#they didn’t really focus on siyeon that much towards the end and that was a mistake … his story feels kinda random now

[yioh]

i finished weak hero and it gave me quite the headache during the last 2-3 episodes help 😭

[latetaektalk]

(he)art thief | jjk [i, preview]

“jungkook is charming, kind, smart, and funny. jungkook is the guy to fall in love with. he is perfect in every sense, except that he is also a member of a notorious heist group and only getting close to you to steal from you. but what does he do when he starts to fall for you? who does he choose? his brothers or you?

genre: heist! AU, thief! jungkook, art curator daughter! oc, ocean’s! AU, fluff, angst, sexual themes/implied smut (in later chapters)

pairing: jungkook x female reader

estimated word count: 35 to 40k

warnings: cursing/swearing, a bit of alcohol consumption

a/n: this is loosely based off the ocean’s film! to be added to the taglist, shoot me an ask/message! also, gureum is jungkook’s dog! and thank you to movie club for helping me come up with this amazing title!!

coming sunday, may 30th 2021  

Jungkook avoids playgrounds.

Does so because when he was at the tender age of just seven, he fell off a swing. He ended up in the hospital (his first but not last visit); seven stitches, his mother told him, but he could swear it was a million.

Needless to say, Jungkook has been avoiding playgrounds like the plague ever since.

But here he is, in the middle of one, dog leash in his hand, and heart pounding in his chest so violently it might just explode.

A mob of boys runs past him, all of them no older than six—which means that, for the most part at least, they’re harmless—but still, Jungkook flinches. It’s embarrassing, even more so because Gureum turns and stares at him. If one of them should flinch, it should be Gureum, with him being a dog and Jungkook a full grown adult, but God, today is just not his day. He’s stressed! Out of it! Nervous! A wreck-

“Did you just flinch?”

Jungkook feels his heart drop. Fuck, he thought he walked out of sight!

“No, I didn’t, Tae,” he hisses, pressing the earpiece further into his ear.

“You flinched! We can still see you- ah, okay, not anymore. But we saw that-”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I definitely did not flinch-”

“Denying it is pointless. We all saw it. Back me up here, Jimin.”

“You definitely flinched.”

Jungkook stops dead in his tracks, is about to walk back to the car and tell them that they must be hallucinating because he definitely did not flinch when-

“Can you see her already, Kook?” Namjoon asks and for a moment, Jungkook forgot why he is here, you.

He looks around himself, and it doesn’t take him long to find you, sitting on a bench, under a big tree, soft shadows dancing on your skin.

“Yeah, I-I see her,” Jungkook says under his breath.

“Okay, good. I’m gonna need you to focus up then,” Namjoon continues, and Jungkook nods like Namjoon could see him.

“Yeah, if you screw this up, it’s your fault if we end up in jail-”

“Tae!” Namjoon warns, and judging from the ‘ow’ that follows, someone punched him. Jungkook’s guess is Jimin.

“What? I’m just saying-”

“I knew I shouldn’t have let you come,” Namjoon mumbles and runs a hand down his face. “Hey, Kook, don’t listen to Tae, yeah? He’s just messing with you.”

“Yeah… I know,” Jungkook mutters, and he means it. He really does know that Taehyung is messing with him, but there’s a part of him that takes it to heart, that is worried sick about how he’s going to fuck this up and be the reason for why they all end up in jail.

“Don’t worry, Kook,” Jimin cuts in, taking the phone from Namjoon. “We’ve got your back. All you have to do is repeat after me, say what I say. You’ve got this. Remember what I taught you?”

“Always smile and laugh and never talk about yourself. Keep the conversation about the other person because people love talking about themselves,” Jungkook repeats, and looks at you again, heart heavy in his chest.

He shouldn’t feel like this, wishes he wouldn’t. But he can’t help it. This isn’t how he imagined he’d meet you. Jungkook thought he’d meet you at some fancy event, sipping expensive champagne, or at some luxury clothing store maxing out your parents’ credit card—after all, your mother is a world famous art curator. But instead you spend your time at playgrounds, babysitting.

There’s actually no reason for Jungkook to be this nervous. Jimin did practise with him this exact scenario, but he can’t help but think that with a flute in his hands and some alcohol buzzing through his system, he’d feel more comfortable. But here he is, in the middle of a sea of children.

“Kook, do you copy?”

“What? Sorry, I wasn’t…” Jungkook pauses. He shouldn’t admit that he wasn’t listening.

“Get your head in the game, please,” Namjoon tells him over the earpiece.

“Sorry, you’re right. I’m here,” Jungkook says and starts to walk again even though he still feels fucking lost as a goddamn adult at a playground. Gureum follows him when he tugs on the dog leash.

“Okay, good. Just- just try your best,” Namjoon says, voice a bit muffled. “You’ve got this.”

Jungkook could swear that there’s a waiver to his words.

“Don’t worry. We’re here,” Taehyung tells him before Jungkook can think about it too much, distracting him from the quiver he heard.

He stops behind a tree, close enough for Gureum to spot you, but not close enough for you to spot them. His knees crack when he kneels down to stroke Gureum’s ear.

“Hey, Gureum? I’m gonna unleash you in a second and then I’m gonna need you to run towards,” Jungkook points as discreetly as possible to you, “her, yeah? Just like we practised? Remember? Remember how you ran towards Seok and Yoongi? Do it exactly like that again, okay? If you do, I’ll get you your favourite treat.”

Gureum doesn’t run away instantly when Jungkook unclips him because he’s trained, but when he points at you and whistles, he’s gone.

You react surprisingly calm to a dog barreling towards you, barely flinching. You lean down and greet Gureum.

“Approaching target now,” Jungkook mumbles quietly and can only faintly register how Namjoon tells Taehyung to be quiet from now on, all of his attention on the mission now.

With the leash in his hand, Jungkook jogs towards you, heaving extra hard to sell the act of a dog-owner-who-has-been-chasing-his-dog-for-the-last-ten-minutes to you.

You look up to him when he stops in front of you, eyeing him. Jungkook stands there, bend over, his hands on his knees, breathing like he’s struggling to catch his breath.

“Uh…. hi,” you start, brows pinched together.

Jungkook puts on his most charming smile, ignoring his thumping heart to the best of his abilities.

“Hi.”

“Oh, we’re starting- okay, showtime: I’m sorry, are you okay? My dog- he just ran and I couldn’t stop him. I’m so sorry,” Jimin says in his ear.

“I-I’m so sorry.” There’s a quiver to Jungkook’s voice, and it isn’t on purpose. “Are you okay? He just ran and I-”

“It’s fine,” you tell him with a small smile, still petting Gureum who has clearly taken a liking to you. During practise with Seokjin and Yoongi, Gureum always ran back to Jungkook, but now he’s staying at your feet, relishing in your pets. “Is that your dog?”

“Yes, yes, it is. I’m so sorry. I just unleashed him for a second, but then he ran away and I couldn’t catch up with him. Are you okay?”

“Yes, and I’m so sorry. I just unleashed him for a moment, thinking it was okay, but-”

“Can you prove it?” you interrupt and Jungkook pauses. “I mean that it’s your dog. It’s just that he isn’t really reacting to you, you know?”

Jimin’s response comes a bit late. “Oh, yes, I can. His name’s Gureum and he is- what’s the breed of your dog again? I don’t remember. If you look at his collar, you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”

“Oh, yeah, I can,” Jungkook smiles, wiping the non existent sweat from his temple. “His name’s Gureum and he’s a white Maltese dog. If you look at his collar, you’ll see that I’m not lying.”

You actually look at the collar and part of Jungkook is offended that you don’t just believe him. Does he look like a liar to you? “Actually, I have pictures too-”

“No, no, it’s fine. I believe you,” you say before gesturing for Gureum to go back to Jungkook. He does, but somewhat reluctantly and Jungkook doesn’t know how to interpret this.

“Ask her if she’s okay again.”

“Are you really okay?” Jungkook says and offers you a smile the way Jimin taught him to. “I really am sorry about-”

“It’s fine,” you tell him and wave him off. “Nothing happened. Don’t worry about it. Just leash your dog.”

And then, you turn away from him. Jungkook stands there awkwardly for another moment before kneeling down to Gureum, absentmindedly petting him, mind filled with questions because what now? How does he communicate to the others that you turned away from him? That the conversation has ended and he has no idea how to start it again?

“What’s going on Kook? Is she smiling-”

“Ah, Gureum, no,” Jungkook cuts in. “Don’t turn away- I can’t leash you if you do that. Don’t turn away.”

“Oh, shit, she turned away, huh?”

“What now, Jimin?”

“Shush, Joon. Let me think, yeah?”

Jungkook fiddles with the leash like he has a problem clipping it, hoping that maybe you’re going to offer him your help. You don’t. And why would you? He’s an adult after all.

Before Jimin can come up with anything though, the solution to the problem presents itself. It comes in the form of a girl running and tripping right next to Jungkook and him catching her just in time before she can faceplant in the dirt and scrape her knees open.

“Oh, hey, careful here!” Jungkook brings the girl back up on her two feet. She stares at him with big eyes, and he recognises her from the pictures. It’s Siyeon, the seven year old girl you babysit regularly, the reason why you’re spending your afternoon at a playground today. ”You okay?”

“Kook, what’s happening right now?” Namjoon asks.

Siyeon looks at you, and you’re already kneeling beside her, fixing her hair.

“Siyeon, I told you not to run. See, you almost fell now!” You say it the same way a mother would, less strict though. “If he hadn’t caught you, you would have hurt yourself, wouldn’t you have? Now, what do you say?”

“T-thank you,” Siyeon mumbles, and Jungkook isn’t sure if she’s staring at her hands because she’s embarrassed or just about to cry.

“Who’s that? Who are you talking to? Who’s he talking to?”

“Was that a kid?”

“Are you okay?” Jungkook asks Siyeon, ignoring Namjoon and Taehyung to the best of his abilities.

“Y-yes, thank you.” She won’t look at him.

Jungkook smiles. “Well, I’m happy that you didn’t get hurt there.”

“Kook, answer please. Do you need help?”

“Should we interfere?”

Jungkook’s about to snap. Does it seriously sound like he needs help? He’s talking to a seven year old, for fuck’s sake! Sure, he didn’t practise this scenario, but God, he was capable of improvising!

“Thank you. She’s really clumsy,” you say to Jungkook.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I’m like that too. After all, I let,” he looks down at Gureum and finishes his sentence by gesturing to him and then you. You laugh.

And that’s when Siyeon seems to notice Gureum for the first time, eyes growing big at his sight like she has never seen a dog before. A chance.

“His name’s Gureum. You wanna-”

“Do you think we should go over there? See if he’s okay?”

And with that, Jungkook snaps. Yoongi is going to give him an earful for destroying his oh so precious equipment, but he can’t do this any longer with Jimin, Namjoon and Taehyung in his ear. So in one smooth movement, Jungkook digs out the earpiece and crushes it between his fingers, hiding it in his hand.

“Sorry, a fly, I think,” Jungkook says, swatting at his ear, and before you can think about it, he moves on. “Do you wanna pet Gureum, S- Is it okay if I call you Siyeon?”

Siyeon stares at Jungkook like he can’t believe he just asked her that. It’s probably the first time an adult has asked her for permission to call her by her name, and she seems to appreciate it immensely because she beams at him and gives him a huge nod.

“Okay, Siyeon, do you maybe wanna pet Gureum? He doesn’t bite, I promise.” Jungkook can feel your eyes on him. He’s doing it, charming you!

Siyeon turns to you.

“Can I-?”

You hum. “If Gureum is okay with it-”

Siyeon kneels down. “Hello, Mr Gureum. Sir, can I please pet you?”

Jungkook melts, and so do you.

Receiving no response from Gureum, Siyeon looks back up to you. Jungkook quickly takes his paw and waves. “Hello, Mrs Siyeon, if you promise not to hurt me, you can pet me. I like it especially if humans pet me at the back of my head. Just, please, be nice to me.”

In all of the years he has had Gureum, Jungkook has never tried to imagine what his voice would sound like, but he knows for a fact that he doesn’t sound like a chain smoker. It’s a questionable choice, but he doesn’t regret it. Because not only does it make Siyeon laugh, it also elicits a chuckle from you.

You look at him with a grin. “I don’t think I’ve introduced myself yet, have I?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Jungkook says, and you two rise to your feet when Siyeon starts to pet Gureum and he doesn’t bite her.

“Well,” you stretch out your hand, “I’m Y/N.”

Jungkook swallows the ‘I know’ that wants to slip him and takes your hand. He has to stop himself from bursting with pride, only allowing his smile to grow into a blinding grin.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N,” he says, and he means it. It’s really nice to meet you. “I’m Jungkook.”

coming sunday, may 30th 2021

[flooffybits]

Sing Me Something

Idol: Lee Siyeon (Dreamcatcher)

Everyone knew that the members liked to learn how to play instruments. So imagine their surprise when one of them receives a present that Siyeon is more than happy to have around.

A/n: yes i am aware that this is not angst

☕buy me a coffee☕

People knew how much you loved to learn new things, more so when you showed them a completely new talent during one of your appearances in Fact In Star. They all knew you could speak two languages due to you being a foreigner, but imagine their surprise when you had spoken in a very different language they hadn’t known you already knew.

Yoohyeon explained at some point how you had picked up after her, learning a new language due to your desire to further interact with your international fans. So now, as you faced the camera and spoke with said fans, they wondered what you were still doing at the company at such a late hour, knowing full well that you should be tired due to the fact that your comeback was slowly approaching.

“Why am I not home?” You read outloud, eyes wide before you cocked your head to the side and then pointed to the instrument leaning against the wall behind you. “Everyone, there’s no guitar at the dorm, and I haven’t exactly decided on buying one yet.” You answer with a small sigh and lean against your seat.

Someone commented about Yoohyeon having one and you shake your head. “Yoohyeonnie is sleeping early now because we’re all getting ready. But I also don’t want to use hers because I’m scared that I might break it.” You say while pretending to cry.

It truly was lonely when none of your members were around to accompany you.

You read as the comments kept going up, smiling to a few. "I've been trying to learn for a while now. I've always been so interested ever since I was a kid." You grin before picking up the instrument and then pluck at the strings, the sound filling your ears when you try to play a few chords.

Looking back up, you find various requests and suggestions of songs to sing. "I'm not that good at it yet." You laugh bashfully but try to think of a song easy enough to play, using the suggestions of your fans as well. You try recalling a few chords and check the comments to see if you were doing alright.

When you finally settle for a song, you let your muscles relax before beginning to play the intro to Blackpink's Stay after seeing a few fans commenting on it and they all seemed to be enjoying it even when you keep your focus on your fingers on the fretboard. Though you do look back during the chorus, pretending to sing it for those who were watching.

At some point, you forget one of the chords and look up for help, laughing as you did. “Like this?” You ask when you place your forefinger on one of the strings, nose crinkling when you don’t follow right away. But with the help of your fans, you were able to get back on track.

You end it a little earlier than the people would hope, laughing before you checked your phone to see a text from one of your members. "Siyeon unnie just messaged me." You inform them while picking your phone up to check on the contents of her message. “Was she watching the live?” You wonder out loud.

y/n come hooome TT as much as i love hearing you sing, its late and i want to cuddle you

You giggle at the cute little message before sending her a reply about how you were busy talking with InSomnia. In response, your phone started to ring a few seconds after, making you laugh some more as you answered the older woman's call, putting it on speaker for people to hear.

"Unnie, what's wrong?" You ask before her whining reaches your ears. "I said come home." The already present smile on your face only grows as you gently set the guitar down. "But I told you that I'm talking to Somnia. I’m also practicing." You retorted playfully and fans are cooing as the two of you continue to converse.

"Everyone!" She calls out this time, knowing full well that you've put her on speaker after she had called and with the way you spoke. "Please say goodnight to our Y/n. She has to come back home and tend to her favorite unnie."

The comment has you giggling and you bring the phone closer to your lips just so you're sure she can hear you. "Dong unnie hasn't texted me though.” You tease before she’s making a sound. “Yah! Since when did you replace me?” She demanded and you had to stop yourself from laughing too much. “I didn’t replace you, Dong unnie and Jiu unnie are my favorite.”

“Ah, is that so?” She asks and you’re suddenly wary of the change in her tone. “Just wait until Sua unnie hears this.” There it was. You felt your throat dry up and you looked as though you had gone pale at the mention of the dancer, knowing full well that she will not stop bugging you for not choosing her.

And it looked like your fans had the same thought.

“Okay, maybe Sua unnie is my favorite, too.”

“Yah!” The vocalist protested and you just smiled before shaking your head. “Okay, okay. I’ll come home in a while and take care of you, unnie.” You finally relent after the continuous whining noises she’s given, chuckling as you can basically hear the pout in her voice. “Tell me I’m your favorite.” Her voice was so small and you didn’t have the heart to keep teasing her anymore.

“Siyeon unnie is my favorite. Don’t worry.” You assure her before she finally perks up. “You heard that, right everyone? Y/n is mine!” She boasts and you finally put her off speaker before pressing the device to your ear. “I’ll see you in a while, unnie.”

“Be quick.” She replies and you finally say goodbye before looking back to the live, grinning as you addressed your viewers. “Well, you heard unnie. I have to get home soon.” You explain to them, opting to read a bit more of the comments instead of leaving right away.

But you did find comments telling you that it was fine to leave and that you should tend to Siyeon. Even your ship name had been mentioned a lot after the little interaction.

“Unnie is really cute, right?” You laughed before standing so you could put the guitar back from where you first got it. “But, she’s right. It is pretty late and we still have practice tomorrow.” You pout, zipping the bag up and then safely putting it away before returning to the camera, only to see a few more of Siyeon’s messages.

You said you were coming home now :((( youre still doing the live

ynnnnn

why are you making me wait

“Siyeon unnie just texted again, everyone.” You say amusedly. “It looks like she is watching. Unnie, hold on, I’m just fixing up and saying goodnight to InSomnia.” You explain as you tie your hair up so it wasn’t falling on your face. “I’ll talk to you all next time, hopefully I can play the guitar well for you all by then.”

You smile at the encouraging words sent your way before deciding to finally end the live. “See you soon, goodnight. I love you!” Waving goodbye, you finally turn it off before gathering your things and finally leave the company, sending Siyeon a quick text that you were on your way home.

..

Siyeon waited for you as you finished getting your makeup done. She was happily admiring your outfit for this fanmeet, seeing how you seemed comfortable in it and that it wasn’t too much for you while keeping the theme of everyone wearing black. In fact, it looked like something you would wear during a casual hangout, yet it still looked stylish.

“Please make our Y/n extra pretty.” She had requested in a cute tone, making your stylist chuckle and you to smile. “Y/n is pretty already, so there’s not much for me to do.” She had replied as she made sure your hair was in place, clipping two parts at the back before leaving the rest of your hair down in waves of ash brown, and Siyeon all but bounced in her place when she saw that you were finally finished after your stylist applied a bit of hairspray.

Making sure that there was nothing else missed, your stylist nodded approvingly before gently nudging you towards the waiting woman. “Don’t mess her hair up, please.” Siyeon salutes playfully before encasing you in her arms, lightly pecking your cheek just so her lipstick doesn’t leave a mark.

“Our Y/n is so pretty. I could kiss you.” You crinkle your nose at her claim before poking her side. “Unnie just said not to mess my hair up.” You remind and she pouts. “Come on, just one kiss. It’s not even going to bother your hair.” She reasons, but your stylist pipes up behind you. “Don’t ruin her makeup either.”

You laugh at the face Siyeon makes, Minji doing the same when she catches what’s going on. “You’re both so cute! But unnie is right, Siyeon-ah. We’re starting in a while and you don’t want Y/n late because she has to redo her hair and makeup.” The leader warns and Siyeon lets out an exaggerated sigh before resting her head on your shoulder instead. “Fine.”

Siyeon’s pout would grow whenever your attention would flit away from her and to either Handong or Minji, recalling your past live where you had told her that the pair were your favorites, though you’ve already stated that you were only joking around. When Bora was there, however, the dancer made it her goal to wreak havoc when her sight zeroed in on you after Siyeon told her she wasn’t your favorite.

You remember running away from her the morning after, only for it to be in vain because she had you trapped in the practice room and the only way you could avoid her was when you used your members to shield yourself, yet the only ones who helped you out were your leader and Handong, fueling the little jealousy that Siyeon already felt after your admission.

Since then, Bora decided to bring it up whenever she could, though you know that she just wants your attention just as much as Siyeon does.

“Y/n, come here!” Siyeon groaned as Bora called you once more, tightening her arms around your waist as you looked over. “Why?” She asked for you, the pout already set on her face as Bora grabbed your hand. “She’s sitting next to me.” She stated with a smirk and you grimaced before trying to spot your manager.

“Don’t even try it. Let’s go!” Bora tugged at your arms and you reluctantly left Siyeon’s arms, despite her protest. “Why can’t she sit next to me?” The brunette whined and Gahyeon looked at Siyeon. “You spend the most time with Y/n unnie. We’re her members, too!” Handong chuckled at their squabbling. “I think Y/n spends a lot of time with all of us.”

“That’s because you’re also hogging her when Siyeon unnie isn’t around.” Yoohyeon pointed out with Bora nodding in agreement. “She comes to you often, especially when she wants to study Chinese.” Yubin added as she fixed her skirt and then dusted herself off. “Basically the unnies have taken Y/n away.” Minji chuckled amusedly when she reached to pinch your cheeks.

Siyeon huffed at that, crossing her arms as she watched Bora cuddling you already. “But Y/n is mine!” She complained and Yoohyeon leaned against her shoulder. “Y/n unnie is going to get tired with all of us if we don’t stop arguing and go. Our manager is also going to get angry, too.” She laughed when you all saw your managers waving you over.

“Come on, kids! Time to meet InSomnias!”

While you’ve done this numerous times, it never failed to bring a smile to all of your faces. As soon as the screaming of fans met your ears, you had all forgotten about the little argument you all had in the dressing room and greeted your fans with vigorous energy.

If you could, you might have already hopped out of your seat to hug them.

As everyone was happily interacting with the people that sat in front of them, thanking them for coming and accepting gifts, Siyeon smiled when she greeted one of your fansites. “You’re the person who always makes cute edits for Y/n.” She beamed and the fansite smiled shyly while nodding their head.

“There aren’t that many people who make them for Y/n unnie, so I try my best.” Siyeon’s smile widened at that before nodding her head while she signed the fan’s album, leaving a quick thank you message. “Y/n really appreciates it, so I hope you keep up the good work.” She encourages and the fansite nods happily. “Of course!”

When your fansite reaches you, Bora is telling her to make sure that your best edits are the ones with her in them, earning a laugh from you as you greet them. “Don’t mind unnie. She’s still upset with me.” You tell her, and your fansite giggles while nodding her head. “I figured as much since your live before the comeback.” She answers and you grin before opening their album to sign your name on it.

“How is your guitar practice going, unnie?” She had asked and you look up with a smile and she mimics it when she sees how your eyes sparkle at the mention of your little hobby. “I’m getting better! Of course, you all helped me last time. I should hire you guys.” You joked and she giggled with you before nodding her head. “Then that means I can give this to you.”

You were a little confused by what she meant, but when she moved to remove the strap of the guitar bag from her shoulder, your eyes widened when she brought it forward. “You said you don’t have a guitar yet, so I got you one! It’s a little similar to the one I have at home, but I had this one customized with your animal and favorite color.”

“You didn’t have to. This must have cost a lot!” You say worriedly, but she shook her head in reply. “It’s not much, please don’t worry. I also got this for you so you don’t have to be at the company so late.” She explained while lowering the case a bit. “Also this way, you can practice while you’re in the dorm and you don’t have to borrow Yoohyeon’s guitar.”

You were a bit overwhelmed with such a heartfelt gift and you quickly stood to bow at her, surprising your members who sat on either side of you, and fans who caught the interaction. “Thank you so much. I promise I’ll take care of it.” You told her when you sat back down as she blushed and waved her hands.

When it was time for her to move over to Yubin, you bid her goodbye with the biggest smile on your face before you asked your managers to handle the item with care as they came to put it in your box of gifts.

Once that was done and you were able to talk with all of your fans, the tables and chairs were cleared and all eight of you gathered on the stage to take pictures while also answering some questions, along with conversing with them in general.

Seeing how happy you were at the moment, your members watched you with fond smiles as you kept waving to everyone, posing for the camera like the rest of them were. They could also see how you were excited to see your new guitar, seeing as you haven’t really checked the inside of the bag to see the actual present.

“Unnie, do you want to open it?” Yoohyeon’s voice had caught your attention and you see Yubin already walking over to your box of things to carefully retrieve the guitar with the help of your managers. “Is that okay?” You ask confusedly when you walked closer, though it was clear that you were more than happy to see it.

Bora grinned before nodding her head. “Go ahead. I think everyone wants to see it, too.” She tells you before Yubin handed it over and you gently put it down, crouching as you unzipped the bag. Siyeon had come up next to you and crouched beside you, making sure that you were covered up.

She observes you when you take a look at the instrument and she aww’s at the expression on your face when you finally see what it looked like. The body was in your favorite color and a copy of your signature was on the upper part of it along with little doodles of your assigned animal. When you turn it to check the back, both you and Siyeon are pleasantly surprised to see words carved on the neck of the guitar.

We dream of you the way you dream of us

You let your fingers lightly trace each word, your smile not once faltering and Siyeon had to stop herself from tearing up as she stared at the message before you looked up, searching for the fansite who had given you the guitar before finally meeting her eyes.

Shooting her a smile, you borrowed Gahyeon’s microphone before speaking. “I love you, thank you.” Though you didn’t say much, everyone could feel the various emotions and feelings it held underneath, and there really was no need to further ask you about it as you stood to try it, Siyeon helping you with the strap - one that also had a few more characters you adored.

“Is everyone up for one more song?” You ask and your members had no complaints along with your managers since there was still a bit of time before you had to perform What.

“What are you singing for us, Y/n?” Handong asked as you tuned the guitar while Siyeon rested her head on Gahyeon’s shoulder as they watched you.

There was really only one song you could think of at that moment, so you didn’t waste time playing the chords to Full Moon, it being one of the first few songs you really wanted to know how to play.

The girls didn’t seem to catch on to it right away, but once you started singing, fans started cheering while your members beamed and sang along with you.

The moments when you and I were together

It is like I’m a star in the sky

It was easy for all seven of them to adjust to the slower tempo of the song since you often practiced with them around, and the girls would admit that they had heard you singing it at a slower pace.

When the fanmeet ends and you were all back at the dorm, Siyeon came bounding into your room, grinning when she saw you already on the Vapp and conversing with fans dispute having seen them earlier. She listened as you happily spoke about the event and how you wish you could have an event with InSomnia from all around the world in just one place together, and her heart melted just a little at how fondly you spoke about your fans.

“Unnie, I didn’t notice you coming in.” You were surprised when you finally noticed her in the room and she laughed lightly before shaking her head, keeping herself out of frame since she had already changed into her sleep wear and she didn’t feel like stealing your attention away from everyone so much.

“I just wanted to check in on you. How’s your guitar?” She asked, eyeing it as it rested beside your and Yubin’s desk. “I could hear you earlier, before I went to wash up.” She stated as she sat on your bed and then peeked at the camera, poking her head in just so it only showed her eyes and forehead. “Hello everyone. I can’t show my face right now, but please enjoy our Y/n.”

You giggle before looking back at the guitar then shift your gaze back to the older woman. “I really appreciate them a lot.” You say softly and Siyeon smiles as she reaches to run her fingers gently through your hair. “I’m sure they know that.” She nods to your phone that has various comments coming in, agreeing with her statement and you nod your head in reply, smiling and radiating pure happiness.

As you continued with your conversation, Siyeon decided to just lay down to listen to you, humming as you told her what fans were saying and just enjoying as she listened to you speak. She had always found your voice soothing to listen to and it was also endearing how much you showered your fans with affection, so it made her feel at ease.

When she turned her head, the vocalist suddenly noticed your guitar again before the words fell from her mouth when you paused to read the comments. “Sing me something, Y/n.” She shifted so that she was laying on her side and you hummed in response before looking at her.

“Sing me something. I like listening to you.” She said quietly and you smile before nodding your head. “I’m going to get my guitar so I can sing for you guys, okay?” You announce before quickly leaving the bed to fetch the instrument.

You’re quick to settle back though before looking at the other with a thoughtful look on your face, making her giggle as she lightly pinched your leg. “What?” She asked and you laughed in reply. “I was thinking of what to sing for you.” You reply, opting to come up with a song by yourself despite fans sending in requests.

It doesn’t take long though before Siyeon sees you setting the guitar on your lap and then start playing, singing right along. Though she doesn’t understand everything that you're saying since it was an english song, she did smile when she was able to catch parts of it.

They say that love is forever

Your forever is all that I need

Please stay as long as you need

Though your eyes often check if you were playing the right chords, you make sure to look at Siyeon as you sing, smiling at her as she does the same, listening to your gentle voice as you both seemingly forget that you had an audience.

When you finish, Siyeon is close to falling asleep and you can’t help but coo before placing your guitar away before leaning down to gently caress her cheek. “Unnie, you should go back to your room. You’re falling asleep.” You say with a giggle but she makes a small whining sound as she nuzzles against your hand.

“But your bed is comfy.” She murmurs, fighting back a yawn as you shake your head. “Please?” You try again and she huffs with a pout before weakly tugging at your wrist, an indication for you to come closer.

Your upper body is off camera when you do as she asks, leaving fans to only see you from the torso down, and her arms loop around your neck before she presses a light kiss against your lips.

“Do you want me to tuck you in?” You ask quietly and she presses her head against your neck before nodding. “You have to let go first so I can say goodnight to everyone.” You giggle, recalling the live that you had forgotten due to your tired girlfriend.

There are questions coming in when you look back and you merely smile before glancing back as Siyeon’s eyes close. “It looks like it’s time for us to go to sleep. Unnie is literally falling asleep on my bed and she won’t go to her room unless I tuck her in.” You joke lightly while reaching for her hand and giving it a light squeeze.

“We’ll see you again. For now, have sweet dreams and I’ll see you then, okay?” There’s a meaningful smile on your face before you finally turn the app off and turn to your sleepy girlfriend.

Seeing how tuckered out she was, you didn’t have the heart to force her to get up, so instead, you adjust your positions before laying her head on one of your pillows before laying next to her. The action causes her to stir, and she’s a bit confused when she realizes that she’s still in your bed, but you’re already pulling her closer before she can question you.

“Goodnight. I love you.” You whispered, drawing a small yet sleepy smile to her face as she draped an arm across your abdomen. She didn’t have to tell you she loved you back.

You knew more than enough.

[littlepanduh-writes-365]

Day 59

Title: “Nightmare”

Features: Wendy (Red Velvet) x SuA (Dream Catcher)

Word Count: 1,750

Description: Bora has a nightmare and Wendy comes to comfort her.

Note: No, I don't actually ship them. This fic doesn’t even focus on romance. I have a long list of group crossovers that I wanted to write and WenSua has been high on my priority list with all their cute interactions.

Tags: Dream Diary, Comfort

“Aren’t you a little too old to be teaching little kids?” One of Bora’s co-dance teachers gives her a mischievous smile.

Bora isn’t one to be sensitive about her age, but she would never let down a fight with Gahyeon, even if she appears to be seven-years-old in this dream.

Dreams are not supposed to make sense.

Bora doesn’t really have time to process that.

Yoohyeon walks into the studio and makes her way towards the two of them. Class is about to start soon and Bora’s fleeting annoyance is causing her to conjure up a wicked idea.

“Is that so?” By the time Yoohyeon reaches them, Bora grabs her hand. “If you’re young enough, then why don’t you teach the class?”

It’s a horrible comeback, really.

Dream-Gahyeon’s face falters. It’s exactly what Bora wants though.

The door opens and students trickle in.

Yerim is the first to enter the classroom. She runs up to the staff. “Gahyeon! It’s going to be a full house today! It should be fun with all these new dancers!”

Bora doesn’t have much time to think. She grabs Yoohyeon’s hand and bolts out of the room.

She’s dragging Yoohyeon throughout the mall. When was the dance studio located in a mall? Dreams really are unpredictable.

Despite this being a dream, all of Bora’s visions seem so vivid. As they pass through Minji’s hot pot stall, she sees Yubin’s panda nursery. She can feel herself deeply breathing, but all she hears is Siyeon’s latest single in the mall stereo. Bora doesn’t make anything out of the strange reverie.

Now that things are reeling, Bora allows her mind to roam. New students are always good. She probably shouldn’t have left Gahyeon alone though. She’s probably going to get fired. Yoohyeon is also probably going to get in trouble.

Nonetheless, her partner-in-crime is laughing along. Bora turns back to her just to see her smile. She can’t decipher if the reaction is swoon-inducing or just contagious, but Bora just clutches on tighter as she winds through the mall.

Even if none of this made sense at all, Bora was experiencing an emotional high and didn’t want to lose it.

So they keep running. Past Joohyun’s campfire training. Through Sooyoung’s fashion show.

Bora is surprised that she hasn’t run out of breath, but reminds herself for the nth time that this is a dream. Deciding to end her illusive marathon, she enters a clothing store and makes her way to the dressing rooms. If someone from the studio was still chasing after her, they for sure wouldn’t find them there, not for a while anyways.

The dressing room is dark. Bora takes it as a warning sign, but ignores it. She can still hear Yoohyeon’s squeals. As ominous as it sounds, she hears footsteps behind her.

Bora eyes the first door. Maybe hiding in the second or third room would be smarter, but hiding was her first priority. Also, the darkness was starting to get to her.

They’re steps away, but then everything seems to slow down for Bora.

The door opens itself. Bora knows there’s probably a monster in there. They still have time to run to the second room.

In spite of Bora controlling her imaginations for a majority of the dream, it seems like she can’t control herself anymore.

Her hand gets closer to the door handle. The hairs on the back of her neck rise. The scream that comes out of Yoohyeon is no longer playful, rather shrill and bloodcurdling.

In an instant, the colorful delusions get lost in this neverending, pitch-black hallway. Bora’s happiness is replaced with impending doom.

She sees the monster and is questionably calm about it. Bora knows it’s too late and she needs to face the monster head on.

When the door opens all the way, she still doesn’t feel fear. This lack of emotion is all Bora can think about.

The monster is tall and lanky—limbs grotesquely long. It’s head is a circular shape and it’s beady eyes are just white orbs. A crooked smile adorns its face and that’s what seems to get Bora.

It gets closer to her and the fear is finally catching up to her. The feeling is so instantaneous that Bora feels like a lightbulb that cracked from excessive heat.

Yoohyeon is no longer there. The mall is gone. It’s just Bora and this monster.

It’s not going to touch me. Bora thinks that she still has control over this dream, but there’s a sense of hesitance.

Did the hesitance govern? Because one second, Bora accepts that she needs to face this head on. The next second, she’s being hoisted into the air by one of the lanky arms.

It won’t yell. Suddenly, the monster opens its mouth and inhales enough for a roar.

When it comes, Bora hears nothing. She only feels absolute fear.

Trying to get out of the grasp, she shakes.

In return, the blanket falls off her body and she feels the cool air of the room.

Bora investigates her surroundings. At least everything looks familiar. The walls of her apartment are adorned with their pictures. She turns to her side and sees Seungwan’s face covered by her bangs.

Clearly, Bora is no longer in a dream. There’s no question about if this was a weird alternate-universe-dream-continuation.

She sits up and feels the aches in her body. Bora definitely was awake.

The clock reads 3:05AM. Bora should definitely go back to bed, but the strange lanky monster is still vivid in her memory. As a matter of fact, Bora could still remember a lot of obscure scenes, like the smell of Minji’s hot pot broth and Sooyoung’s fashion show.

Seungwan stirs next to her. It’s probably best to leave her alone, for she will notice the tense air emitting from Bora.

As quietly as possible, Bora exits the room.

First, she grabs a glass of water. She might have had unlimited energy in her dream, but her heart was still racing and her throat was parched.

She makes her way to the living room and plops on the couch. Thinking about her dream, Bora stares at the opening in the curtains.

Knowing that the memories of her dreams fade away over time, she tries to replay the memory. However, her body seems to be reacting to the fear, so she contemplates that.

Is the monster supposed to represent anything? Why was she so scared of it, even when she felt brave mere seconds before being grabbed? Why did her worst fear come true after all the bliss? Why was she even scared of the monster?

Dreams aren’t supposed to make sense, but she believes that there is some correlation between her real life and the dreamscape.

Why was she with Yoohyeon? Did she subconsciously harbor feelings for her? Why was everyone there except Dongie and Seulgi?

And what a strange mall. Why was there a hot pot stall next to a panda nursery? Wouldn’t it make more sense to just have a zoo in general? It would also make more sense if whatever survivalist class Joohyun was teaching was nearby since it’s related to nature.

This dream is rather perplexing. It’s not normal for Bora to even remember this much from her dreams. Usually, she’ll remember snippets and research them, but these were such specific scenarios that she thinks it’ll be impossible to psychoanalyze them.

For now, she just stares at the light peeking from the curtains. Her body is operating at a calmer pace—unfortunately, not enough to go to sleep, but enough that the lanky monster no longer inflicts a fight or flight reaction.

Bora takes another sip of her water and sighs. It’s a Tuesday morning and she has work in a few hours. Maybe she’ll tell Yoohyeon about it before their meeting (if she even remembers it).

She doesn’t hear the door to her and Seungwan’s room open. As a matter of fact, she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice her girlfriend until she appeared in front of her.

Seungwan places herself next to Bora. She leans her head on Bora’s shoulder and wraps her arms around her waist. That vision of the lanky monster is starting to fade away. No more fear. No more mall. Just Seungwan.

“Why are you awake?” Seungwan slur her words. Bora finds it endearing, considering she’s a radio broadcaster that is supposed to enunciate her words well. They’ve been dating for some time now, but she’ll never get tired of small moments that are special only to them.

Bora gently leans into Seungwan and puts an arm around her shoulders. She debates on telling Seungwan about her dream, but as she soaks up her presence, she’s reminded that this is an hour to sleep and the weariness kicks in again.

“I had a nightmare,” she simply says.

Seungwan lifts her head. Through squinted eyes, Seungwan looks at her in concern. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Bora tries to contain her dolphin-squeak laughter, keeping a low chuckle. “It’s nothing serious. I was honestly just shocked and couldn’t get back to sleep. I came here to grab some water.” She blinks, feeling a weight on her eyelids. “I’ll tell you about it later if I remember. Joohyun-unnie and Yoohyeonie were in it, too. As a matter of fact, almost everyone was there.”

After a beat, she doesn’t receive a response. Bora turns to her girlfriend who was just comfortably snuggled in her lap. She brushes some hair behind her ear. “Are you asleep,” she whispers?

There’s a small whine, causing Bora to smile. This hamster was absolutely irresistible.

“Come back to bed with me.” It’s a simple request, but it makes Bora’s heart swoon.

She looks into the hallway, thinking about how far away their room is. If only it weren’t a weekday, she might choose the lazy option of snuggling on the couch. Remembering how sore and cold they’ll be in the morning, Bora finally musters up some strength.

She pats her girlfriend on the back. “Come on. Let’s go back.”

There’s a few seconds before Seungwan sits up. Bora stands up and when she sees Seungwan still sitting on the couch, she extends a hand.

It’s not that long of a walk back, but Bora nearly plops on the bed. Seungwan naturally wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her close.

Bora falls asleep within 15 minutes. She doesn’t dream again.

----- --

Request Guidelines | CuriousCat | Twitter

[not-majestic-bluenicorn]

Crescent || Chapter 4

Fandom(s): ATEEZ

AU: Treasure Hunters

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Relationship: Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho

Language: English

Status: Ongoing

Chapter WC: 6,020 words

Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, more will be added.

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of Alcohol.

Summary:

"Dear patrons, our show is about to begin." A smooth, silky voice spoke from somewhere on the stage, gathering everyone's attention. "We invite you to direct your eyes to the stage and enjoy the performance. My name is Télos, your narrator, and I hope you'll be able to enjoy this evening with me."

AO3

<< Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter >>

Tagged: @angel0taiyo​

San quickly discovered, during the first few days in outer space, that it was more difficult than it had first seemed to find time alone. He needed to report back to his boss so he could report back to their client on his mission, but it was almost impossible to do so. Eventually, he concluded that the only way to do so was go to the restroom and hope no one else would be there so he could make his call.

A few days into the journey, he managed to find the restrooms empty and quiet, and quickly took out his communicator and initiated a call. A few seconds later, the small holograph of his boss projected and San presented himself.

"Soldier San, code CS-710-28, reporting." He saluted briefly before putting his hand down and waiting to be addressed.

"It took you a long while to report, code CS-710-28. You were supposed to inform me when the ship sailed." His boss shook his head in disapproval. "Explain why."

"Sir, yes sir." San cleared his throat. "I've been appointed as Space Artist and I've been helping the Captain, er- the target, to decipher the map. It is very difficult to find time alone, sir."

"Are you trying to give me excuses?" The man huffed.

"Sir, no sir, my apologies." San was quick to apologize, preferring not to upset his boss before he could even get a chance at completing the mission.

"Whatever," his boss shook his head. "I want a statement on the state of the target and of the voyage."

"Sir, yes sir." San gave a quick nod. "The mission is going as expected, they still haven't made much progress with the map. However, it is difficult to approach the target, as he is always in the company of First Mate Yunho, who seems more like a bodyguard than the second in charge."

"Ah yes, the lapdog." His boss laughed. "The client did warn me about him. He's basically dating the target, be careful. Report to me once you progress on the mission."

"Understood, sir." San saluted again and just as fast the call had ended and he was alone once again.

San sighed and put his communicator away. He carded his fingers through his hair and took deep breaths, willing himself to focus once again. He hated this mission. It was difficult as it was, but working by himself when the target was surrounded by some of his best soldiers was basically a suicidal mission.

He also hated the whole 'sir' thing, it made his blood boil whenever he had to refer like that to his boss, who was nothing more than an abusive asshole. Still, it was what life had tossed at him, and he had no choice but to obey, after all, he had chosen to live. He hadn't chosen this line of work but he could still make the best out of it, or so he hoped. In the meantime, he had to go back and pretend to decipher that map.

--

"This is definitely in a different code from the last one," San sighed, rubbing his temples. "It seems like the codes to reveal each part of the trajectory change each time, how did you even decipher up until here, Captain?" 

"I didn't, not all of it." Hongjoong sighed as well, leaning back. "It was given to me started, and I'm just trying to complete the work." 

"Ah..." San nodded.

"But thank you, you're doing a great job, let's continue working like this." Hongjoong smiled, patting San on the back. San tensed up and nodded, but Hongjoong didn’t seem to notice.

They spent a few hours working on the map, trying to decipher it. They had been doing this for days but their progress was slow and uneven, which didn’t help raise their spirits. Hongjoong was getting increasingly more frustrated. He knew there must be a key to how all the codes worked, but he couldn’t find it anywhere, and the more he tried, the more the map seemed to laugh on his face.

Yunho, Hwanwoong and Siyeon came often to check on him and brought him food. It was obvious he was overworking himself but none of them wanted to mention it. They knew how important it was for him to do this for his brother and the Empire, but they wished he would at least take a break to take care of himself. Eventually, they had to force it on him.

"That's it, I'll tell Yunho to come fetch you." Hwanwoong said one time he walked in and saw Hongjoong muttering curses at the poor map. San looked incredibly awkward standing next to him. "Look at our poor Space Artist, he looks so uncomfortable."

"Leave me alone, I need to work on the map." Hongjoong muttered, pushing his hair back. "I'm getting closer, I know it."

"Sorry to say it Captain, but you look pathetic and you're really not getting anywhere." Hwanwoong scoffed. He noticed how San tensed up at the insult and laughed. "Don't worry, Space Artist, we're good friends."

"I'm not pathetic." Hongjoong muttered, on the verge of pouting. The fact that San was there was the only thing keeping him from losing his dignity.

"Sure," Hwanwoong left right after.

Sure enough, Yunho came in after a few minutes and clicked his tongue in disapproval. He forced Hongjoong to stand up from where he was seated and pushed him towards the exit of his quarters. San stared at them in bewilderment. How could anyone treat their Captain like that? Especially the people who knew he was a prince. Was this all a joke on him?

"Sorry, you can take a break, he's probably kept you working almost as long as him, that isn't quite healthy." Yunho told him before he finished pushing Hongjoong out of the Captain's quarters.

"Stop pushing me," Hongjoong groaned. "I can walk for myself."

"Alright," Yunho smiled. "Come on, don't look so grumpy, the rest of the crew is looking."

Hongjoong looked around and certainly, the other crew members on the main deck were looking at him. He sighed and relaxed his expression. Maybe stepping away from the map wasn't such a bad idea, he needed a break to feel refreshed and go back to it with a new perspective. Just a little time off wouldn't hurt. And poor San needed rest too.

"Captain!" Hongjoong turned around as he was called and noticed two of the crew members Yunho had picked, Mingi and Jongho, approach him.

"Did something happen?" Hongjoong asked, already playing all the possible worst case scenarios in his mind.

"Nothing sir, we just noticed you've been working for a long time and wanted to bring you something." Jongho smiled, offering him an apple. Mingi offered him a bottle of fresh water as well.

"Don't be discouraged sir, you'll solve the map soon." Mingi added, smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you." Hongjoong smiled and accepted their little offerings, opening the water bottle and taking a long sip out of it. He hadn't drunk or eaten anything proper since he had basically locked himself and San inside his quarters to work on the map. "How's everything looking in the rest of the ship?"

"Everything is in order," Jongho explained. "I just finished doing a routine check on the artificial atmosphere and the fuel tank and they're working perfectly. Mingi helped me." Mingi nodded enthusiastically and Hongjoong chuckled.

"Heh, that's cute." He commented offhand, failing to notice the way Mingi blushed slightly. Yunho raised an eyebrow, an amused smile on his lips. "Is it your first time on board lad?"

"It is my first time working on one..." Mingi mumbled, his face growing redder. "Jongho has been helping me get used to it.”

"That's very nice of you, a crew needs to work together in order to make the most of it." Hongjoong nodded, satisfied.

These two seemed to be becoming friends just fine, and the rest of his soldiers were mingling well with the rest of the crew. It seemed like they would be able to pull the feat successfully if they didn't lose sight of their objective. Yunho tapped his shoulder and Hongjoong looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The First Mate smiled and gestured towards the Forecastle Deck, where Hwanwoong was making signs at him.

"I think they need us over there Captain." Yunho supplied. Hongjoong nodded and turned his attention back to Jongho and Mingi.

"I need to go, but do me a favor. San, our Space Artist and navigator, is inside my quarters possibly still trying to figure out the map." Hongjoong put a hand on Jongho's arm. He was taken aback by how firm it seemed, but his brief hesitation was only caught by Yunho. "Drag him out of there if necessary; if I'm going to be forced to rest, he should be too."

Jongho laughed and nodded, saluting his captain before pulling Mingi along with him. Hongjoong and Yunho made their way over to Hwanwoong, who kept exaggerating his gestures the longer they took to arrive. Hongjoong walked slower in turn, annoying his cousin.

"What was all that just now?" Yunho asked, a playful smile on his lips that widened when Hongjoong's step stuttered, as if he had been caught.

"What do you mean?" He mumbled, avoiding Yunho's gaze.

"I told you before I don't mind if you flirt with others Captain, but let's make it a little less obvious, shall we?" Yunho teased, shoulder's shaking slightly as he suppressed a chuckle.

"I was not flirting..." Hongjoong muttered. 

"If you say so." Yunho nodded. "In any case, let's see what it is that your cousin wants."

--

"Captain Hongjoong is not what I expected a Captain to be like." Mingi commented offhandedly as Jongho guided him to the quarters.

"What do you mean?" Jongho stopped to look at him.

"Well, I thought a Captain would be more strict? But he's very friendly." Mingi explained, shrugging softly, like he wasn't sure of what he was saying.

"I suppose so," Jongho hummed. "Maybe he's scary when he gets angry? Although, First Mate Yunho seems more strict than him." Jongho shrugged and proceeded to the door, opening it easily. "Whatever, let's get San."

Just like how the Captain had said, San was sitting at the table, focusing on the part of the map that reflected on it. Mingi stared at the room with his mouth agape, eyes moving frantically as if trying to devour everything on sight. Jongho looked at him and chuckled softly, confused as to why Mingi was so surprised.

"Close your mouth, had you never seen an holographic map?" Jongho asked, causing San to look up as well.

"Who are you?" San asked. His body tensed up at their appearance but he seemed to relax once he recognized them. "Ah, it's you two."

Mingi immediately closed his mouth and eyed San with distrust. He still remembered their first meeting and how cold and scary the other had seemed, plus they hadn't really interacted much the days following their departure, so Mingi didn't know how to move around him. Jongho seemed to quickly catch on on this fact and decided to do all the talking.

"Captain sent us to fetch you, he said you should take a break." Jongho explained. San looked at the map and nodded.

"I suppose I should." He closed the little box and Mingi gasped when the projection disappeared, earning himself the attention of the other two.

"Ah..." Mingi exclaimed, his voice reddening as he stammered to put out a coherent explanation. "It's not common... where I come from."

"You mean... projection maps?" San asked, showing him the box. Mingi nodded. "Would you like to look at it?" Mingi nodded again, more enthusiastic this time, but he soon stopped as he seemed to remember something.

"Ah, maybe later, you should take a break." Mingi insisted, looking at Jongho for support. Jongho was already looking intently at him, like he was trying to figure something out, but he still nodded in agreement.

"Alright?" San seemed dubious himself, but he put the box down on the table and nodded.

The silence was so uncomfortable and heavy and none of them knew how to break it, until Jongho finally suggested they went to look for something San could eat. The other two agreed and followed him silently. Mingi almost wanted to grab onto Jongho's arm, still a little bit scared of San, but managed to not embarrass himself even more as they went out to the main deck.

--

"We are getting nowhere with this!" Hongjoong exclaimed, raising his arms.

Yunho and San looked at him before looking at each other. It was obvious Hongjoong was getting fed up with the impossible to interpret map; they had already been sailing for a couple of weeks and were getting nowhere with their progress. Yunho sighed and stood up, signalling San to close the box, which he did.

"Okay, I have a suggestion." Yunho spoke, claiming the attention of the other two. "Let's anchor at the nearest planet to get more supplies. We can use the opportunity to get information about the treasure as well."

"How would that even work?" Hongjoong huffed, exasperated.

"Locals," San mentioned, quickly catching up to Yunho. "Who better to know about legends and traditions than locals, we might actually get some information." Yunho smiled, and Hongjoong's expression brightened as he understood.

"Exactly, it's good that we have someone as smart as you on board San." Yunho complimented him. San seemed a little taken aback and just nodded.

"You're right, that is an amazing idea, both of you." Hongjoong nodded. "What is the nearest planet?" He looked at San. San fumbled slightly with the map on the table, the one they used for actual navigation.

"That would be Zemia, Captain. It's part of the Kim Empire, a small planet focused on exporting entertainment." San said, showing him the map.

"That's where we're going now then, send the information to the map on the quarterdeck." He ordered San, who nodded. "Let's go." This time Hongjoong looked at Yunho, who nodded and followed him outside.

Hongjoong walked up to the quarterdeck and stood behind the wheel. He looked at the map that marked their new destination and smiled to himself. With a loud whistle, he claimed the attention of the rest of the crew present on the main deck, who looked back at him and awaited his orders.

"We're changing route to Zemia to restock the ship and look for information on the Treasure of the Seven Galaxies, prepare to anchor!" Hongjoon ordered.

"Yes sir!" Everyone replied in unison.

Hongjoong turned the wheel and the ship changed directions easily towards their new destination. The small planet was fairly close to them, so they would probably land on it within a couple of hours. They needed to establish contact first and make sure they had permission to anchor, Hongjoong didn't want problems with one of his own planets when he was trying to keep his identity hidden.

"Siyeon!" Hongjoong called, and the soldier immediately turned to him. "I have a favor to ask you." She quickly approached him.

"What is it, Captain?" Siyeon asked.

"I need you to establish contact with Zemia and make sure we're clear to anchor," he explained, pulling out a small passport from the inner pocket of his coat. "The permit we have guarantees we'll be received in any planet of the Kim Empire, but better safe than sorry." He gave it to her.

"Understood Captain, I'll take care of it." She smiled and set off to the Captain's quarters, where they had all of their communication equipment.

"Doesn't it worry you that you let people in and out of your quarters so easily?" Yunho asked him once Siyeon was gone.

"You mean our quarters." Hongjoong corrected him easily, as he looked over the ship from the quarterdeck.

"That is beyond the point." Yunho chuckled.

"I just don't have anything worth stealing other than the map, which is safely in San's hands right now, and my compass, which I always carry." Hongjoon smiled, patting his chest.

"What if someone steals me?" Yunho raised an eyebrow.

"You? They'd probably be dead before they managed anything." Hongjoong scoffed. Not for nothing had Yunho become sort of a personal guard of his when they were younger, before they began dating.

"Okay but what if someone steals my heart?" Yunho insisted. Hongjoong huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Then they better be okay with sharing with me, 'cause if not..." Hongjoong looked at Yunho. "Then they better pray we're anchored somewhere when I make them walk the plank." Yunho laughed at this.

"Are you a pirate or what?"

"Shut up, you would literally do the same..." Hongjoong smiled. "Or worse."

"You know me well." Yunho smiled.

"Of course I do," Hongjoong nodded. "I do love you, after all."

"I love you too."

--

Aside from Yunho, Hongjoong had brought San with him so he could take notes on the clues they found to deciphering the map. He also brought Hwanwoong and Siyeon, his most trustworthy crew members aside from Yunho, and Jongho and Mingi, whom he had started to like quite a lot and felt like keeping close. He had left Jaeyoung, another good soldier and friend of his, in charge of another small group that would look for the supplies. The rest of the crew had stayed aboard to guard the ship.

They didn't have an actual course of action, so at first they just wandered around the port city, trying to see if they could find anything useful. It was obvious though that just walking around hoping for something to happen wouldn't suffice. They needed to do something about it, the question was what.

"Why don't we go to a bar?" Mingi suggested after a while of walking around.

He blushed profusely once all eyes were placed on him. The suggestion had been genuine though, those were the places where the people at his hometown would gather to discuss the day's events. Whether it was another explosion at a mine or rumors on a new law that would be passed, the fastest way to obtain information was to go where the common people reunited.

"A bar?" Hongjoong asked, his interest had piqued.

"Y-Yeah, well..." Mingi's voice lowered, and he seemed hesitant to speak. San looked at him intently and nodded.

"I think it's a good idea, I'm not sure if this is the reason why he's making the suggestion, but places like that are goldmines of information." San explained. It was a risk to speak like that, but something in Mingi's fear of speaking out had prompted him to help. He should be figuring how to kill the prince instead. "The regulars and the staff will have picked up information from other patrons, it's a good place to start."

"That seems like a great idea!" Hwanwoong agreed.

"It does, thank you Mingi, that's brilliant." Hongjoong agreed, praising the other with a wide smile. Mingi just shook his head and murmured a quiet thank you. 

"I'm not sure it's a good idea." Yunho intervened, hesitant.

"Why not? I think it sounds exciting." Hongjoong insisted, already having made up his mind.

"How is going to a bar exciting, Captain?" Siyeon chuckled. The others also looked mildly entertained that their captain would find such a simple activity "exciting", it was kind of cute. They were smiling and Hongjoong couldn't help but blush.

"Do not misunderstand me!" He exclaimed. "Anything that could possibly guide us to the biggest treasure in the Universe is an exciting prospect." Hongjoong quickly excused himself.

"Fair enough, let's go then." Siyeon smiled.

Yunho still wasn't entirely convinced, but he followed them anyway. He was worried about it precisely because of Hongjoong, who didn't quite know how to act like a normal civilian. Hongjoong was certainly more down to earth than his brother Yijoong, but he was lacking in commoner experiences. Even when Yunho had grown up with him, he had still spent a lot of time with the rest of the castle's inhabitants instead of with the royalty, he knew how society worked.

After asking around for a bit, they were recommended to check the Seven Galaxies restaurant bar, which was the most popular stop in the city they had anchored at for their storytelling presentations. The sun was already setting in Zemia, which made it an ideal time to stop by and try to get some information. They walked in and grabbed a table, settling down with ease.

"The tab is on me, you can order whatever you like." Hongjoong said as a waiter offered them some menus. "I'll be right back."

Hongjoong stood up and walked towards the bar portion of the place. It was placed opposite to the scenario, where it seemed like the actors and actresses were getting ready to present that night's story. The place was only just starting to fill up, as it was still somewhat early, so they had probably arrived at a good time. 

"I'll go with him." Yunho quickly excused himself and followed Hongjoong. Hwanwoong and Siyeon both laughed.

"There he goes," Siyeon sighed. "Does he even have eyes for anyone else?"

"Are Captain Hongjoong and First Mate Yunho dating?" Mingi asked, out of pure curiosity.

"Well..." Hwanwoong gave Siyeon a knowing look and shrugged. "You should ask them about that if you're curious. One thing is for sure though," he continued as he opened the menu, "if they stay apart for more than a minute, one of them will suffer a horrible death." 

"What?!" Mingi yelled, scandalized. Jongho immediately covered his mouth and Hwanwoong broke into a laugh. Siyeon berated him and looked at Mingi apologetically.

"Don't listen to him, he's just teasing you." Siyeon pushed Hwanwoong's shoulder, who complained dramatically. "But I agree with him, if you want to know, just ask Hongjoong or Yunho."

"You refer to them by their first name only?" San wondered in a plain voice, it was the first time he had spoken since leaving the ship and everyone looked at him with a bit of surprise. "Ah, sorry, I don't mean to pry." He apologized quickly.

"No it's fine, and yes, we're close." Siyeon nodded. "The four of us are what you could call 'childhood' friends." She smiled. "Good to see our Space Artist is not mute, it would be difficult to relay information like that."

San blushed ever so slightly and pushed the menu towards Jongho and Mingi. The topic quickly morphed into a discussion of what it would be good to try at the bar and San was silently thankful for it. Jongho focused on choosing whatever sounded best before passing the menu to Mingi, who took it hesitantly.

Mingi stared at the menu for a few seconds, eyes quickly scanning the options on it before closing it and giving it to Hwanwoong. Jongho contemplated him with curiosity and wonder. How could someone so tall not be hungry after a whole day of going around the city. As he questioned this, Jongho moved his legs to re-accommodate on his spot and accidentally hit Mingi's left leg.

"Oh, sorry." Jongho apologized, briefly glancing under the table. Mingi did the same.

"It's alright." He smiled once he confirmed that the wooden pole he used as a prosthetic was alright.

Jongho had been wanting to ask him about it since day one, but he knew it wasn't appropriate to pry into other people's business. He also didn't know Mingi well enough to be wondering about his private life. He could, instead, ask him about something else though.

"Aren't you ordering anything?" Jongho asked, his head gesturing towards the menu Hwanwoong was holding as he spoke with Siyeon and San about the options.

"Ah, no," Mingi shook his head quickly. "I don't feel like eating right now." He explained vaguely, eyeing the menu once again.

"Not even a drink?" Jongho insisted.

"No, I'm fine, really." Mingi insisted back, looking clearly uncomfortable.

Jongho was quick to change the topic and ask him about something else. They talked while they waited for the food to be delivered. Still, Jongho couldn't help but wonder more and more about Mingi and his life previous to joining the Crescent. For such a sweet and helpful personality, Mingi was completely wrapped in mystery, and Jongho couldn't help but want to know.

--

Hongjoong sat at the bar and looked around with curiosity. The place was really clean and had good ambiance, which he hadn't expected. It was probably because it was also a restaurant, but he liked the place. He was only slightly surprised when Yunho sat next to him. It was almost funny how much time they were spending together now that they weren't busy fighting an invasion.

"The crew's gonna suspect we're dating and that you're only First Mate because of that." Hongjoong commented, smiling at Yunho.

"And is that a lie?" Yunho smiled back.

"Partially," Hongjoong nodded. "You're First Mate because you're the person I trust the most and also the best at everything you do, who better to be First Mate?"

"Thank you." Yunho ruffled his hair softly.

"What can I get you?" At that moment, the bartender, a beautiful dark skinned person, approached them to take their orders. Their skin glowed in a way it told Hongjoong they weren’t human, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what they were.

"We're not from here, so could you give us a couple of mugs of your best beer?" Yunho asked.

"Right away." The bar tender nodded and returned after a little while with two mugs full of foamy beer. 

Hongjoong took a large gulp and sighed in relief after swallowing, feeling refreshed and pleased from the bitter taste. Yunho drank more calmly next to him, enjoying the flavor. They drank in silence, observing the bartender with critical eyes until they were free again. Hongjoong used the opportunity to ask them and try to gain a little more information.

"Why Seven Galaxies?" He asked, mug already halfway empty. "Is it because of the Treasure?" The bartender smiled and nodded.

"It is, Zemia is the planet of entertainment, at least one place here should have the name of the greatest lost treasure known in the story of the Universe." Their eyes lighted up as they spoke, gesturing towards the bar.

"Do you know anything about it?" Yunho asked, and the worker's sight sharpened.

"If you mean its location, no I don't." The bartender shook their head. "It is said that there was once an indecipherable map that could guide you to it, but it's been lost for decades."

"Do you think the treasure is real?" Hongjoong continued.

"I don't know if the treasure is actually hidden somewhere, but every legend has a bit of truth in it." They smiled. "This was one of the planets that Thisa stole from, there is even a statue downtown, where the battle took place."

"It happened here?" Yunho asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes, and you're both lucky to come here today, the presentation will be about the legend of the Treasure of the Seven Galaxies, you should watch it." The bartender explained. "Maybe you'll learn a thing or two."

The bartender left and both of them returned to their table, cold beers in their hands. The others were being served their food. Siyeon immediately stopped the waiter and asked Hongjoong and Yunho if they wanted to order something, but they both declined. As the rest dug into their food, Hongjoong fixed his eyes on the stage and waited, his desperation growing stronger as they seemed to be nearing another dead end.

"Mingi, you didn't order anything?" Yunho asked next to him. He was leaning over the table towards Mingi, seeming a little worried as the gunner nodded, a little overwhelmed at the attention. Hongjoong looked at him as well and clicked his tongue. 

"Why didn't you order something?" Hongjoong asked, his attention leaving the stage for a moment.

"I'm not very hungry..." Mingi mumbled, overwhelmed by the attention now that everyone was looking at him because the Captain had asked.

"Don't worry Captain, I'll share with him if he gets hungry." Jongho intervened, noticing how uncomfortable Mingi was starting to feel.

Hongjoong nodded and smiled at both of them, reaching his hand to pat Mingi's hair softly before his attention returned to the stage. Yunho also nodded, satisfied enough with the answer as his attention also returned to the stage. As Hwanwoong and Siyeong went back to talking to each other, San cleared his throat softly and looked towards Mingi, who was sitting between the Captain and Jongho.

"Mingi, can we change places? I want to talk to the Captain without disturbing the talk too much." San requested with a quiet voice.

"Ah, sure." Mingi smiled and stood up, easily changing places with San.

"Thank you," San said once he was sitting in his new place. "You can also eat from my plate if you want, by the way. Don't be shy."

"Ah, okay." Mingi nodded, once again falling into an awkward silence.

San felt the heavy eyes of Yunho on him as he leaned towards Hongjoong and talked to him about the map. He tried to pay him no mind, but it was difficult. Truth was, San had evidently not fulfilled his mission yet, and the reports were getting more difficult as there was not much for him to report on, but it was just impossible to fulfill this mission. Even disregarding the fact that half the crew were Hongjoong's most trusted soldiers, Yunho was literally always by his side.

"Dear patrons, our show is about to begin." A smooth, silky voice spoke from somewhere on the stage, gathering everyone's attention. "We invite you to direct your eyes to the stage and enjoy the performance. My name is Télos, your narrator, and I hope you'll be able to enjoy this evening with me."

Hongjoong went silent as his eyes scanned the stage and San decided they could talk after the show. He silently reprimanded himself as he found out he was working too seriously on deciphering the map, he guessed it was because Hongjoong's enthusiasm was contagious. San sighed and his eyes stumbled upon Yunho, who was still looking at him intently. There was something so unfamiliar in Yunho's look that he was forced to look away, feeling too strange about it.

The lights dimmed and the velvet red curtains opened. A single light turned on the stage, revealing the face of the narrator, who was wearing a glistening dress that resembled the look of outer space. It was breathtaking, even when all of them had been to space already. The narrator paced around the stage as they began to talk. Their expressions were controlled and their voice flowed like a calm river, captivating them all.

"Decades ago, not long after humanity joined the spacial race and began competing against other species to make a name for themselves, the most daring pirate ever known in the history of the Universe stole their first treasure." Another light appeared on the right part of the stage, illuminating a young actor dressed as a pirate.

"Their name was Thisa." The narrator walked further away, making space on the stage. "As an adolescent, Thisa became known in their town for constantly defying the authorities and tricking the rich out of their money without ever being caught." A couple of actors dressed as officers came on scene and played out a fight with Thisa, but they evaded them easily and made a fool of them, making the patrons laugh.

"Thisa was not alone. Their brave actions soon gained them a following, which rebelled against the government and started a revolution that spread through his whole country and then his planet." Around the narrator, the actors and actresses fought each other with fake weapons that glistened under the lights.

"When they won the revolution, Thisa and their crew built the legendary Týkhé, the bringer of fortune, and set sail into space." The actors disappeared and instead a replica of the Týkhé was projected into the stage, sailing across space. "The Týkhé visited countless planets, where the crew led revolutions and stole innumerable treasures all across seven different galaxies." Flashes of different planets passed by in quick succession, with images of the wars waged in them.

"Many think that the only reason Thisa and their crew didn't make it to many more galaxies was due to their mortality, because they were unstoppable." The images stopped, and once again, there was only the narrator on scene. "According to the many diaries left behind by Thisa and their crew, the treasure is hidden in Télos, 'The End', but no one knows where that is or what it even refers to.

"However, before their passing, Thisa left a map and a poem that contain the clues necessary to find the Treasure of the Seven Galaxies."  Numerous images of the diaries were projected on the back of the stage, and finally, the map in Hongjoong's possession. "The map has been lost for a very long time, but the poem goes as follows..."

I left my mark everywhere,

grotesque monsters of jagged teeth.

Under their watchful gaze

the stone-made guardians

protect the steps

that lead the way to the end.

Not long after the presentation ended, everyone finished eating and Hongjoong paid for their meal. He had become eerily silent after the presentation, and everyone was worried that he was angry for not obtaining much from their visit to Zemia. Yunho knew better though, and was quick to reassure them that things were fine once they got to the ship and everyone retired to their quarters.

"Are you okay?" He asked once they were in the privacy of his and Hongjoong's quarters, away from everyone else.

"I'm just thinking, don't worry." Hongjoong replied as he changed clothes.

"Thinking about what? The others are worried that you're angry." Yunho smiled, also changing into more comfortable clothes.

"Angry? No, not at all." Hongjoong chuckled. "I fully believe that Thisa made it so their treasure could be found, but if it has to be someone worthy, then it must be someone as clever as them to interpret the poem." Hongjoong explained. "I'm just trying to decipher it."

"Of course you are, anyone who thinks Kim Hongjoong would easily give something up is a fool." Yunho muttered. He laid down and patted the space next to him, prompting Hongjoong to join him. "Now stop thinking for a moment and go to sleep, I can hear your thoughts over here."

--

"Still no progress, code CS-710-28? You do realize this is an urgent mission, don't you?" San's boss scoffed.

San stood in the restrooms again, in complete silence, as the projection of his boss reprimanded him once again. He just had had no luck in killing Hongjoong like he had been tasked to do, and to be honest, he was starting to become fed up with the whole mission. Who had even requested such a task?

"My apologies, sir." He apologized, but didn't even attempt to excuse himself. There was no point in doing so anyway.

"I do not care for your apologies. The p-... The client is very impatient and wants you to be done with your mission as soon as possible." His boss urged him. "If you disgrace the name of our planet, code CS-710-28, I'll make sure to give them your head in return, understood?"

"Yes, sir." 

The call ended and San let out a long, deep sigh. He cursed under his breath and punched the wall, feeling nothing from it. Taking into account the situation he was in, he knew it would be impossible to kill Hongjoong without the others realizing who was the culprit and taking their revenge. Did it even make a difference? If he killed his target, the others would take revenge, if he didn't, his boss would murder him instead. How had he even gotten in this situation?

[jae-canikeepyou]

| new years | j.jh

pair: jaehyun x fem!reader

genre: fluff

a/n: first oneshot of 2020! happy new year! 🎉this scenario is inspired by high school musical because i’m a sucker for the trilogy like jaehyun is~😉 haha i do hope you enjoy reading! ~j ✨

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“it’s the new year’s eve y/n! you didn’t come here to be a bookworm!” siyeon pushed you that your body was inclined towards her. it was an annual tradition where your squad would go to the young adult party at the ski resort. since siyeon was a member, bringing in two more people would have a discount during the stay.

walking up the hill, your steps made the snow crunching rich with your calf-high boots. siyeon and heejin shared a look at you, and wondered that even with your goggles, nothing would ever stop you from reading. they guided you by pulling on your jacket sleeve, directing and redirecting the way to avoid obstruction.

it was a good thing they didn’t consider you a person of kill joy, because once you were off the wordful thick texts, you were actually the mood maker of the trio. “let me just finish this before the year ends. it’ll be my twentieth novel.” you said, eyes glued on the faint-burnt paper.

they sat you in between them on the cable car, pulling the lever down and fastening your seat belts tight. “ah.. i love how the cold wind hits into my face. reminds me how winter will always be my favourite season, and skiing? my sport.” heejin placed her goggles on her forehead, breathing in the entirety of the wind.

“i’ll be going with snowboarding.” siyeon flung her hands in the air and the car shook. you, having the fear of heights ultimately stopped you from continuing the story plot. “what about you y/n?”

“siyeon you’re moving too much!” you pinched her cheeks with your little damped gloves.

she side-eyed you for an answer, and you puckered your lips in defeat as put your book inside your jacket. “snowboarding as well.”

“sweet.” she fistbumped you and you did the same. the cable car was approaching to the end and as you got off, a group of boys caught everyone’s attention with their voices, yelling in so much hyperactiveness at the golden hour.

they all huddled in a circle, chanting some words before separating into their respective teams. were they a sports team of some kind?

you and your girls queued to get the equipment and began to suit up. the foot rest on the board was quite loose for your size, but you didn’t bother since it was going to be fastened with the belt strap. for some reason, you had a hard time bending forward to tighten the footing. a flush of regret flowed your body when the book somehow prevented you from going forward.

a sigh escaped your mouth and a figure knelt in front of you. “do you need help?” his deep yet honey voice warmed you from the cold you felt.

“y-yeah.” you replied, avoiding his gaze behind those goggles attached to upper part of his face. one thing that attracted you to guys was their smile. but this dude just inches apart from you already sent hearts flying everywhere.

oh what the.. he has cute dimples..

he has the prettiest smile you’ve ever seen. the pearly whites of his was equivalent to the snow beneath him and his small/airy chuckle got your heart beating fast. seeing this ethereal human being made you think that this was how love at first sight must feel like.

everything behind him blurred as if a camera was to adjust its focus to the subject, and a video recorder slowing the pace just so that you could observe him closely.

he waved at you, cutting you off of the short-term trance. “are you okay? is it too tight?” he tilted his head that he aligned his eye-level to yours.

“it’s fine. thank you.” you smiled and took his hand, offering to help you up.

“dude! we’re all waiting!” a voice called him from afar, and he looked back at you again with those cute dimples.

“i’ll catch you later? you’ll be in the resort club right?” he asked, pointing at the building opposite from where you were standing.

trying to balance yourself on the board, your lips utter shy words soft enough only for him to hear. “if i could return the favour by getting you a dessert?”

he pushed to slide himself downhill and waved at you. “as long as it’s green tea or vanilla ice cream! i’ll see you at 2300!”

your chest tightened at the fact he smoothly asked you out—kind of, or maybe that was what you want to take it as. heejin nudged you from behind, whistling and humming away like one would tease the other.

siyeon soon joined the call and they both circled-hop around you. they giggled at the sight of you, all flustered and blushy.

“so is he the one finally matched with some ideal fictional guy?” heejin hugged your torso with her lips all puckered, to show and prove that you were in love.

“i haven’t seen most of his face!” you butt back. “so i don’t know if he fits the ‘ideal’.”

“really y/n?” siyeon chuckled in good disbelief, shoving her phone out from her pockets. “troy bolton is everyone’s childhood crush, but your smile towards dimple guy isn’t a simple ‘i don’t know’. there’s something more to it~”

you nodded in agreement as your fingers pointed and shook repetitively. you were more in good disbelief than she was and heejin will for sure add on stronger words to your vulnerable, giddy, happy heart.

“last one at the finish line will get the shared bed!” you went downhill with a long cheer, but enough for the two to follow immediately.

the snow ground slowly marked with straight and curvy lines from the equipments in contact. your legs danced along the already indented path, creating a new design to write out the joy in your boarding. you twisted your body slightly to mimic a 180 degree pan, with intentions to show the beautifying canvas nature’s offered to give before the year ends.

although you weren’t that of a professional to glide down hill faster, the competition between the three of you was high. to compare the total of wins,

you never won any.

and that was out of thirty.

you thought it was time to have that plot twist of the year— to at least get a win so heejin and siyeon wouldn’t have to embarrass you everytime they bring it up.

the board beneath you sent vibration signals to your legs and you knew you had to slow down. yet the adrenaline in you was in rockets and refused to stop when needed. you suddenly heard a familiar voice right at the bottom of the slope. you guessed right, it was the dimple guy.

“yah mark you can do better than that!” he yelled, and another figure brushed passed you.

remember that phrase ‘to be smitten by somebody’? well that was accurate to you now that you didn’t realise you glided on an area with a split level.. you felt your legs in mid-air before crashing and rolling down.

“y/n! you’re sharing a bed with heeji- oh my gosh!” siyeon cupped her hands around her mouth but charged forward to get you.

heejin heard the echoes of ooh’s and hisses from the same group from earlier. she helped you up once she arrived the finishing line. “y/n that must’ve hurt!”

you pulled the strap and removed your foot from the bracings, kicking it aside to massage the sore ankles. “damn it i hope i didn’t twist them.”

“let’s get you inside to have them checked.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

the lounge area had music booming the system as if it would shatter the delicate, shaking glass windows. you sat at a corner with arms crossed and your friends heard you muttering words of complaint. their eyes trailed your casted ankle and crutches placed on your side.

regret was in you, and you swore you could’ve worn jeans instead of a skirt.

some people were drinking the night away and others were singing their hearts out; whether it was for a good year or another unrequited love. all in all the room was loud and it made you glad because for a whole hour you could hear the throbbing pain beating against your flesh.

“way to end the year..” you gulped onto your drink, empty the glass clean and asked for seconds.

“well at least you’re not in the hospital.” siyeon tilted her head, earning a watch-your-mouth look from heejin.

you went back to reading the last few pages of your book and ignored the persistent invites from the rest of your friends and strangers. didn’t they see your rest leg onto the couch? no matter how much you wanted to join them on the dance floor, you couldn’t. your beloved book was your only companion until the clock strike twelve. 

“i’ll see you at 2300!”

his voice rang in your head and you hoped to recognize him at least. 

heejin and siyeon enjoyed themselves with other random guys they hoped they’d end up with. they swayed their bodies from the effect of the drinks. you secretly recorded their pink cheeks and slurry smiles, later airdropping to their phones. as payback for the unending tease, you set those meme faces as their wallpaper.

the weight onto the seat on your left dove deep as you giggled at your plan. a hand attempted to snake around your waist, but your radar was attentive enough to warn you. he could be taking advantage of your condition right now. you grabbed your crutches and went straight to the bar section, asked for a glass of water before continuing the imagine wonders of the story.

the host of the party stood on the stage calling out for volunteers to give a good performance. the audience were awaiting, yet none wanted to try to sing. jaehyun entered the lounge after a warm quick shower from the last basketball practice of the year. his friends mark and johnny headed to some empty seats and he soon followed them. he knew and read the atmosphere, the typical mood of anticipation.

he stood at a column where he was hidden and at a blind spot. “gosh this scene is too familiar.” he whispered under his breath.

mark’s ears perked up at his friend. “yeah it’s like one of those rom-com movies.”

“high school musical? nah, this is way better.” johnny held a tray of tarts and cupcakes.

“if no one is coming up here we will choose.” the host spoke into the mic.

jaehyun felt the relief of searching spotlights. his entire being avoiding the light’s rays. yet there was something he didn’t expect.

a drone flew towards him and blinked lights. the crowd cheered and pushed him to the center stage. he sighed at his one-second relief since it was replaced by heart-hammering attention.

the music died down completely and it didn’t make you notice since your eyes were so immersed into each word. not until a spotlight pointed at you, its brightness blinding your eyes temporarily. you looked up to see a drone, then two pairs of hands pulled you to the center where a guy stood waiting for you.

“wait- i have to finish my book.” you whined and looked at the people in front. seeing heejin and siyeon smirking told you that they were probably the people behind the devilish plan.

“you’ll have it back after you do a cover!” the host shook the book and signalled for the track in queue. “introduce yourselves then you’d get into the mood. you’re both still awkward.”

“hey, i-i’m jaehyun.”

“hi, i’m y/n..”

you held the mic stand placed in front and found the crutches uncomfortable.

jaehyun noticed your discomfort and excused the rest to give you a chair to sit on. “here.” he said, taking your hand to lead you up and removed his coat to drape it to cover your legs.

the first piano notes started to play, and all cheers had you wondering whether they planned to re-enact the scene. heejin gave a thumbs up as she recorded the moment.

the heavy amount of exhales you both did when the track wasn’t what you think it was.

[ him ]

you don’t know babe when you hold met kiss me slowly it’s the sweetest thing

[ you ]

and it don’t change if i had in my way you would know that you are

[ both ]

you’re the coffee that i need in the morning you’re the sunshine in the rain when it’s pouring won’t you give yourself to me give it all

i just wanna see i just wanna see how beautiful you are you know that i see it i know you’re a star

where you go i follow no matter how far if life is a movie then you’re the best part

it was great singing a duet with the handsome boy. his voice was baritone and you loved how his voice resonates with you, harmonising even when it wasn’t necessary. yet it was something that you were fond of.

jaehyun knew you were the one he helped at the top of the hill. he knew you were the pissed one whilst wearing the equipment and knew that you crashed down. he circled around you in enjoyment of the song.

[ both ]

oh whoa you’re the best part oh whoa oh.. best part

when he flashed that smile as he sung, your eyes widened at the revelation of the boy. you recognised the pearly whites and dimples. now that you saw the entirety of his face,

he was more ethereal.

although the cover ended quicker than you thought— even if the whole thing was less than four minutes long, celebrating the year-end wasn’t that gloomy since meeting jaehyun. the crowd decided to give you both a gift and opening the box, there was an instax camera and couple’s santa accessory. he wore the hat whilst you took the 2020 headband and began to exchange polaroid pictures.

sharing a selfie was needed to be put up on the board for the ‘best cover’ of the night.

his hands stayed up waiting for yours. “are you sure you don’t need help?”

“i’m fine.” you giggled at his gentleman gestures. “thanks for the jacket.. and back at the snowboarding hill.”

he guided you to the balcony where the rest of your friends were. “no problem.” at their chattering conversations and endless giggles, you knew they’ve instantly gotten close.

“it’s just like kindergarten.” you suddenly say, wrapping the huge scarf around you.

you felt a warm weight around your shoulders. “give it back to me the next time i see you.” jaehyun pat your head.

“sure.” you agreed on his statement.

the countdown began in twenty seconds and everyone held their horns or sparklers in the air. the rest of your friends decided to be close to you, given of your condition. phones were at selfie mode and recorded the celebration.

“ten! nine! eight! seven!

six! five! four!

three! two!

one!”

fireworks canvased the navy blue sky and the impact the yells did to your eardrums had nothing compared to the beating of your heart. jaehyun cheered as well, his dimples evident on his cheeks. this by which made you look into the solo portrait you both exchanged.

however as you dug it out from your pockets, it fell to the ground and the universe already had something new and planned for you this coming year.

you smiled at the digits written behind it and jaehyun saw the most giddiest expression he has ever seen in your eyes.

he leaned down to whisper into your ears. “i hope the next time i see you will be soon.”

[girls-scenarios]

The Game of My Heart

Idol: Yoohyeon (Dreamcatcher)

Prompt: Could I request a gamer!au with Yoohyeon and/or Siyeon where they meet the reader at a game tournament where they are both competing in.

Writer: Admin Kiwi

A/N: I can’t remember if I’ve written anything for Yoohyeon before? So I decided to write for Yoohyeon this time. Also disclaimer: I have no idea how gaming tournaments work. Please don’t be too hard on me if I portray it wrong! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

♡ Tip Jar♡

A gaming tournament was not where Yoohyeon had expected to find love. As one of the top gamers for the last few years, everyone participating was a possible enemy that she had to be wary of if she wanted to keep her spot in the rankings. It was a battle ground, a game in and of itself. She didn’t even expect to find friends.

But then she literally ran into you, and everything changed.

The “ow” and “what” died on her tongue as her eyes met yours, and for a moment, she was both speechless and breathless, watching as you blinked, confused, before gathering yourself and standing back to your feet.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you coming around that corner there.” You gave her a little smile and reached out your hand, and her stomach twisted in the most wonderful way.

“Ah-. It’s okay, I didn’t see you either.” Carefully, she took your hand and stood back to her feet, heart pounding. She could feel her face getting hot just from standing near you, and she quickly dropped your hand, clearing her throat. “Uh, thanks for helping me up.”

“You’re Yoohyeon, right?”

Her eyebrows shot up. “You know me?”

“Of course. Nobody here can ever compete with you. You always sweep the tournament.” You grinned. “I’m planning to beat you this year, though.”

Oh, right. Of course. That made sense, you were another competitor. She straightened her shoulders and rolled her eyes, trying her best to make the butterflies in her stomach go away because you were the enemy. “You can try. I plan on keeping my record, though.”

“I figured as much. Good luck.” You held up a hand in a wave as you turned around. “I’ll see you in-game, Yoohyeon.”

She watched for a moment as you walked away, feeling a little dizzy, until she realized: you’d never told her your name.

-

“You should have seen her. She just kept staring dreamily at this gamer that knocked her over. She was blushing and everything. It was great.” Siyeon’s words kept being interrupted by her own laughing as she recounted the events as she remembered them, making their other friends laugh. Yoohyeon wasn’t amused.

“Siyeon didn’t even try to help me up, by the way,” she said, shooting her friend a glare. “I know we’re enemies for this tournament, but did you have to just leave me on the ground?”

“I saw sparks fly as soon as the two of you collided, so I decided to let fate take it’s course.”

“You’re so weird,” Gahyeon commented as she munched on her fries, looking thoroughly bored. “When do the games start, anyway? I’m bored.”

“In about an hour,” Jiu answered, glancing at her watch. “Are you guys not going to play to warm up?”

“I never warm up,” Siyeon said, stretching her arms above her head. “I like to just jump in blind. It’s more fun that way.”

“That’s why you always lose to me,” Yoohyeon pointed out as she stood to her feet. “I’m going to go and practice. I’ll see you guys later.”

“You don’t want anyone to come with you?”

“No, I play better when I’m alone.” She gave her friends a smile and a wave. “Cheer for me when the games start, okay?”

“Okay!”

“Hey! Are you not going to cheer for me?”

“It’s kind of useless, isn’t it?”

“Shut up!”

Yoohyeon left her friends behind as they bickered, glancing at the clock. Truthfully, she was still thinking about you. She couldn’t get your face out of her head. And she really hoped that this wouldn’t affect her in-game too.

-

The first game ended with a tense race for first place. Yoohyeon, thankfully, managed to secure her first place position by three points at the last second, ending the tie and continuing her record. Her shoulders hurt from how much she’d tensed them, and as she sat back, she sighed and massaged at her shoulders.

“Wow, they almost beat you.”

“Oh, hey Dami.” Yoohyeon turned around to smile at her friend, happily accepting the water she offered up. “I know. I’m going to have to really battle hard this year.”

“No kidding. They’re good, whoever they are.”

Yoohyeon looked back at the screen, studying the name. (Y/N). It wasn’t one she really recognized, but then again, she didn’t pay attention to names unless they were her friends’ so it wasn’t a surprise. “I’m not going to give up my first place spot, though.”

“That’s our girl.” Dami held up her hand for a high-five, and Yoohyeon quickly reciprocated, grinning.

“You’re still cheering for me, right?”

“Yeah. Also, Siyeon ended almost in last place.”

“She always does on the first game. She really should practice.”

Dami’s phone rang, and she glanced down at it. “Oh. Jiu wants me to meet her back at our table. I have to go.” With a little smile, she patted Yoohyeon on the shoulder. “Good luck!”

“Thank you!” The next game was about to begin, and she rolled her shoulders as her friend left, getting ready. There was no way she was about to lose.

-

The games continued to copy the first one. Over and over again, she had to fight bitterly against this other gamer to keep her first place spot. Whoever it was, they didn’t give up, and by the time the break for lunch came, Yoohyeon had a headache from how hard she was concentrating on winning.

“Water,” she groaned when her friends walked up to her, leaning her head back against Handong. “I need water. And Advil.”

“Yes ma’am,” the older girl said with a smile, pressing a cold water bottle against her forehead that she quickly took.

“This (Y/N) person is really giving you a run for your money,” Sua commented, “I’m impressed that you managed to stay first after all of this.”

“Don’t doubt me like that,” Yoohyeon muttered, but she sounded tired. Quickly, Jiu walked to her side to pull her out of the chair.

“Come on. Let’s go get some food in you. You’ll feel better after you eat something.”

As Yoohyeon followed her friends to the food court, a sigh came from behind her.

“Man, you’re still as good as ever.” You stood there rubbing the back of your neck with a little smile on your lips. “I really thought I’d get you on at least one game.”

Her heart jumped around a bit, but she forced herself to keep it together. “Sorry, I told you. I’m not giving up my spot.”

“I’ve started to learn how you play, though.” You crossed your arms. “I think I’ll be able to overtake you on the second round.”

“Oh really?” Competitive, Yoohyeon raised her eyebrows. “I doubt it.”

“Why don’t we make a bet on it?” You stepped closer, and her heartbeat picked up. She’d never been this excited during a tournament before.

“What do you want to bet?”

“How about, if I beat you at this next round, I can get whatever I ask you for?”

“That sounds risky.” For a moment, she thought about it, heart pounding. Still, she was confident in herself. And if she won.... “Fine, I agree. But if I win, the same goes for me. You’ll do whatever I ask you to.”

“We’ve got ourselves a deal, then.” You held out your hand, and she shook it, hoping that her cheeks weren’t flushed. “See you in the game, Yoohyeon.”

“Same goes for you, (Y/N).”

You walked away, and she turned to see all of her friends watching with big smiles and wide eyes, obviously excited.

“Hey, you weren’t as much of a mess that time!”

“This is so exciting. I like this year better than I liked the other years.”

With an embarrassed whine, she walked over to her friends and pushed them towards the foot court, determined to change the subject. “Let’s just go eat! I have to be back soon!”

-

The thrill of the bet made her a little nervous as she sat back down at her seat, but with a full stomach and her energy back from a cup of coffee, she was determined to still win. If anything, she wanted to show you how cool she could be, and how much drive she still had. She wanted to win so she could ask you out. Or at least ask for your number. She was still a little nervous when it came to you, so she wasn’t sure she’d be able to ask for a date right away.

As the game started, though, she took a deep breath and banished everything from her mind, ready to focus on the game. She was going to win this.

-

Time flew by when Yoohyeon played games. It always did. She just got lost in this other world, and hours would pass before she knew it. And today was no exception. She blinked as her name flashed at the top of the screen, proclaiming her the official winner of the final game. For a minute, she stayed tense, just in case anything else would happen. But nothing did, and finally, she let herself relax, leaning back into her chair and closing her eyes as she let out a sigh of relief. It was a hard-earned game, but she’d won once again.

As she stood up to stretch, back hurting from the bad posture throughout most of the day, she saw you walking her way. Immediately, she remembered the bet, and swallowed nervously, butterflies jumping back into her stomach.

“Well, I tried. You won, though.” You let out a sigh and stretched as well, giving her a small smile. “Good game!”

“Thanks. I had to work really hard to beat you, though. You’re the first person to really give me a hard time in a while.”

“At least I got close, then.” You coughed, a bit awkward, and she wondered if she was imagining the slight blush on your cheeks. “I worked so hard, I guess I still can’t keep up with you though.”

“What?”

“I’ve been watching you play since you first started tournaments. Back then, I wasn’t very good, but I really wanted to catch up to you. I guess I really admired you, you know?” With a laugh, you looked away. “Wow, this is so embarrassing.”

“Admired me?” Yoohyeon’s head was spinning, and she could feel her face getting hot again. “I-. Why?”

“You look so cool when you’re gaming! You just get into the zone, nobody can even touch you. And you’re so pretty when you play too, it’s crazy!” This time, she knew she wasn’t imagining the blush as you reached up to cover your face. “Ah, so embarrassing!”

“No, um. Thank you. For thinking I’m cool.” Her nerves picked up and she fidgeted, trying to find the right words to say. “So. About my side of the bet.”

“Oh, right. We made that.” You pulled your hands away from your face and winced. “I can’t believe I really thought I’d win.... Oh well, just tell me what you’d like me to do.”

“I want you to give me your phone number.”

It was your turn to look surprised, and you stared at her with wide eyes. “What?”

“I want your number. To like, keep in contact with you. Talk to you. I want to get to know you.” At her words, you blushed bright red, and she found herself blushing in return. “Now you’re making me embarrassed!”

“I’m sorry! I’m just so surprised! You really want my number?”

“Yeah.” She rubbed the back of her neck, laughing softly. “I think you’re pretty cool too. You made me completely lose my breath the first time I saw you.”

“Wow. Wow, okay.” You pulled out your phone, grinning like crazy. “Here. Let’s switch phones.”

After your name was in her phone, she quickly typed out a text.

-Hey, this is Yoohyeon. Go on a date with me?

Her face was red, and her heart threatened to beat out of her chest, but you laughed when you saw the text, soothing her nerves and making her smile. She’d never been more happy to win a game.

“I’d love to.”

[trcent]

All trainees return from Jeju on Sunday, the 13th, and are expected to continue with their usual schedule upon arrival. However, being interrupted by Yumi at the start of gym workout could be considered routine to these girls. There’s a bit of a strange feeling in the air, one very familiar felt during the month before.

Hayoon sits in her usual spot and each of the girls meeting her there silently finds their own. “Hello. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” The New Year Special ended up interfering with the original plans for TRC/G, but putting more work on their plate wasn’t much of a deterrent in this woman’s eyes. “Did you have a fun time in Jeju? I didn’t get to go but I did watch your performance from over here. Hopefully, the sudden news about our project going public wasn’t too much pressure on all of you.” It’s still hard to tell when Hayoon’s being sincere with her comments, even after all this time.

“Before I get into even bigger news, I will address the current situation.” She points to the newest empty chair. “Jeon Somi is no longer part of the project. She was already informed and will continue as a trainee here in TRC but won’t have a chance of debuting with you any longer. You probably already learned this from our previous departures but I’ll remind you anyway: don’t share any new information with her or with the other trainees. At this point, feel free to confirm your part in the project with your parents, but share no company secrets aside from that.”

Hayoon grabs the TV controller on top of the table but, instead of moving herself to the side like she usually does, the woman speaks up once again. “We’ll be watching your group performances soon, as always. I’d just like you to watch these with a thought in mind. The new evaluation I’ll assign you at the end of this reunion will be your last one under the TRC/G project. If we see each other again next month, it’ll mean that you made it into the final group. Observe yourself carefully so that, if we don’t choose you, you won’t have any regrets.”

She turns herself slightly so that the television behind her is more visible for all. All four different performances are shown, in the same routine they all have grown used to. Once done with the viewing, Hayoon’s next movements are predictable: her file is opened in front of her and its annotations, barely visible, are plentiful.

“Today, we’ll start with Kim Yubin. You’re our oldest trainee here and, as I mentioned in our first meeting, we all had high hopes for you. We asked you to improve on your dancing and you did it. Your performance at the New Year Special proved this just right. You’re not our best dancer here, but you’re able to follow along without a problem and, even when the focus is only on you, you manage to leave a good impression. Apart from that, you’re our best-skilled rapper and, if needed to sing, you’ll manage a few lines. Due to this, I’m happy to announce you’re confirmed as the first official member of our new girl group. Don’t mess up with this. This is something to be proud of.”

Hayoon doesn’t clap at this or show any different reaction other than a nod in Yubin’s direction. That was probably the most you could expect from her. “Next, Park Sooyoung. As the fellow senior here, we were also expecting great things from you. You were already an incredible dancer and managed to keep the skill level up there. You overestimated your own singing abilities for a period of time, but I think that already got covered. You’re not the best singer but that would be a hard thing to achieve in a short amount of time. We like where you are right now and you’re improving at a good pace. You should be at a great spot once the other girls are ready. So, you’ll be our official second member of the group. Congratulations.”

“Choi Yujin.” The woman stops, stares at her notes, and then looks up at the girl. “There’s no doubt about your vocal abilities. I hate to be repeating this, but at this point you make me do it. Your chosen solo song was quite terrible. The original artist you got it from is known to be an incredible dancer which is something that you are not. Even if this particular dance didn’t showcase all of her abilities, it still felt too much for you. I think it’s funnier to me because it’s the same song Sejeong used last month and comparing is an easy thing to do. You’re more of an average dancer so you could have gone with something closer to your skillset. For example, ChiChi’s Nara is an incredible singer who lacked on the dance area. She could still pull off ChiChi dances and, after all of her hard work for years and years, her release ‘Why’ came with an impressive dance performance. Was it a breathtaking performance? Not really, yet she worked a lot to get there. Compared to how she was before it was a great advancement. When we tell you that you need to improve on your dancing we don’t want you to suddenly become the main dancer. At the point you are at right now, I’d just honestly like for you to at least blend in a bit better when you’re dancing in a group. Your synchronization isn’t bad, but your movements aren’t as fulfilling as they should be. When I watch Sooyoung I get the full experience. When I watch Sejeong, she manages to blend well in the group. If I focus on her, I notice what has improved. You’ve been here for three years and only knowing the basics isn’t what we expected of you. If even in a group you can’t look well, then going for the solo song you picked was just an overall bad idea. You’re not a confirmed member yet, but you have a month to show the skills you have and improve it a notch. We just don’t want you to look like the odd one in a performance because then it’d ruin the entire thing. I’m sure you can understand that. Don’t be scared to ask for help because you need that much more than pride right now.”

Her pen slowly crosses out the girl’s name before stopping next to the one below. “And so, there’s Lee Siyeon. I bet there were a lot of different thoughts on what I’d say to you today.” She chuckles. “Your improvement continues to show. It isn’t much from last month, but we weren’t really expecting you to leap to the front. You got the basic techniques down, what really lacks is practice. Now, when I say that, you people need to understand that everything needs practice. Practice makes perfect, and when you’re not born with the basics of dancing on your blood, then you must practice to make it decent, and then practice to make it good, and so on. This is applicable to your case, Siyeon, so we do expect you to keep practicing and practicing because your life does depend on this. Just because we criticize someone else it doesn’t mean that you’re better than them. Take Yujin’s hand and bring both of you up. My comment about asking for help is applicable to all of you. Not only that, but when I tell each of you to work on ‘the basics’ I don’t only meaning dancing techniques. Stretching is extremely important and your level of flexibility can impact on your movements. Don’t skip our morning assignment of gym workout. Muscle building is just as important as practice. We don’t need you to look like professional athletes, but if you can’t hold yourself on a plank then how do you expect to spend an entire day dancing in front of an audience?”

Hayoon scribbles on her notes as she goes through them. “Kim Sejeong.” A finger pushes her glasses up before continuing. The number of girls remaining keeps getting smaller. “I think the flexibility comment could be well applied to you. I’m very much in touch with your coaches and they tell me all about your routines. You’re not the greatest dancer, so don’t take the good comments I already said about you today straight to your heart. It made me happy to see you’ve been not only improving on your dancing but your vocal coaches said you’ve been practicing your vocal abilities as well. You have a good voice as well. You’re not a confirmed member but keep working towards that. There’s still a lot for you to learn.”

“And now, to our only remaining original MGA girl, Kim Doyeon.” She chuckles again, even if talking about the loss of members was a bit of a touchy subject. “I barely know what to say now. You continue being one of our best dancers; the control over your voice keeps improving; you didn’t have much of a hard time adapting to the different concepts. My personal recommendation to you is to keep improving your vocal techniques since this control could be used for better things. Apart from that, you’ve been constantly delivering good performances. You’ll be our third official member for our new girl group. Don’t get too worked up and keep focused on improving, do you hear me? This was also the last confirmed member for this meeting. To three of you, these confirmations can’t be certain. You still have the chance of being removed for spreading information or in the case of a new condition that stops you from performing. Even if you do tell your parents that you’re part of this project, I’d prefer if you don’t tell them you’re certain of it. It helps contain them a bit.”

Her eyes change towards the last girl. “And, Minatozaki Sana. Now you already know you won’t be receiving the greatest news of the day but don’t worry, we have a lot to talk about.” She scratches some notes from her file before she forgets. “The difference in skill between you and the other girls is still very obvious when we watch the solo performances by themselves. You’ve only been here for a couple of months, but that’s no excuse to just give you a pat on the back. There are no pity points in here. Your solo didn’t have as strong of a dance feeling, and the vocal required for it felt a bit too much for you, too. Honestly, I have no idea of what you actually aspire to do. If it’s dancing, then there’s still a lot for you to learn. A lot of people here need to ask for help and you’re no exception. Talk to your coaches and get through the basics, learn the techniques. Vocal-wise it’s the same thing. You chose the main vocalist of LC9 when you’d be just a passable debut era Jun. Except he debuted, and you’re not so sure of that for yourself now, are you? Practice is what you need. Yubin’s been here for over four years while Doyeon got here only a few months before you but they’re both confirmed. I need you to get all of those months you didn’t get and learn everything you need to learn in under one. Do you understand this? Don’t try to be the main vocalist and don’t try to be the main dancer. As much of a competition this is, it is one for you to debut and not for you to be the best between them. Work hard on this because this could change your life forever.”

It’s the last item on the list left to speak about now and Hayoon’s notes have more ink on them than when the meeting first began. Yumi, who has stayed quiet as always, starts handing out the new files for the month. “This is your last performance so do a good job at it, okay? There’s no extra show for you to worry about so I don’t want excuses. You’ll have a bit of extra time to make up for your trip. Make this your best and debut will be right in front of your eyes..” She stands up and gathers her things. “Do well on this. The public is waiting now and you already have some fans.” The slightest bit of her lips that raised after her comment was probably the most honest smile you’ve received from her so far. “See you next month, hopefully”

OOC: This project evaluation will substitute for the general trainee monthly evaluation so TRC/G won’t take part in that unless otherwise specified. TRC/G is to practice together as a group, as well as show individual growth over time. Not every trainee will make the cut to the final group, so everyone should work hard to show off the best of their skills.

There will be a total of four different performances to be done the following month, by February 5th. Three of those will be group performances, consisting of one vocal performance, one dance performance, and a full cover including both vocals and dance. The fourth performance will be a solo performance that the trainee will get to choose by themselves to showcase any performance skill they’d like. Following Hayoon’s suggestions and requests are not necessary but recommended. For this month’s evaluations, the chosen group songs are as seen below:

Vocals: Sweet Talk by ChiChi (line distribution)

Dance: Rockabye by Clean Bandit (center distribution)

Full: B.B.B by Dal Shabet (line distribution)

The seven girls (Kim Yubin, Park Sooyoung, Ahn Sohee, Lee Siyeon, Kim Sejeong, Kim Doyeon, and Minatozaki Sana) will continue their special training to help them better their skills in order to increase their chances of debut.

Kim Yumi will appear unannounced from time to time to record the girls’ progress and then leave. On February 4th, Yumi will return accompanied by a few other staff members to record all evaluation performances. These recordings will involve professional lighting and a better camera. These will be taken for her superiors (including Hayoon and Tiger JK) who will then discuss the results in secrecy. Feedback will be given on the following month.

Confidentiality is of extreme importance and sharing information with any other person IC may result in that girl’s exclusion from the project and/or complete contract termination with TRC. It would also leave her with a bad reputation which could make other companies think twice before signing her.

To earn +2 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH and +2 DEBUT POINTS, write a 250+ words solo or a four post thread with another TRC/G member about practicing for the evaluation. For +3 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH, +1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT and +2 DEBUT POINTS, write a 350+ words solo about your muse’s solo evaluation performance. Unlike regular trainee evaluations, not writing about the group project will give your muse a bad view IC, so please keep that in mind. Please tag all your posts as #trcg:janeval and them up by midnight EST at the end of February 5th.

TRC/G JANUARY EVALUATION (for the February 6th verification form)

[ link to thread or solo about preparations ]

+2 ___ POINTS +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

[ link to solo performance solo ]

+3 ___ POINTS +1WK ___ ACHIEVEMENT +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

[kpoprambles00-blog]

Dreamcatcher (드림캐쳐) - The End of Nightmare (4th Mini Album) [COMEBACK REVIEW]

Do you ever have a comeback that you're looking forward to so much that... you're actually sort of dreading it? Because you want the song to be good? That's exactly what ended up happening with Dreamcatcher and "The End of Nightmare" for me. After how mind-blowingly good "What" was last year, when they announced they were coming back, I was terrified. Even more so when the album is called "The End of Nightmare" - what does that mean for the girls going forward? Are they going to change their concept? Will I not like them because of it? Those are the kind of questions that start to fly around in my head.

But instead of looking to the future, let's focus on what we actually got. At the end of the day, Dreamcatcher are Dreamcatcher - I'm going to have some idea of what to expect from this mini album as a whole. I'll be curious to see how much I actually like it, but I may as well dive in head first and see how it goes. I have my hopes high, and I have a very funny feeling Dreamcatcher won't let me down. They haven't yet - I don't expect them to start now. So let's see!

1 - INTRO

One thing that is a 110% guarantee with every Dreamcatcher album is that you'll have a huge, explosive intro that sounds nothing like the rest of the album. It'll set the tone well for their concept, but in terms of establishing the overall sound? Yeah, that's not what they're there for. They're little vessels of experimentation, from what I can tell.

...but I didn't quite expect to get an intro THIS crazy.

Like. What. This starts off with a really nice bit of foreshadowing, since they add in the main flute riff from "PIRI" on an electric guitar. That's nice!

BUT THEN IT ALL TURNS INTO ONE BIG DRUG TRIP.

This intro manages to go from a standard, somewhat creepy intro to full-on drum and bass in the space of a minute and 7 seconds. ONLY A DREAMCATCHER INTRO COULD DO THAT. And I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of drum and bass (unless we're talking about the Beat Saber soundtrack, good LORD it's amazing) but... this is so crazy and it made me laugh so hard that I'm willing to let it slide! I do feel like this could've led into "PIRI" much better, since it's in the same key and all that. But at the same time, this honestly had me in stitches by the end because of how confused I was. That's... probably not what they were trying to do with this intro, but I'll take it nonetheless!

2 - PIRI [TITLE]

With that crazy introduction out of the way, The End of Nightmare wastes no time in getting to the title track, "PIRI". Now this is the song I was scared about. I was worried that I wouldn't like it, that the girls wouldn't be able to match that same level of quality they achieved with "What", and that I'd start to fall out of being an Insomnia.

Welp, I'm fucking DELIGHTED to say... that hasn't happened.

Someone please tell me how the hell Dreamcatcher remain so consistently good, because I'd like to apply that same method to my college grades, thanks. "PIRI" is another absolutely stellar title track from them - it's seriously up there with their best stuff! "What" had me crying out of pure delight, but "PIRI" had me crying out of sheer and utter relief.

This is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and considering how much I had it on loop the day it came out, I think it's safe to say I didn't want to get off. The trap snares and flute elements work so well in the instrumental, and provide such a nice contrast to all the strong bass beats and electric guitars. I do feel like mixing in the first half of the choruses feels a bit tinny, but by the time Siyeon's back to singing her heart out, it mellows itself out and becomes a hell of a lot more satisfying.

And I don't think I need to explain what I mean when I say this:

GAHYEON. HOLY SHIT.

Honestly, that goes for the rest of the girls too - every single one of them embodies this concept, and their vocals are perfection. And I know I may be biased towards her, but... goddamn, this really seems like it's Siyeon's era. She seems SO confident this time around, and I'm so happy for her. She knows how good she looks and I'm living for it.

Like I said, I really hope this isn't their final go at a horror-inspired concept, but fuck, if it is? I'd be happy to go out on a note like this. "PIRI"'s got this mood that's both eerie and creepy, but sort of desperate and pleading as well - which makes sense when you take a look at the lyrics. Similarly to "What" (yes I know I'm calling back to that song a lot, leave me alone), the lyrics take a more victimised approach. The girls are no longer the nightmares; they're stuck in one. And I like it! It saves the concept from getting stale, and puts everything in a new perspective.

I'm left all alone I open my eyes again, I wake up from my dreams But my reality isn't different

So thankfully, the song is great. That's a major relief. But what about the dance? Dreamcatcher are normally at the top of their game here, so admittedly I went in with very high expectations, aaaaand yep the choreo is amazing too.

[Unfortunately I couldn’t include the dance video here due to the video limit! Here’s the link, though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRm-ChUBnLQ]

No joke, this is one of my favourite Dreamcatcher choreographies yet. I'm seriously convinced these girls are dancing robots at this point - how else could they be so in sync??? It's... actually kinda scary yet amazing in the best way. The formation changes are a particular standout here - they're so smooth and effortless, yet sweeping and grand at the same time. I also really liked how the choreography retained (and even picked up) a lot of momentum and pace in the pre-choruses - instead of slowing things down to get ready for the chorus, this routine just goes full steam ahead and saves the slower moves for later. It's a brilliant choice, if you ask me, and works perfectly.

I honestly could not be happier with "PIRI" as a title track. It's everything a Dreamcatcher song should be in my eyes - it's loud, it's proud, and it's got a horror/rock aesthetic. These girls have stayed so damn true to their concept since debut, and considering that a lot of groups don't manage to do that, it's insanely impressive. Long may it last!

3 - DIAMOND

🎵 섬세하지만 난 단단해 쉽게 상쳐 않아 🎵- oh, wait, wrong "Diamond". Oops.

Eternal bops from f(x) aside, I was interested to see how the rest of The End of Nightmare would fare compared to "PIRI" - especially after how experimental "Alone In The City" ended up being. And based on the album preview, "Diamond" sounded like a more powerful take on Dreamcatcher's usual rock style. That was always going to be welcome - but what REALLY surprised me is how unique "Diamond" actually ended up being!

"Diamond" is a moombahton track with elements of rock and (obviously) metal here and there, more specifically some really high-tempo sections that sorta remind me of thrash metal. It's an interesting combination for sure, but the instrumental ebbs and flows in a way that doesn't make it feel unnatural at all - in fact, it sounds fucking brilliant. Yes, the beginning of the song sounds like a more mature KARD song - and hey, that's certainly not a bad thing in my eyes. But the entirety of the buildup from the pre-chorus into the chorus had my jaw on the floor; it wasn't what I was expecting in the slightest, and it was such a welcome surprise.

Basically, this song is sort of sexy and summery, then it's chill, and then THERE'S GUITARS EVERYWHERE. And it works.

This song's lyrics actually give off a really unique vibe too - I was expecting them to be confident, yes, but they give me HUGE goddess vibes. And I don't mean that in the way that Dreamcatcher are goddesses - which, I mean, they are, but that's not the point. They're confident in a way that exudes grace and power, but in a sort of demeaning way? They seem to have a lot of control, and describe how the girls have gone from doubting themselves to having a sense of utmost confidence. They're very teasing and tantalising in places too, and I honestly love their general tone. They're playful, yet confident and powerful at the same time!

The falling stars wrap around me

[They] protect me forever

[...]

I'm an unbreakable diamond

Overall, "Diamond" is one of my favourite Dreamcatcher side tracks so far. It's so unique and powerful in its own way that it just completely blew me away. I sure as hell hope the rest of the album is this good, cause jeez, Dreamcatcher are on a roll.

4. AND THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT (그리고 아무도 없었다)

Now we're getting into the more 'experimental' part of this album - it's very normal for Dreamcatcher to experiment with their side tracks, and while "Diamond" was quite close to their normal style, "And there was no one left" is a big diversion. It slows down the tempo a lot, and ends up being the most chill thing we've heard so far on this mini album. But I... actually really like this. For quite a few reasons!

The bass line in this song, for starters, is really damn effective. It's there for the vast majority of this song, and gives this song a great sense of groove (ESPECIALLY in the choruses). There's also hints of strings in the pre-choruses that reminded me a lot of "You And I", but they end up giving way to a chorus that's got this weird, slightly distorted synth as a melody. It's very unique, and it's so distinctive that it clicks for me! It also helps that a lot of the girls are in their upper range here, which is where I feel like Dreamcatcher are often at their best. It lets the vocalists show off their skills whilst letting the rest of the members sound effortlessly breathless and stunning.  

Not gonna lie, there are a lot of aspects to "And there was no one left" that remind me of an f(x) song - it's very clean, and very well put together, but with a great sense of melody and groove behind it. It's an earworm, for sure - between the falsettos and the catchy melody in the choruses, this is guaranteed to get stuck in your head eventually! The lyrics are quite interesting as well, if you ask me. They seem to continue the nightmare/dream concept, but from the perspective of the victim, like we've seen since "What". On the surface, this is just a shallow song about wanting to see someone you really care about, but Dreamcatcher manage to work it into their nightmare concept without feeling cringey or forced. It's... actually very clever!

My eyes are closing

My strength is being drained

Stay with me here, and don't leave me, please

So while it isn't the most bombastic song out there, and while I do think this concept is something the girls did much better with "Trap", "And there was no one left" is still a nice little break from the rest of the album itself. It's just got the right mix of chill and creepy to be memorable, in my eyes!

5. DAYDREAM (백일몽)

To close out the album, we're back in anime opening territory! Or, rather, anime closing territory this time around. And hey, when Dreamcatcher are making songs that sound like they're from an anime, that's when they're being fucking awesome. We all know that. And yeah, "Daydream" fits that anime closing style quite well - it's airy, light and very easy to listen to. It's certainly invocative of its name!

I really do think "Daydream" is a great way to end the album, since it lets things wind down naturally without feeling like the album has ground to a halt - everything is wrapped up nicely. The acoustic guitars and lilted piano really make this a breeze to get through, as well as the girls' vocals. Just because this is a slow song doesn't mean they don't show off vocally, cause they sure as hell do! Yoohyeon actually got more of the powerful adlibs this time around, with Siyeon mainly relegated to falsetto - which I quite like! Yoohyeon's got a powerful voice too, and she deserves to show it off. But the rest of the girls sound gorgeous here as well, with singing Dami being a HUGE highlight. (She really needs to sing more, she sounds great!)

But the best part of this song for me is the lyrics; I can tell you right here, right now that these lyrics are aimed at Insomnias. That's immediately obvious when you read them. They're very sweet and heartfelt, and I'd be shocked if they had anything else in mind here. Every group needs a good thank-you song every now and again, and this just so happens to be one of Dreamcatcher's - it's honestly adorable. And hey, the fact that they chose this as their side track says a lot about them. 😌

If we can spend the night

Walking together hand-in-hand

I will make you smile forever

Admittedly I don't know if "Daydream" is a song I'd return to, since ballads aren't usually my style, but it's a great little diversion regardless. It's certainly a song to listen to if you want to just relax and take a load off for a while; it's emotional, it's heartfelt and it's really damn sweet. It just goes to show how versatile Dreamcatcher can really be.

And on that note, that's the entire album, actually! While it wasn't as experimental as "Alone In The City" overall, it was still a solid comeback for Dreamcatcher. As I said, I really hope this doesn't mark the end of their nightmare concept, but... hey, it's Dreamcatcher. They'll find some way to impress me in the future, even if it is. I'm excited to see where they go and what they do!

ALL SOURCES FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW: PIRI Diamond And there was no one left (그리고 아무도 없었다) Daydream (백일몽)

COVER IMAGE CREDITS: Dreamcatcher PNGs by melonguaguaga on deviantArt

[mnetruinedmylife]

Immune

A Kyla (Pristin) centric piece that is a little too short to post on my AFF short stories collection

Kyla is sixteen when her worldview gets dumped on its head.

Just when she thinks she has everything figured out too. Life can be a pain like that. See, she had her entire life’s plan (for the foreseeable future anyway) already worked out. It had been as simple as ‘go to Korea, focus on training, debut and become a famous Kpop Idol’. Everything else had been secondary, barely an afterthought. That’s one of her greatest strengths, and at this point, most crippling weakness really. Once something catches her attention, she hones it on it, almost like tunnel-vision. She can’t really focus on anything except that one thing that has caught her interest – and that’s worked wonders for her so far. She’s here in Korea, and they’re going to debut soon.

Then Sungyeon, stupid love-song-writing Sungyeon, opens her big mouth and starts talking about boys and how they make great inspiration for songs. Of course, when she starts going into detail, Kyla tries to think of an event, or a moment, or any similar experience in her life that she can draw from too. Only she draws up blank. And then it wouldn’t leave her alone.

Why didn’t she feel anything like that for anyone? She’s sixteen, according to every manual in history she should’ve been crushing on someone by now. But she doesn’t, no flutter in her stomach, no infatuation, no desire, nothing. So Kyla turns to her one trusted source of information – the internet. Duh, she isn’t going to ask her unnies about this, Yewon will probably be a blushing mess, Siyeon would just laugh at her, this entire thing is Sungyeon’s fault, she doesn’t even want to know what the ’98 liners will say, Kyungwon just giggles and winks exaggeratedly at Minkyung, who has an adamant ‘no boys!’ policy, and Nayoung will probably just recite company guidelines.

A couple dozen google searches, tumblr pages, and information pamphlets later and Kyla has it narrowed down to a few options. She isn’t quite sure which it is at the moment, but it isn’t that important, she can worry about the specifics later. Now she can get back to focusing on the training again.

Then their little weekly concerts start up, and Siyeon wrecks everything.

Kyla knows that she cares about Siyeon – on an intellectual level – she cares about all of unnies, so she doesn’t really think much of it. It’s only after Sungyeon smashes a question mark into her head that Kyla starts to notice all the innocuous things she lets Siyeon – and only Siyeon - get away with.

A hand through her hair, a bump with her shoulder, the least awkward skinship she’s ever experienced – not that that’s saying much. But she's never looked at a person and felt a heavy hot curling in her gut, a strange catch in her breath - things in her, from her brain to her toes, coil and contract in ways she... hadn't actually ever expected to happen.

She’s sixteen and she's never wanted anyone. Not...like that. She's been sort of assuming that she’s aromantic or asexual.

Turns out Kyla is not either of those.

Kyla is sixteen when Yebin suggests that the rap line performs ‘I don’t fuck with you’ by Big Sean. Siyeon does a complete 180 when the music turns on, eyes hard, smirk on her face and –

She can see the shift of muscle that accents her sharp jawline when Siyeon starts spitting fire. Kyla’s seen Siyeon rap before, she has, but something is different since the elder girl came back from Produce 101. Before her raps had been nothing quite as… aggressive and powerful as this. Her voice is lower, harder, and at the end of her verse she growls and –

Kyla stops breathing for a second. Oh she is so not asexual.

They turn off the music, mull over the lyrics and re-write a few lines to get it flowing better, and then the music is on again. Siyeon jumps in right after Kyla finishes and the way she moves, the way her expressions change, it’s effortless.

Kyla’s skin shivers all on its own. She doesn’t actually realise she’s made a sound until Siyeon turns toward her.

“Kyla, are you ok?”

Said girl blinks, “Yes,” she says, and damn it, her voice is all…wrong. Higher. Cracked. She hadn’t expected that –

“Are you sure? You’re going red,” Yebin points out.

Siyeon looks confused.

And Eunwoo, who had been loitering around has disappeared completely.

Kyla blinks again, “We should probably finish up soon. Yewon and Sungyeon are due back for practice,” is what she says, but what she means is I need to go, right now, far far away. She doesn’t, if only because her freaking out and sprinting out of the practice hall might be misinterpreted. She isn’t quite sure how, just that it probably will be.

She only knows that her face is hot and she’s not quite sure what just happened.

[flooffybits]

A Little Green

Idol: Lee Siyeon (Dreamcatcher)

In which Siyeon believes she can make her crush jealous, but the tables end up turning.

Staring at the girl that sat two chairs away from her, Siyeon’s eyes furrowed as she tried to think of a way to catch her attention. Though it was a common thing for her to be wanting her members’ attention on her, she couldn’t help but want to have Y/n focus simply on her since she’s noticed that the latter was now constantly hanging around their leader.

Due to her staring, she didn’t realize the two younger girls behind her snickering at her poor state. “Dami, what are we going to do? Our poor unnie has the heart eyes again.” Yoohyeon said dramatically and the younger girl shook her head, stifling a laugh as she crossed her arms. “Well, she has to stop being a chicken if she wants Y/n unnie to notice her.”

Their conversation brought the vocalist back into reality and her head snapped back to scoff at the pair. “I do not have heart eyes.” She hissed quietly, not wanting to draw any of the others attention on them and catch on to what they were talking about.

In the group, she already had to deal with Bora’s teasing when they were at the dorm or in the van because she was too stubborn to admit that she was crushing on their younger member. Due to Bora’s loud voice, it didn’t take long for the other two to find out about Siyeon’s not so obvious infatuation when they were stuck in the dorm.

“Keep telling yourself that. Just don’t be too obvious in front of the camera.” Yubin patted her back before Minji finally told them that they would be starting the live.

Siyeon had to bite back her tongue when she saw the leader’s free hand occupied with Y/n’s, even as they greeted their fans.

Throughout the live, she kept up her usual playful self, though she would steal a few glances to the pair beside her. Just like Yoohyeon told her, fans were able to notice her actions, and when she made eye contact with Y/n, she would offer a flirty grin and even winked a few times, making the younger girl roll her eyes, though smile as she shook her head.

It gave Siyeon a sense of satisfaction, but there was one thing that prevented her from actually enjoying the reaction she was receiving, and that was how Y/n and Minji’s hands refused to disconnect from each other.

Even when either of the two had to let go just so they could grab their phone or something else, their hands would always find a way to each other and it made her stomach churn, more so when Minji would constantly look over to the younger girl and fixed her hair or simply smiled at her.

No wonder Somnias shipped them so much.

If she were anyone else, she would be gushing with how cute her two friends were together. But she wasn’t just anyone and she didn’t want them to be dating.

Bora, noticing her friend’s dilemma and the few comments that fans were leaving, silently laughed and decided to make a bit of a joke. “Siyeon is really clingy towards our Y/n.” At the sound of her name, Siyeon whipped her head back to look to her best friend, eyes wide as she saw the mischievous look on her face.

“That’s not true! She does that to everyone.” Y/n giggled while she sent Siyeon a smile, and the latter felt her heart flutter with how her eyes disappeared into crescents and her dimples came into view. She felt her cheeks flush and she turned away, clearing her throat as she showed everyone a smug smile. “I’m a highly demanded person.” She stated with a flip of her hair and the members rolled their eyes, Y/n and Gahyeon being the only ones to laugh because of how their friends looked.

“She’s lying. She’s demanding.” Handong quipped, making the others snort and snicker while Siyeon pouted. “Oh! Someone is asking you something.” Minji suddenly tapped her shoulder and Siyeon looked to the comment section before everyone burst into laughter.

“Unnie, someone’s asking to marry you.” Y/n read the comment aloud and Bora shook her head. “Siyeon has been getting a lot of those recently.” She gave her friend a look and Siyeon smirked when she caught it before nodding to the camera. “I just accepted all of them.”

“You have a lot of wives now.” Yoohyeon tells her as Yubin read off the comment section. “They’re asking who your first wife is.” And Siyeon stole a glance to Y/n before she grinned widely.

“Bora unnie, of course.”

She grinned inwardly when she saw the way Y/n’s furrowed, their eyes meeting briefly before the younger girl looked away.

Minji ended up laughing as she squeezed her hand when Y/n pouted at her when Handong would not poking her side. “Unnie, Dongie won’t stop.” She complained as the tried to swat her friend’s hand away and Siyeon just about hopped off her seat when their leader decided to wrap her arm around her waist instead. “I’ll fight her off for you!” She proclaimed playfully, making the rest coo at their display.

“Someone was asking if it was still okay to propose to Y/n unnie.” Gahyeon stated after reading the comment. “She’s off limits.” Handong promised with a playful roll of her eyes. “Y/n unnie, can I still marry you?” Yubin read and the girl giggled while shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, everyone, but I’m already engaged.” She replied and Siyeon, and everyone but Minji, had their eyes wide at the statement. “What?”

The bewildered looks made the group look comical, even though they had already stated that Y/n was not available.

The h/c haired girl lifted her hand to show a ring placed on her finger. “Minji unnie and I went on a date the other day and she proposed to me!” She stated happily, both girls giggling as they joked around and Minji even added a sweet kiss to her cheek. “She’s all mine, sorry!”

“Don’t worry, I still love Somnias.” She added and blew a kiss.

“Well, there you have it. Your ship has finally sailed.” Bora cackled as everyone started to playfully scold the pair for not telling them sooner.

Despite all the banter, Siyeon could not stop glancing at the ring on Y/n’s hand or how she looked so comfortable with the leader. Was she reading everything wrong?

Were they actually together?

It hurt, that her crush was taken, but what hurt more was the fact that both of her friends kept it a secret from her. Even though she acted like a confident and somewhat cocky person from time to time, she couldn’t help the heavy feeling that settled in her chest.

When the live ended, Bora quickly hopped off her seat and hurried after her best friend, her expression filled with worry when she placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?” She asked softly when she caught up to her and the younger girl bit her lip while her shoulders sagged. “I thought for sure that she liked me back.” She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

“All those nights we spent talking, when she let me hold her every time she felt tired, sad, or just needed someone, I really thought that she had the same feelings I did. I was there with her through everything and then suddenly she’s running to Minji and spending every moment of every day with her.” She let out her frustrations and shook her head while the dancer frowned.

“They’re just friends, Siyeon. You know that Minji sees Y/n as a little sister.” She tried to reason and the latter huffed. “That’s how I thought I saw her before I had these feelings.” She retorted and ran a hand down her face. But before she could say anything else, her mouth screwed shut as Y/n carefully padded into the room.

The younger looked between the pair and while Siyeon forced herself to look away, Bora noticed the slight emotion that flickered in Y/n’s eyes. “I-I, um, wanted to know if Siyeon unnie was okay.” Y/n explained before she shifted her eyes to the floor when the girl looked at her. “But it looks like things are okay.” She shuffled awkwardly and wrung her fingers together. “I’ll… go check on Handong.”

“Wait!”

Pausing mid-step, Y/n looked back when Bora caught up to her and took her arm. “I think you should talk to Siyeon. You can understand her better than I can.” Confusion showed on her face and the vocalist eyed her friend suspiciously, quietly demanding with her eyes not to leave, but the dancer simply smiled at her.

“Talk to her for me, would you?”

“But I-”

Before she could say anything else though, Bora had already left the pair alone and Siyeon mentally cursed her friend for putting her in an awkward situation.

Looking over to Y/n though, she was curious as to why the younger girl seemed hesitant to talk or even look at her. Why was she even here, anyway? Did Minji not need her?

“Unnie, is everything okay?”

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard the younger girl speak and blinked before nodding her head, forcing a laugh as she spoke. “Yeah, of course! Why wouldn’t it be?”

Pursing her lips, Y/n finally looked at the older girl with a frown on her face, catching Siyeon off guard. “You’re lying.” She muttered and the latter panicked though did her best to mask it with a grin. “No, I’m not.” She chuckled and then patted her shoulder.

“Don’t worry about me. Don’t you and Minji have anything planned tonight or something?” It left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she had to say it just to seem less suspicious.

Her response, however, earned a confused look from the younger girl as she stared at her. “Not really. Why would I have plans with Minji unnie?”

This time, it was Siyeon who looked confused as she stared at her friend. “Aren’t you dating?” A bright blush crept up Y/n’s cheeks before she shook her head. “No! Minji unnie is like a sister to me. We were just messing around earlier.”

Hearing those words made Siyeon feel like she was splashed with water after being dehydrated for so long. Hope sparked inside her as her eyes widened. “Really?”

Y/n gave her an odd look as she nodded her head. “I don’t like her like that.” She tells her. “She’s only really been helping me get the courage to tell you how I feel about you.”

Had she not been paying proper attention, the confession would have slipped her mind. But as soon as the words reached her ears, her face flushed a bright red and Y/n smiled at her. “To be honest, I was just about to give up, but a little birdie told me that you liked me, too.”

She wasn’t sure what to feel at that moment. Her entire body froze and she was stuck rooted where she stood as Y/n giggled in the same manner that made Siyeon’s heart flip. “If you finally decide to talk to me and maybe wanting to have a date with me, you know where to find me.”

With that, Siyeon was left in the same spot, staring into space before her brain finally started to function again. Her eyes went wide at the realization before she started running back to the room where the rest of her friends were and Minji gave her a small smile.

“Yah! Lee Yubin, come here!”

[trcent]

After the excitement from the first visit and then the backlash from the first feedback, guessing what would happen on their third reunion was a tough thing to do. The girls follow Yumi to same room they had their last meeting in and where Hayoon awaits them. There’s a pile of files equivalent to the number of girls still present on the project, as well as the television on the wall already prepared with the videos they were going to watch.

“Hello, girls.” The woman greets from her chair while each trainee sits on their own. While they’re settling themselves, Yumi walks around handing out the information about their next evaluation. Hayoon’s face is now hard to read and there’s no way to know what to expect. “Well, at least all of you made it this time, right? Yay.” Her final expression doesn’t show as much joy as expected from a word like ‘yay’, and she complements it sarcastically with a few slow claps.

Yumi returns to her place beside her boss once all files are gone from her hands. Afterward, Hayoon opens her own hands and speaks, “Hopefully what I just said didn’t raise your expectations too high. This is, most certainly, not how the final lineup will look like.” Her eyes stare at Sejeong, and then at Somi. “I have already made all the plans for the project, so I, personally, wanted to start getting rid of the weaker links. Unfortunately, others thought we should give some of you another chance. Be thankful for that, and perhaps spare some thoughts for your little guardian angels or else you can bet some of you would be busting your ass at the gym right now instead.”

“Let’s start by watching your group performances together. If you don’t catch your mistakes, don’t worry! I’ll make sure to point them out later on.” The woman wheels her chair to the left and then presses play on the first video. First, it’s the vocals, followed by dance and then it ends with the full cover. Both women stay in silence during the viewing process before Hayoon returns to her original spot.

She twirls her red pen expertly between her fingers. The list of names finds itself in front of her, and there are just as many annotations written on the list as there were last month. “Instead of talking about the sad and drastic ones, let’s bring the mood back up and say who did best this month, no?” Hayoon doesn’t look up but anyone in that room could tell who she was referring to. “Maybe some of you will be surprised. We were.”

“We believe that the one who showed the best case of development was…” Her pen starts at the top of the page and then moves down until she spots the name. “Kim Doyeon. We haven’t spent much time together so we couldn’t know the exact extent of your skills, but we could still tell you not only focused on the parts we asked you to, but also you understood your own limits. We gave you fewer lines for the full cover and that helped you improve on your live singing. Your solo song was also a very good choice; the dance wasn’t too hard so you got to show your singing better. Of course, we don’t expect you to keep at this same level. Continue working on your weak points and raise the level of difficulty. You went from tragic to a good, now it’s time to see some greats.”

Even if her speech carried lighter colors from before, Hayoon’s cold facial expression remains the same. “Someone else who fit well with this description I believe was Sejeong.” Her pen scratches the last name off and moves on to the next one. “Unlike Doyeon, you were to focus on dancing. Actually, I told you to focus on both of those skills now that I think about it. Your chosen song doesn’t have too tough of a choreography but it still takes some level of understanding and you did well at it. As for the vocals, it requires different colors to make it sound at least somewhat close to the original and you also made that work. You’ll get a bit more of a dance focus this week and I hope you won’t let us down. Of course, none of this means you’re confirmed for debut. Don’t get back to slacking.”

“Moving on to… Kim Yubin. Good solo choice, as well. It fit your voice well and your vocals are definitely on an acceptable level for this project. There’s, obviously, more work to do, but it shouldn’t be your focus. We’ve seen development on your dancing abilities, yet, we still think you could be a better dancer than you are right now. Keep working on that. There’s really nothing to comment on regarding your rap except that it came out as expected. You were in the original top two for a reason and you’re most certainly still there.”

“As for Sohee, the one we threw so much onto, well…” Hayoon fixes the position of her elbow on top of the table so it could be more comfortable for her hand to rest on her chin. “Singing-wise you did well. There’s no doubt that you’re talented, yet… your dancing really didn’t meet our standards. We gave you a great portion as a center for the dance evaluation and you do realize that’s not a small thing, right? You can’t just go out there and stand in the middle of the stage. You’d originally earned that part, only to spit on the opportunity. What I say in these evaluations isn’t something for you just to keep in mind. I’m literally the representative of all of your higher-ups and what they think, too. My words should be your mantra. They should be the new Bible. I wasn’t giving you a center part because I wanted to be cool, but because we wanted to check if you were actually good for the spot. You weren’t. It was extremely… subpar. You’ll have a small portion this time so make good use of it or just sit at home next time… Now, Somi.”

Her pen scratches Sohee’s name out of the way as if nothing had happened. “You were more stable this time around but that’s still something that could improve. On the other hand, being stable only to sound average seems like a bit of a waste of time. The fact we actually told you that you could take it easy should have felt like a blessing. Your song choice wasn’t even that hard, but you could have taken something much easier and then gotten a pass from us. If you want to be evaluated based on a harder song then that’s what we’re going to do with you. Your voice really isn’t that great. If you actually want a better vocalist position then let me just tell you right now that it’s not going to happen. If you just wanted to perform that song then at least work towards making it a good performance. This is not a fun project. We aren’t in Disney. This decides your future and this decides if you get to debut as an idol or not. You wanted us to treat you like a big girl, so here it is.”

“Jinsoul. It felt like you performed the same thing as last month, except the song was different. I know maybe that’s, like, your style, but it’s already starting to annoy me. And we’re in the second month of this, do you realize how sad that is? The coaches have logged in a lot of your dedication to singing and I’d honestly like to see you only singing for your next performance. Don’t make it too pop, either. Give us a reason to keep you in this group of which I already said two of our singers did well, and one of our dancers is starting to do well, too. What makes you better than them? Are you?”

“Let’s not delay this anymore and get to Siyeon already. You see… I don’t know if, like, you have selective hearing or something, but I did heavily criticize your dancing last month, right? That wasn’t just in my head? So you tell me what the hell you were thinking by showing us what you did. We gave you a happy, simple song, and you decided to crap on the stick. I couldn’t even care about your singing performance because I was immensely upset about this. Maybe I still am right now. Did you hear me saying a few minutes ago that my words should be your bible? It goes for you, too. I highly recommend you include some sort of dancing in your next solo performance for us to see if this really is a hopeless case or not. If you need some help, ask Sejeong. If she was able to do it then I’m sure you can — or at least I hope you can. We never know with you anymore.”

“Last but not least… again, it’s Sooyoung! You know… I think, in your case, you just listened too much to what I said. This is why I don’t like complimenting people, you know? They just get it all up in their head, thinking they’re the best, and then they can’t differentiate between screaming and hitting proper high notes. Again, there’s no point in being stable if you’re not going to sound good. You could have chosen any song out there and you went with one you honestly couldn’t handle. I still want you to sing but at least pick something that you can actually keep up. If I need to be tough with you for you to understand then that’s what I’m going to do. Hopefully, you’ll take the full cover of this month as a good example and feel more inspired. Don’t let us down, Sooyoung.”

The last name on the list is finally crossed off but Hayoon doesn’t close her file. “As for you all as a group… I was a bit surprised that some of you seemed to be struggling with harmonization. Especially when it came to you, Sooyoung, and our dear Yubin. You’re two of our oldest trainees here so that should have been something learned a long time ago. I know none of you have singing as your main skill, but this is the minimum that I’m asking of you. I’ve also heard there was a bit of conflict between some of you… and I really couldn’t care less. Get your shit together. If you end up in the final group all I need is for you to be good working with each other. Do some trust falls or, I don’t know, have some good adult conversation, as expected of adults to do.”

That’s the end of it, it seems. Hayoon takes a second to breathe and looks around before starting to stand up. “Do a good job this time, you hear me? Yumi will continue to have an eye on you so don’t make her see things that’ll make her upset.” After a few quick nods directed at each girl, Hayoon leaves the room.

OOC: This project evaluation will substitute for the general trainee monthly evaluation so TRC/G won’t take part in that unless otherwise specified. TRC/G are to practice together as a group, as well as show individual growth over time. Not every trainee will make the cut to the final group, so everyone should work hard to show off the best of their skills.

There will be a total of four different performances to be done at the end of the month, by November 30th. Three of those will be group performances, consisting of one vocal performance, one dance performance, and a full cover including both vocals and dance. The fourth performance will be a solo performance that the trainee will get to choose by themselves to showcase any performance skill they’d like. Following Hayoon’s suggestions and requests is not necessary but recommended. For this month’s evaluations, the chosen group songs are as seen below:

Vocals: Heaven by EXO (line distribution)

Dance: Finesse by Bruno Mars (center distribution)

Full: Catch Me If You Can by ChiChi (line distribution)

The eight girls (Kim Yubin, Park Sooyoung, Ahn Sohee, Lee Siyeon, Kim Sejeong, Jeon Somi, Jung Jinsoul and Kim Doyeon) will continue their special training to help them better their skills in order to increase their chances of debut.

Kim Yumi will appear unannounced from time to time to record the girls’ progress and then leave. On November 30th, Yumi will return by herself to record all evaluation performances. These will be taken for her superiors (including Hayoon and Tiger JK) who will then discuss the results in secrecy. Feedback and the new evaluation will be given on the following month.

Confidentiality is of extreme importance and sharing information with any other person IC may result in that girl’s exclusion from the project and/or complete contract termination with TRC. It would also leave her with a bad reputation which could make other companies think twice before signing her.

To earn +2 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH and +2 DEBUT POINTS, write a 250+ words solo or a four post thread with another TRC/G member about practicing for the evaluation. For +3 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH, +1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT and +2 DEBUT POINTS, write a 350+ words solo about your muse’s solo evaluation performance. Unlike regular trainee evaluations, not writing about the group project will give your muse a bad view IC, so please keep that in mind. Please tag all your posts as #trcg:noveval and them up by midnight EST at the end of November 30th.

TRC/G NOVEMBER EVALUATION (for the December 5th verification form)

[ link to thread or solo about preparations ] +2 ___ POINTS +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

[ link to solo performance solo ] +3 ___ POINTS +1WK ___ ACHIEVEMENT +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

[trcent]

The first month has passed, and it’s been less than a week since the first evaluation under the name of TRC/G. All performances were recorded and analyzed by a special team who will decide who will become part of the new generation of TRC artists. The same woman waits in front of the gym, but there’s something different. Unlike the last time, only eight girls follow her out of the room and into the hallways of the TRC building.

They all go inside a different room from the one they used for the project announcement. The difference with this one is that it has a television behind Hayoon, who sits down at the end of the table beside another familiar face, Yumi. In front of her are two different piles of files, one with the contents for their next challenge, and the other with a single file about their first evaluation reviews. The woman tells the trainees to sit down before she leans forward to address them.

“I’m sure you already noticed someone is missing. Hopefully you didn’t pester Yumi too much about it.” Her eyes are playful when she spares her partner a look, but any signs of joy quickly disappear. “Well, when I said not all of you would make it to the end, I meant it. Kim Sojung failed to meet our expectations, so she won’t be continuing alongside us. Please do not share any information shared in this room with her since she’s no longer part of this project. I hope you use this as a good example — this is no trick. As she’s left the project, there won’t be a special chance at the end for her to come back. This is a serious matter and the project is about not only your future, but TRC’s.”

There isn’t much of a pause between the end of her speech and Hayoon picking up a remote from the table to turn on the television. “You didn’t get to see your recordings, but we did. We’ll start by watching the group performances so that we’re all on the same page and then I’ll share with you all of our thoughts on each one of you.” She wheels herself to the left so that she can watch the clips as well and then presses the play button. The videos play in order of vocals, to the dance performance, and then the full cover. Neither Hayoon or Yumi make any comment during or in between them.

“Well, that was that.” Hayoon huffs mockingly and then reaches for the first file in sight. “I think we should start with the saddest case first.” Her eyes stare at Jinsoul and then slide towards Sohee just for the sake of setting up the terror. “The truth is most of you didn’t meet our expectations but, in this case, Siyeon…” The woman finally stares at her real target. In one swift move she opens up the file and her face is of no surprise. She wrote it herself using all the common opinions spoken at her reunion with the small council which includes the one and only Tiger JK.

The file is arranged with each girl’s name written in alphabetical order and then what would need to be commented on right below it. Her eyes go down the page until she reaches Lee Siyeon’s name. It isn’t that hard to find, though — it had the most annotations. “You see, when this project was formed we really thought you were the best singer here but it doesn’t look like that anymore. Surprisingly, Sohee… has been doing better than we thought in that area. You know, you both got in trouble recently and you should be thankful that you are here. Siyeon, if you want a spot in this group you should go for it seriously because we’re not here ignoring mistakes. Not only that, but your dance performance was drastic, to say the least. Sometimes you stole the attention from the center girls because people want to look at the funniest thing and, well, we don’t want people laughing at our girl group. I hope you understand you’re on thin ice right now from every angle. We took away some stronger lines we’d normally give to you for this evaluation and we recommend some dancing focused lessons in your own time immediately.  Hopefully, we’ll get to see a better performance from you this month. If not, you won’t be the first one to leave us.”

With a red pen in hand, she scratches off Siyeon’s name from her list, moving onto the next one she wanted to talk about. “Talking about dancing, though, Siyeon took so much of our attention away we almost didn’t pay any to Sejeong, which is just as sad. Of course, you’re not as bad as her, Sejeong. Don’t worry, that’s a hard thing to do, but to think you did well on this evaluation would be a stupid thing to assume. Hopefully you’ve been thinking about better things, like maybe practicing. You have a good voice, but we have a lot of good vocalists in here. I hope you settle on your image by next month and show us what you’re worth because right now you’re not cutting it either.” And just like that, Hayoon crosses out another name.

“Back to Sohee, though, again, your singing is better than we expected. You’ll notice we gave you some better lines this month so we can test your consistency, and see if it wasn’t just one good day for you. You really aren’t as bad of a dancer as some of the other singers here, but you could still use some great amount of improvement. You know the basics, and we know that, but we hope you can get some more techniques under your belt. Since you’re very pretty and eye-catching, the public would be bound to pay attention to you so you should really raise the level of your performance. For that reason, you’ll be getting a bit of a center position during the dance evaluation as well. You have a lot on your back so try to do a good job at it. If not, we’ll know.”

“On the other hand, Doyeon… you’re a good dancer with great techniques, but your singing has been lacking. Not so much on the vocal evaluation, but when you had to both sing and dance at the same time it sounded very lackluster. You’ll see it reflected on the distribution for this month’s full cover. I’m no vocal expert but I did have to not only watch all of your evaluation videos, but also the MGA performances from the new girls. On top of that, I have all the notes from your vocal coaches, as well. We already know you can dance well, Doyeon, so we hope you can show us you can do it while singing also. If you go out for a live performance in a new shiny group and you do crap at it, then the people will curse at you and at us. They’ll have the freedom to spread a video of it forever. It’s not that tough of a thing to do.”

Half of the girls have already been addressed and there’s still a lot more to say. “Let’s continue with the MGA ones then and go to… Somi? You’re the one with the least experience here so we didn’t hold you to too high standards. Still, we expect you to do well. There’s no need to be the best singer in the room because you won’t be but, we need to raise you from the ‘passable’ level you are right now to be at least ‘great’ by the end of the month. You also seem to be decent at both singing and rapping so we’ll be exploring that this month as well. Not only that, but, just like Doyeon, we’ve seen you struggle with singing and dancing at the same time. Your dancing is already at the great level, so try working on that this month. Stamina is of great importance, and if you want to make it anywhere as an idol, you’ll need it.”

“As for Jinsoul… it ends up you’re a vocalist who can also dance in this place, which is something rare. Comparatively, your dancing level isn’t that bad. Still… when it comes to your voice, you still have a long way to go. You have some techniques under your sleeve, but your singing still sounds very raw. We’d rather have a great singer who can’t dance than a singer who can pass on dancing but still sound weird when singing. If you’re going to specialize in something then you should actually be good at that specialty. We have a lot of singers in this room and they’re all better than you. I hope you keep that in mind.”

“Finally… Yubin. You really managed to do well in the different areas. As such a great rapper we don’t expect you to be just as great of a singer, but we’d still like you to improve in that area. As for dancing, we know you’re good on the contemporary area, but you should know by now that something like that won’t be the focus of our new girl group. You should focus on expanding your dance styles this month. You’ve been a trainee for a long time now so don’t waste that.”

“Last but not least, Sooyoung. You’re the best dancer in here and we already know that. You’re certainly better than some so-called dancers who already got to debut. For exactly that reason we were hoping you’d show more than that for your solo performance. Your voice is pretty, but you could still do a lot of work on it. For your solo performance of this month, we’d like for you to sing. Unlike some others here, you don’t have a problem with singing and dancing at the same time, so do with that what you wish.”

Her red pen marks a line through the last name and the file is finally closed. Hayoon who had tried to show a more friendly image on their first meeting didn’t show any struggles about being the bad guy. “As for you all as a group… you still have a lot of work to do. Some of you have just completed your first month as a trainee but that is no excuse to slack. Work together and give us your best image. Your synchronization should be better, as well as your chemistry. Yumi will hand you the information about your next evaluation and any other questions can be asked through your coaches.”

Finally, a smile returns to her lips. The woman stands up and grabs her bag from the chair she was sitting on. “I would say something like ‘see you next month,’ but not even that I can promise you, can I?” Hayoon gives each of them a smile and leaves the room.

OOC: This project evaluation will substitute for the general trainee monthly evaluation so TRC/G won’t take part in that unless otherwise specified. TRC/G are to practice together as a group, as well as show individual growth over time. Not every trainee will make the cut to the final group, so everyone should work hard to show off the best of their skills.

There will be a total of four different performances to be done at the end of the month, by October 31st. Three of those will be group performances, consisting of one vocal performance, one dance performance, and a full cover including both vocals and dance. This time around, the girls were divided into two different vocal groups. The fourth performance will be a solo performance that the trainee will get to choose by themselves to showcase any performance skill they’d like. Following Hayoon’s suggestions and requests is not necessary but recommendable. For this month’s evaluations, the chosen group songs are as seen below:

Vocals 1: They Just Don’t Know You by Little Mix (line distribution) Vocals 2: Red Planet by Little Mix (line distribution)

Dance: Sriracha by Marteen (center distribution)

Full: Female President by Girl’s Day (line distribution)

The eight girls (Kim Yubin, Park Sooyoung, Ahn Sohee, Lee Siyeon, Kim Sejeong, Jeon Somi, Jung Jinsoul, and Kim Doyeon) will continue their special training to help them better their skills in order to increase their chances of debut.

Kim Yumi will appear unannounced from time to time to record the girls’ progress and then leave. On October 31st, Yumi will return by herself to record all evaluation performances. These will be taken for her superiors (including Hayoon and Tiger JK) who will then discuss the results in secrecy. Feedback and the new evaluation will be given in the following month.

Confidentiality is of extreme importance and sharing information with any other person IC may result in that girl’s exclusion from the project and/or complete contract termination with TRC. It would also leave her with a bad reputation which could make other companies think twice before signing her.

To earn +2 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH and +2 DEBUT POINTS, write a 250+ words solo or a four post thread with another TRC/G member about practicing for the evaluation. For +3 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH, +1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT and +2 DEBUT POINTS, write a 350+ words solo about your muse’s solo evaluation performance. Unlike regular trainee evaluations, not writing about the group project will give your muse a bad view IC, so please keep that in mind. Please tag all your posts as #trcg:octeval and them up by midnight EST at the end of October 31st.

TRC/G OCTOBER EVALUATION (for the November 7th verification form)

[ link to thread or solo about preparations ] +2 ___ POINTS +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

[ link to solo performance solo ] +3 ___ POINTS +1WK ___ ACHIEVEMENT +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL: