, especially after my eyes ran over the young faces of the kids who will surely get caught in the crossfire once shit starts to hit the fan. He did this on purpose...the Don. Like the calculating, manipulative man he is, he set-up a stage to force everyone to fall into the roles he expected them to play. He knew that a neutral invite for anyone to prove their worth wouldn't stop at just people playing nice. With the code gone, everyone is also free to get rid of potential competition. 

As if having enemies outside is not enough, he has now opened the possibility of a bloodbath inside the family itself. 

"...to prepare." My attention snapped back to Taeyong as he addressed the group. "Watch your backs especially when dealing with your soldiers and associates. I'm sure there will be more than a handful who will be after our necks."

"As for Cypher…" his eyes moved towards me and I met his gaze, already knowing what he will say next. "Can you help us track their movements? You'll be our first line of defense," he asked, almost sounding apologetic about it. I tried giving him a firm nod despite my stomach feeling hollow. This is the least I can do. 

"Of course."

He finally managed a small smile before turning towards the others again. "Good. Right now, we really can't do anything but trust each other."

--

A/N: This is super short since I’m running a bit low on creative juice lol but Chapter 5 is on the works!

Chapter 5: Canzona

[viriyanon]

sometimes i think sm is either 200 iq or 20 iq cause i can imagine ot7/ot6 going into a new + fixed unit and the new dreamies lineup being another fan fav and record breaking group so sm makes another unit for them but then the next next lineup is also a hit so make a new unit and it becomes an endless cycle of churning out new nct subunits. it is such an sm thing that i wanna laugh at how ridiculous it is but there's like 30% chance itll also happen

Ok, but first sm has like hundreds of employees let’s say the marketing division has 50 people so if SM’s IQ is 200 as you said, each person possesses a single-digit IQ. Just kidding :D

Aight, listen up my beloved green grass. Finally, someone talks abt this and YAS. Your thought was one branch out of so many possibilities that I’d considered centuries ago when Mark was graduated. This gonna be a long ass ride so prepare.

I kinda waited for this moment to come, the moment sm is confused with their own concept. Sometimes, you just gotta think fast to response demand and innovate. When nct’s concept was published, i was sparked. Interesting. Very well done, your business survive.

Remember NCT’s concept?

“...having an unlimited number of members divided into multiple sub-units based in various cities worldwide.” -Wikipedia

I laughed, really, when I heard this. How big is this NCT group going to be? I thought of it half-jokingly and half-confusedly. Cus again, it has fifty-fifty chance of being real. I rawly processed this statement into three basic keys for making this group work, immediately. 1) They should keep growing no matter what. 2) There should be more units, and 3) Each unit should represent each country

That’s ridiculous now that I interpreted it like that rather than considering it as a marketer’s script. At the same time, sm still kinda goes that way, right, though they still put some foreign members in seoul unit? Now, nct dream. This is the unit that’s out of the plan + nct u, they are the only age-based unit while u is a theme-based unit. The only units that follow the “basic rules” are wayv and nct 127 so we can be certain that these two won’t fade. 

Dream and u can probably be history because that’s just because they have the human resources atm, back in 2016 whom they promised them a debut together. Will they have dream 2.0, 3.0? We never know. But if sm really sticks to that concept, then there will be no more dream.

I think this is a part of the efficiency that sm wants to achieve. They don’t have to make a new impression for a new group. The upgrowing subunits represent nct and they already have a reputation. Boom, this is nct subunits. Boom, that one is too. And everyone already knows who nct is. Even if one of the subunits isn’t a hit, they have to keep the new ones roll. There are still a lot of possibilities and we’re never sure. So, let’s just see how sm will play his own game

[sambashua]

8 questions tag~

hellooooo❁

well i was tagged by @king-hao​ and also i just wanted to do @strawberryboo​ ‘s questions bc i’m bored and she’s a damn gem so yayyyy i’m not gonna tag anyone tho

sister’s questions(✿◠‿◠)

1. What is your favorite kpop choreography? i legit wrote an article abt this soooooooo yeah i was struggling.... but then i remember that nct dream’s my first and last happened and if you think that isn’t THE best choreo you’re a fool... consider that the dance moves never repeat except for a single move at the end of the chorus. not to mention the moves are very rigorous too thanks to the extensive floor work. also the fact that there are an even number of members (comeback jaemin) the formations are even more tricky... bye i could talk abt this for 700 years

2. What MV is the most aesthetically pleasing to you? (not necessarily your favorite MV, just which one matches your aesthetic the most) uhhhhhh what even hmmmm i’ll say check in by svt’s hip hop unit actually bc i really like traveling and also wonwoo’s face:3 (and luna’s free somebody but what’s new) oh shoot also all the loona mv’s ahhh the one i like aesthetically best is probably choerry’s love cherry motion tho edit: shoottttttt i forgot fri.sat.sun by dalshabet a true fave

3. Literally just write a paragraph about your ultimate bias. Here’s your chance to rant about ur fave bye you fool you asked for this AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH well for starters if you don’t know... jeon wonwoo is the actual love of my life. for so many reasons he has become and remained my bias for about a year and a half which doesn’t seem long but he has been my only ult bias! usually i make fun of him but to be honest he is one of the most sweet and caring people i’ve ever seen. he may tease his members and make dumb comments but that’s really the only way he can express his affection. he’s very shy and he’s said without svt he wouldn’t have been friends w the members bc he is introverted. but he’s so grateful to be able to be so close w the boys my heart. he’s also such a huge dork which i love. as a fellow dork i support. i love how he’s so smart and witty and always has the best comebacks. i love how he gets so invested in books that he was ready to actually fight soonyoung for throwing his book once akhgfkal. he’s such a soft boy also like can you imagine him w a tiny kitten?? he’s afraid of dogs (like a damn dork) but w a kitten he’d be so careful holding it and loving cry. also i want to protect and care for him so much he has so many physical ailments like wonu how are you still in one piece but he stays strong for his members and for carats♡ wow dude i didn’t even yell i must be in a soft mood tonight hmmm

4. When did your bias look the softest? (include photo evidence if u have it) i mean wonwoo is soft 24/7 like i’m p sure his “style” is just comfy okay but basically all of pretty u era was just the SOFTEST honestly wonwoo invented soft mhmmmm like sweater paws ??? all ? the ? time ????? iconic

if i had to choose tho...

but any nose crinkles are verified the softest™

(creds)

5. What kpop merchandise do you own? (if any) well not a whole lot sister buys a lot of albums but i have some photo cards and posters from her and other friends:D when we went to LA tho we bought a lot of kpop stuff but i guess i only got some postcards and a poster hmmmm but @strawberryboo​ hAS SENT ME FOUR BEAUTIFUL KEYCHAINS WHICH I LOVE W MY WHOLE HORT THAT SHE MADE W HER OWN TWO HANDS WHAT KIND OF LEGEND (my keys are very heavy but it’s definitely worth it)

6. What August debut or comeback are you most excited for? well the main reason i’m finally doing this is bc august is tomorrow oops oh shoot technically it’s in two hours h e l p and this question is illegal bc literally so many faves are coming back i can’t even remember them all... i know for sure snsd, gfriend, samuel, n.flying, wanna one, weki meki, nu’est, boyfriend uhh ofc day6 and loona uhhhhhhhhh shoot i know there’s more fuck and i would say nct dream is who i’m most excited for but technically they haven’t announced it yet so...

7. Of your favorite groups, which one do you think has the prettiest lightstick? hmmmmm i may be biased... but seventeen’s is so pretty... i like monsta x’s too and vixx’s.... apink’s and got7′s are cute too... but carat bong has my heart

8. Of your favorite groups, which one do you think has the best fandom name? i mean again... biased... carat is so frickin cute bye~ but monbebe, honey10 and tinkerbell are also very cute! and i should mention that i didn’t really like NCTzen at first but them being excited abt it made me love it:)

emma’s questions(✿◠‿◠)

1. Ok so I’m gonna steal one of the questions that Mir answered in hers and its is if you could have any idols hairstyle past or present whose would you choose? bye i already did this lol but i’ll add taeyeon’s hair in why promotions and luna in this look:

byeeeee (i think creds to © No.91812 ? but there’s no credit:( (y’all don’t steal shit from fansites pls))

2. If you could take your bias group or just your bias and put them into another universe i.e. wizarding world or similar what world would you but them in? And why? okay i’m gonna copy sister and say ATLA too just bc i want to go there tbh~~~ i feel like wonu and i would be two average peeps tho w/o bending... unless i can maybe see wonu as a fire bender but he only uses it for dumb things like heating up his tea dfhlalfkjdaf oh shoot it’s bias group hmmmm well they will be our children i guess idk it’s late no it’s not it’s only 10:20 who am i anymore

3. Fave idol outfit? doesn’t have to be your bias just any outfit you’ve liked! Provide pictures if you want! i’ve really liked all of chungha’s outfits in why don’t you know promotions they’ve all been so summery kaflhjadskj also seohyun’s looks in don’t say no like destroy me and all of mamamoo’s you’re the best looks were iconic bye and ofccccccc luna in free somebody my all time fave ever

(i got this poster in LA and i’m still screaming)

i said ‘all’ so many times wow but i was gonna do boy groups too but it’s fine

4. Favorite fancams? Im a fancam ho I need recs plx. wellll i don’t watch a lot of fancams tbh but i think i have a couple faves? (oops they’re all my biases too but it’s fine)

wonwoo was so damn soft another soft time and also one of my favorite outfits eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee i just love this

dowoon is so dang cute he’s having such a good time and also thE END WATCH THE END YOU WILL NOT REGRET HE MAKES ME SO SOFT A TRUE BEAN

this one doesn’t need an explanation just that it’s illegal... but i do wish they hadn’t cut up the footage so much

5. What are your favorite girl group non title songs, if you don’t have any what are your favorite gg mvs? hmmmmm i really like magic by seohyun, mojito by red velvet (happy 3 years every bunny), next page by twice, babyface by wjsn, u & me by hyuna (does that count she’s a soloist ah), all mine by f(x) uhhhh tbh i mostly listen to title tracks bc i’m lazy... i normally don’t listen to full albums unless it’s svt, nct or monsta x or astro or a couple others idk i listened to all of wjsn and red velvet’s new ones why am i even still talking i should delete this...

6. ok so this was a question Claudent made up in another 8 questions tag that I just love she a brilliant bean! But if you could create your own group drawing from all other groups regardless of companies who would you choose and what would there concept be? whale whale whale i’m gonna keep my last plans but add more boys i think : 99line w dancey rap boys such as nct mark lee! svt chan! sf9 hwiyoung! astro rocky! and i’ll add wanna one park woojin! now it’s an odd number which is perfect! i’d like to see them do smth fun and age appropriate:) maybe a refreshing song abt youth and friendship w awesome choreo:D

7. so you are going to a music festival and in this dream world you get to decide all the ppl/groups that are going to be there, who would you choose? It doesn’t just have to be Kpop! wahhhhhh how many groups can i pick i was thinking of adding some non kpop artists i really like but;;;;; honestly;;;; i mean i love the music but also if i could see kpop artists instead i’d like it a lot better? florence welsh might be my favorite musician ever ever but w all the other things kpop idols do i’d rather see them i think... soooooooo i’d choose ofc svt and nct as co-headliners w monsta x, astro, day6, sf9, wanna one, red velvet, twice, oh my girl and aoa !!!! like how good? also this concert would last so long bc they all need to perform like 5-10 songs bc i love them too much okay... oh damn it could be like a festival nd each night two groups perform yayyyy also i need the interactions™

8. If you could have any talent in the world what would you want it to be? I would want to be in anyway musically inclined rip me tbh. well everyone knows i’m a language ho so i would want to be able to speak at leasy five different languages akfhlas but idl if that’s really a talent... maybe i’d want to be able to write better? or draw that would be so cool~