#why kpop merch it's always so expensive

[hearthvkoo]

Went to a bookshop this morning and saw Golden vinyl, I had to put it down because it was so expensive 😭😭

[kokinu09]

Let Go of the Reins || Chapter 7

pairing seungmin x fem!reader

genre strangers to lovers, romance, fluff, slight angst later, happy ending, social media, not meant to be, someday

summary Australia is considered home for two of the eight members. When two tour dates are scheduled for the land down under, the boys can’t help but want to spend a bit more time there to visit family and do a little sightseeing. So how do they convince the company that they need to stay a couple weeks? Filming some SKZ Code episodes.

A local riding school just outside the city with amazing reviews for their skilled instructors and beautiful horses is hosting a very popular kpop group to film their experiences. Y/N knows the group well and she just so happens to be their star working student.

status ongoing

taglist OPEN

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~*~

You and Liv got to the venue early like Seungmin requested, about 2 hours to be exact. If it hadn’t been for the two of you having to get a few things done at the ranch that morning, you probably would’ve been there even sooner. The excitement for the concert causing your body to basically vibrate with anticipation, a permanent smile plastered on your face even as you lugged the massive buckets of feed around the barn in the wee hours of the day.

So far, the experience has been incredible. The STAY that you’ve met are some of the sweetest people; chatting with you and Liv while waiting in concession lines or for merch, complimenting your outfits to no end, and even offering you little freebies for no reason other than the mutual love of Stray Kids.

Every time the most common question in the entire K-pop community is asked, “Who’s your bias?”, you find a certain member's name falling from your lips. The answer should be the same as it’s always been. Bang Chan. You’ve been an unwavering Chan stan for as long as you’ve been listening to Stray Kids. But lately, it seems you’ve had a change of heart.

“So~,” Liv sing-songs and you already know the teasing is about to begin, “your new bias is Seungmin, huh?” Her eyebrows wiggle as you two walk away from another group of friendly STAYs.

“I don’t know why you’re surprised,” you say with a roll of your eyes.

“Oh, I’m not~!” She chirps. “I think it’s super cute!”

“Yeah, and I’m sure Han would be offended that you’ve switched rappers on him.”

“Hey! I told everyone Han is still my bias!” Liv argued with her full chest. Hand fisted on her hips and all.

“Riiight, then shouldn’t that freebie be HanQuokka instead of Dwaekki?” You say, pointing out the little SKZOO inspired pin the talented STAY had just gifted her.

“I—!” She cuts off her own protest, cheeks puffed out in a pout as she crosses her arms. “Maybe Changbin is being a bit of a wrecker lately….” She mumbles with a pink blush spreading across her nose. You do your best to hide your snicker at her expense.

The two of you walk around for a few more minutes but the longer you’re there, the more anxious you’re becoming about these mystery seats that Seungmin has promised. So you decide to make your way to the staircase to meet up with your escort.

When the stairs finally come into sight, you notice a large, like huge, security guard standing just off to the side of it. He’s dressed in all black and a black pair of shades over his eyes, even though he’s inside.

You want to laugh but he is definitely too scary looking to laugh at.

“Think that’s our guy?” Olivia leans in to ask in a hushed tone.

“I’d say so.” You reply, leading the way toward Mr. Scary-Security-Guard.

He seems to be looking for something (or someone) with the way his head is on a swivel until he spots you two approaching. It’s hard not to gulp as you realize how mountainous of a man this guy really is when you get closer. He looks like he could take on the entire stadium if it came down to it.

Was it really necessary for Seungmin to send this guy to walk them to some seats? Did he think they’d get mugged by some STAY along the way? Unlikely.

But you put on a nervous smile anyway and ask, “This is going to sound stupid but…are you here to show us to our seats…?”

The man is stone cold, the firm set of his mouth doesn’t budge even a centimeter. “Are you Y/N?” He asks in a (very intimidating) deep, baritone voice.

“Y-yeah! And this is Liv!” You say, quickly looping your arm with hers so you’re not in the center of attention. He nods his head at the introduction then extends his arm in the direction along the side of the stairs.

“This way ladies.” He says before leading them as they get to walking.

His threatening demeanor alone clears the path for them, everyone content with avoiding getting in his way. The eyes of passersby follow you in curiosity, wondering who you might be to deserve such an escort. You keep your head down and urge your feet to go one foot in front of the other.

All the way until he brought you to an ‘Authorized Personnel Only’ door. You and Liv both stop when he opens it. And he looks back at the two of you expectantly. You glance over at your friend and catch her eying you too. But you decide to trust Seungmin’s word about better seats and continue to follow Mr. Big-and-Grumpy.

The sounds of the three of your footsteps echo around the concrete walls of the service hallway they are now making their way down. You were starting to think there really was something to Seungmin’s suspiciously vague messages.

“So, um, where exactly are we going?” You ask hesitantly.

Your question is met with silence for a long minute. You’re sure he’s not going to answer but then he says, “It was requested that I bring you to meet with the band before escorting you to your actual seats.”

While your mouth drops open in surprise, Liv beside you squeals. “Really?! No way! This is totally awesome!” She cheers, bouncing with each step and tugging on your arm in excitement.

The shock of it slowly wears off and a smile forms on your face instead. An excitement of your own warming your heart and causing the butterflies in your stomach to start fluttering. Seungmin really did make sure he’d get to see you for the show.

The two of you have a pep in your step now, following a little closer behind your escort. No longer fearful of his wrath knowing the guys were expecting you.

“What’s your name, Big Guy?” Liv boldly asks eventually.

After another pause, you wonder if he’s being careful of what he says to you two. But this time he responds quicker. “Smitty.”

“Cool name,” Liv says under her breath.

“It’s nice to meet you, Smitty,” you opt to reply instead.

“Mhm,” he grunts and then another patch of silence falls between you three. You think it will stay that way but then he speaks up again.

“Are you dating,” it barely sounds like a question. And you’re so confused by it that your face scrunches and twists in the most unattractive way.

“Excuse me?”

“Are you dating him,” he clarifies, still not sounding like he’s asking.

“Dating who?” You press, earning a frustrated sigh.

“Seungmin. The one who specifically asked me, their personal security, to bring you to them safely. Are you dating him.”

“No! No, no, I’m not. He wouldn’t—” You were abruptly cut off by your best friend.

“Girl, I’m gonna stop you right there ‘cause yes he would.” Liv says, giving you a seriously nasty glare that you’d be afraid of if you didn’t know her as well as you do. Then she straightens up to address Smitty again. “And what’s it to you anyways? Why would you possibly care who either of them date?”

Her attitude seems to strike a nerve as he stops, you almost bump into his back but thankfully you don’t. He turns to face you and gives Olivia a side eye from overtop the rim of his sunglasses.

“I only ask because I have been working security for these kids for over 2 years for their tours and never once has any of them even remotely done something like this for a girl.” He explains, not looking angry but maybe a bit worried. “He’s a good kid with a big heart. If you’re only in it for the money or the clout, please, just enjoy this concert and part ways with him. He doesn’t deserve to be strung along and hurt like that.”

“Wha—? I would never use him! I bought tickets on my own! I never asked him to bump me into better ones or even to arrange this meet-and-greet!” You’re quick to defend yourself, taking a deep breath to calm down. “I know you’re only saying this because you care, but I intend to stay his friend, or whatever he wants me to be, for as long as he’ll have me. If anyone’s going to get hurt, it’ll be me.”

Your eyes burn with angry tears as you glare up at him. Angry that anyone would take advantage of the guys like that. Angry that people like to act like they know you and make assumptions. Angry that you just spilled your heart out to this stupid security guard and now you feel raw.

Liv’s hand is gentle when it lands on your shoulder, a soft and watery smile on her face when you turn away from Smitty to look at her. And she quickly wraps you in a hug, knowing how big it was for you to admit your feelings out loud like that.

When you hear the man clearing his throat, your attention is drawn back to him. Though your hard eyes and deep frown have returned to your features. He starts to chuckle, which should have pissed you off but it didn’t.

“You’ve got spunk girls.” He says through his laughter, taking a moment to recompose but a smirk still remaining. “And you seem genuine, so I’ll believe you.”

Your shoulders relax, a tension you didn’t even realize you were carrying leaving your body as if getting this man’s approval meant you could get anyone’s. He turns to continue in the direction you all were originally heading but glances over his shoulder at you. “Let’s keep moving. I don’t really wanna lose my job for keeping your boyfriend waiting.” Now he’s teasing you?!

“He’s not my boyfriend!” You groan, earning a giggle from Liv as you follow along anyway.

Willing to give up the argument if it means seeing him a little bit sooner.

~*~

taglist

@kangaracha @rainfallingfromthesky @puppysmileseungmin @defnotfertilizedtoesw @teenyfinds

@bbokari711 @lakoya @chlodavids @rylea08

@keepswingin

[snowball-doie]

Sorry if this is a bit of a random question but since im like 99.99% sure you’ve mentioned going to Korea before, do you have any advice for visiting there?

Hi!!! Yes, I’m going next Friday 🫣 This’ll be my third time haha.

Since I went for work over the summer and will be going this time too, I don’t have too many recommendations for hotels and stuff- My first time going, I spent Christmas there with 5 of my friends and we all split an Airbnb for a week, and I think it was $250 per person? So pretty affordable imo? For work, they put me in a business hotel which is DEF not affordable…. But what I will say is, consider a few factors aside from cost if you can. Location and convenience can make all the difference. Most Airbnbs don’t have elevators (and they can be illegal Airbnbs too!) so if you’re someone who needs accommodation with accessibility, hotel is the way to go. If this is your first time traveling abroad or you need more “security” then hotel is a better bet. But hotels are expensive and they’re usually in the touristy parts, so if you’re looking for something more “authentic”, then Airbnb for sure lol.

My autism goes brrrrrr on trips, so I’m a planner (my poor friends, man….) anyhow, I always create a schedule just to know what the vibes are for every day. Like literally, I’m going to be there Jan 4-Feb 10 just because I want to stay for Johnny’s birthday 🧍‍♀️ And I have on my calendar that day 1, I’m speed running the NCT Zone pop up and all of my fav kpop stores lol. So if you’re trying to find things to do there, don’t skip on the touristy things, I promise they’re worth it!! I have to go to Gyeongbukgong Palace for a 3rd time this trip lol…. Lotte Tower is soooo cool (but I think Lotte World can be a hit or a miss tbh). My fav kpop stores are ofc Kwanga Seoul (I get soooo much NCT merch there), whatever the store is called in Gangnam on the main road kinda near Five Guys? I think Meochi or something? Ktown4u at Coex is my spott 🥰 Also Withmuu in Hongdae. Allllll of the shops in Myeongdong’s train station. I was searching for Glitch Mode Jeno for so long, bro. So long. And I found ONE. COUNT EM, ONE!!!! In one of the shops there. Also they have a shit ton of photocard packs which I eat up lol. Ummmm. There’s some others. If you guys want my Naver spots, I can post that.

Speaking of Naver- Google Maps doesn’t work in Korea, so live and breathe Naver!! English is iffy on there, esp if you’re trying to find an exact address, so google the Korean names of things you’re trying to find then paste it into Naver (if you don’t know Korean). For example, if you’re trying to find Animate at AK PLAZA, you could look up AKA Plaza, but if you’re looking for Animate specifically, you might have to put in the Korean name 👍

If you’re a picky eater, do not fear. I promise, guys, I had more chicken and beer… and fast food than anything else there. I literally went to subway my first night in the summer 🧍‍♀️ And my coworkers took us to Five Guys. Yes, it’s just as expensive as here, idk why. Taco Bell is lit cuz they have beer. McDonald’s is hellaaaaa good. So there’s always stuff if you don’t end up liking some Korean foods. The only one I can never do is Samyetang in Insadong 😣 Try sundubu if you haven’t already!!! It’s literally my fav thing in the whole world omfg 😮‍💨

You don’t have to know a lot of Korean to just. Visit. Obvi know the basics like 안녕하세요 and 감사합니다 cuz those will get you a longgggg way in life lol. Tell me why the ahjussi who was driving my taxi to the airport dropped my bag on the ground and he was shocked when I hit him with 괜찮아 and he was so amazed by me lmaooooooo. If you do know a good amount of Korean, they’ll be soooo happy to talk to you, and also they will not fuck around and try to practice their English on you like I’ve experienced in other countries where I’m speaking the native language semi-fluently and they hit me with “😒 will that be for here or to go” no no, they hear Korean and they start GOINGGGG. I went to the Valorant pop up in the airport over the summer, and I just walked up and said “안녕하세요” shyly and the guy was like 🤨 “you speak Korean?” “죽음, 네“ and bro started speed running the instructions and explanation in Korean. LIKE SLOW DOWN I SAID 죽음 FUCK MAN IDK WHERE WE’RE GOINGGGGGG. And all the other employees heard me speaking Korean so they went with it too and I had to stand there and be like 😀 Yes. Yea. I totally understand. (I did not understand about 75% of it).

Ok lol enough rambling from me. If you have any other questions or want more specific advice for something, lmk! 💚 I don’t mind yapping about it haha

[mimikoolover]

Everyone getting upset about the Jikook content being monetised:

Having two members of the most famous supergroup in the world right now travelling around several countries for content is expensive af. With it being technically a work trip (and imho a very convenient union of two people clearly wanting to spend time together, them seeing the opportunity for some quality content during enlistment, and adding some padding to the whole travel permit pre-enlistment they'd have needed), I don't think they would've made Jikook pay for most of the expenses. But the hours of pay for staff, editors, security etc etc that would've been needed for the travel show need to be generated by the show. I don't know the deal between Hybe and Disney+, who paid who how much and so on, but I guess adding more profit - sth BTS and Jikook would itself profit from (meaning more free content later, more funds for things post enlistment) - isn't something unusual.

That said, there's plenty of options to consume BTS content without paying a single dollar. And I think, apart from pirating their music obviously, they'd be understanding because they know how it is to not have enough money.

Just because BTS produce something you can buy doesn't mean you have to. I myself haven't bought all the solo albums because 20 Dollars every few months just isn't something I can include in my budget. Same for the kdrama or the photofolios or the DDay concert dvds. But there's people that upload scans of the pics online, qdeoks exists for those of us who can't spend 50 Dollars for every boxset to watch one concert we like. You absolutely don't need to buy it, but they produce all this content anyway because it will undoubtedly sell. Is it capitalism? Yup. But that's just this world right now.

I'm of the opinion, kpop should add a version of albums or dvds without all the fancy extra stuff, to make it more accessible for the average consumer. Maybe the price will just be 5 Dollars less but that could be enough for many people in the fandom. Same for DVDs - I love the thought of 25 photocards of my beloved AgustD being all "tongue technology" on stage, but that's just not a realistic price tag for the average army to pay. It sold out, because people save up for it or are just rich and I can't be mad at the company to continue to make these products if they sell like hotcakes: it's just supply and demand.

Anyway. Eat the rich (though BTS maybe not), fuck capitalism and let Jikook be 🌈 for money.

yes exactly! you're a fan if you love bts and consider yourself a fan. you don't need to buy anything to be a fan. it's nice to have merch though I think because it's just nice things to have but it's not a prerequisite to being a fan or something everyone "needs to" buy. there's lots of merch I'd love to own but I can't afford to spend 100s of bts every month. you can always buy merch later too, you don't have to buy stuff immediately.

this monetisation thing is only coming up because it's jikook and people are looking for any excuse to be shitty. no one said the wooga squad is leeching off tae for in the soop friendcation or made up any weird theories about that. and I am not a fan of the wooga squad (sans tae obviously) and tbh the comments they made would have made it so easy to call that a fake scripted money grab.

I'd love to know about their disney deal cause it's interesting from a business/legal point of view. in the soop friendcation seemed like a last minute idea or at least something tae came up with on the fly and they scrambled to make it quickly. so idk how the others were planned there, why jimin's docu wasn't on there, will jungkook's be on there eventually? idk. hybe stays weird lol

[purplesurveys]

1905

Have you ever been considered popular? My high school friends were, and I also was part of the main friend group that my college org had...so I guess to an extent, I was. I was always the person who was a bit different than the rest of the people in those groups, though. I had vastly different interests in my personal life, but I guess it was my personality that helped me get close to those people. In any case, I never set out to be 'popular' and when I got included in those cliques I still actively tried to be as lowkey as possible and let the other girls shine lol.

Favorite undersea creature? Dolphins and whales :)

What types of things would you plant in a garden? I would not enjoy growing a garden.

Favorite type of fantasy creature? None.

Are you short or tall for your age? A bit on the shorter side but I'm not strikingly tiny. Everyone else is just like an inch or three taller hahaha.

Have you ever liked someone much older than you? No.

What was your first favorite band? Paramore.

Anyone’s grave you visit, regularly? I visit my grandpa a few times a year. It helps that he's very close by.

Have you ever been seriously addicted to anything? When it was new to me at the time, the internet. I was so reliant on it and was signing up for every website I could find, just crazily fascinated about this new online world I was exploring for the very first time. I lost a social life from it and also barely slept. I was irritable whenever I had to go outside because all I wanted was to be using my laptop again. I was also like...11. So pretty bad!

Have you ever had a hamster? Nope.

How many books have you read in the past YEAR? Three. Two memoirs, one novel.

Are you popular on any websites? Nah.

Ever been in the emergency room? I have not.

Are you subscribed to anything (magazines, monthly boxes, streaming sites, etc.)? A handful of streaming sites + there's also a local animal shelter that has started a subscription feature where the funds go to their vet expenses and food. I love that they started that, but I'm hoping they can also consider opening up tiers because I'm super willing to pay more on a monthly basis.

Have you ever given a lap dance? I would hate being on either end the most.

Do bats frighten you? Yes. They're not common here, so it would feel unusual and freaky tbh.

Are you a KPOP fan? I'm more a BTS fan than anything, but I like certain songs from certain groups. After BTS, I like Seventeen and TXT.

Were you anyone’s first kiss? I think so, yes.

Will you keep your last name when you get married? I had planned to hyphenate it.

Are you biracial? Nope.

What is your most expensive piece of clothing? Idk, I don't spend like my life depends on it on clothes tbh. Probably something branded or merch.

Have you ever started a rumor? Gross, no.

Color of your bedspread? Beige.

Do you have a piggy bank? Nope.

Did you ever skip a grade or get held back a grade? Neither ever happened to me.

What’s your favorite rock band? Paramore.

What color(s) eyeshadow do you wear the most? I don't put on eyeshadow.

Do you identify with any organized religion? I was born and raised in it, but I left because nothing about it made sense.

Have you read the book 13 Reasons Why or watched the show? Neither.

What is the sexiest part of the opposite sex’s body? Nothing in particular.

Are you confrontational? Never in a war freak way, but I am when I need to be.

Who was the last person you know (or that you know of) that died? A work contact's dad.

Does your first crush know that he/she was your first crush? Maybe? I don't know, I don't think much about these things anymore.

Do you like your butt? Sure.

Have you ever been to a night club? I have several times, yes

Do you believe in reincarnation? It's fun to theorize/fantasize about, but in the grand scheme of things I don't think it's true. There's nothing in death, at least for me.

Can your dog roll over on command, if you have a dog? Nah, we never got to that point. Cooper can sit, high five, shake, and stand up though. He does kiss too but like super selectively, i.e. if there's food waiting for him LOL.

Do you use any styling products on your hair? Yup, I put serum in it as it helps lessen the friziness.

Do you have a favorite local band? Who are they? No one that stands out above the rest.

Do you use the Facebook chat often? Yeah, Messenger is all people use here.

Do you own a robe? What color is it? Nope.

Who ended your last relationship? She did.

Have you ever been engaged? Nope.

Do you have any bug bites on you right now? If so, where? I don't currently, thank goodness. They're such a nuisance when you do get them.

What is the biggest problem in your life right now? Just impostor syndrome following me around at work all the time.

How many pets do you have? Three.

Do you like tomatoes? No. I remove them from stuff when I can, haha.

When was the last time you shaved your legs? This morning.

Do you have any exes your parents never liked? My relationship was never out in the open with them.

Are you a fast or a slow eater? SLOW. Very slow. I will either take hours to finish a meal, or not finish it 100% if I need to leave/do something else already haha.

What was the last thing you purchased from a small local business? I guess this quaint cafe I'm in at the moment counts as a small business? I got their almond mocha latte and a ham and cheese panini. Both are very good!

Have you ever run from the police? Nope.

What does your wallet look like? It's pastel purple and has like a million and one slots inside.

Do you have any hickeys on you? Haven't had one of those in years.

If you had a son right now, what would you name him? Owen has always been a contender, after Owen Hart.

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year? Yes, we were together for six years total.

Have you ever done ballet? I took classes when I was 5, but I was terrible, couldn't follow instructions, and apparently was very prone to distraction. After that summer session, never dabbled in ballet again lol.

When was the last time you consumed alcohol? Two Wednesdays ago.

Are you interested in creative writing of any sort? No. I tried to make it my friend, but it just doesn't like me back.

Are any of your friends virgins? I don't think so. But I'm also honestly not so sure, we never talk about sex...

Who is the funniest person you know? Hans.

Are you overweight? The opposite – I'm underweight.

Ever had a black eye? Have not.

Last person to cuddle with? My ex, a long long very long time ago.

Have you ever lost a friend to drugs or alcohol? Nope.

Have you ever read a play outside of school? Uhhh no. I've watched a musical though if that counts?...I saw Miss Saigon twice a few months back.

Do you listen to music while you sleep? Nah, I prefer having videos in the background as it's the talking sounds that help me fall asleep much quickly.

Do you sell any products? If so, what? I mean, I'm in an agency so the job is technically selling our services but that's as far as it goes for me.

Do you own a bobblehead? Nope, not my style.

Do you like scrambled eggs? Love them.

What is currently happening that is scaring you? The Taylor Swift-Vienna thing is pretty freaky tbh. I feel bad for the fans but seeing the outpouring of support from the local community to give the Swifties as best an experience as possible without the concert was very heartwarming.

What was the last movie you saw and who did you watch it with? My sister turned on Contagion when my cousin and grandma came over last week. I watched bits of it but mainly stayed for Kate Winslet's scenes tbh hahaha.

Can you cry on command? If so, have you ever used it to your advantage? No I cannot.

Have you ever snuck out of your house? Nah.

Can you do any impressions? My Mr. Bean is pretty spot on. I know so because it sends my sister laughing every time I do it. Hahahaha

Have you ever been kicked out of a public place? Why? Not kicked out but my group has gotten stares for being too noisy. I was always the one trying to ask them to shut the fuck up but would get overpowered.

Do you have any important anniversaries you celebrate? [TW: SUICIDE] Yeah, there's the day I decided not to push through with dying.

Do you know how to use a DSLR camera? Only if it's in auto mode, which I know barely counts hah.

[behaneul]

* footsteps

hanami​:

hana is a little wary of haneul. well, maybe that’s not the right word; that makes it sound like she’s suspicious of him, and that’s not the case at all. haneul is a good dancer and seems very nice, and jinyoung knows him and trusts him well enough to have invited him to their group, so he can’t be bad. hana is just…always a little nervous around new people, especially in one on one situations. this is also a great opportunity to make a new friend, though, so of course, she’s open-minded. practices haven’t been awkward at all even without them knowing each other, so she thinks that’s a good sign.

hana is happy she got involved in the cover contest, if only because it gave her a good excuse to come to enkorfest in the first place. she didn’t really need an excuse, and she’s sure stevie would’ve come with her no matter what, but…still. she’s a little amazed by the whole thing. she’s never seen so much kpop merchandise in her life, not even touching all the different activities designed for kpop fans in particular. 

hanuel asks her a question, and her head snaps toward him, from where she was just looking at a tote bag with b.e.t’s signature logo on it. she’s never been more than a casual fan, starting to listen once their sound strayed from hiphop, but she’s a little surprised any merch of theirs is still in stock, considering how popular they are.

“i like a lot of groups,” she admits with a slightly sheepish smile. “i don’t collect seriously for anyone, though…i wouldn’t have any money if i did that…” she giggles a little. “i like girl groups, mainly…too many to decide who i would want to collect. wonderland is my ult group, though. i only need one of their early single albums before my album collection is complete.” she realizes the irony of haneul asking him if she collects photocards, her saying that’s too expensive, then bringing up her album collection. in her defense, some photocards cost more than the albums themselves. (she’s looked plenty.)

“i’m more of an album collector, i guess. i think the photobooks are pretty.” 

     he’s a bit cautious around hana, if only because she’s the only one that he doesn’t know out of the group but he’s enjoyed working with her since they started practicing for the performance. it’s something that he had enjoyed quite a bit actually, working with a group of (tentative) friends and doing something that he loved with them. and dancing has always been his first love, no matter the turmoil he’s gone through to pursue a career in it. 

     either way, he’s been having a pretty good time with everyone and also had enjoyed spending time and getting to know everyone better. it was pretty easy to fall into a rhythm while practicing and they had all sort of naturally gotten closer through it.

     he’s grateful, really.

     he nods when she answers his question, having asked it without really thinking much of it and haneul wasn’t sure if she would actually take the conversation starter or if she would just ignore him. it was pretty loud, and she could’ve had the easy excuse not to answer the question but he’s glad that she had. 

     “from what i’ve heard, photocard collecting can get pretty expensive,” he adds, nodding and he had learned of this offhandedly from a classmate who was apparently very into it and had spent way too much money. it’s kind of fun to think about whether that could be him one day, and he’s glad that the thought doesn’t feel as far away as it had a while ago. maybe one day. “ohhhh wonderland has great songs,” he lets out a sound, nodding. “i don’t collect anything but i can see why you would.”

* footsteps

a starter for @behanami

when he had been recruited, for lack of a better word, to join this performance team, he had done it mostly so that he could stop wallowing in self-pity. he's sure everyone else has long moved on from the post-next gen things and has gone on with their lives. it's kind of pathetic, if he does say so himself, that he's still stuck here, unable to move on.

of course he's registered for the next semester of classes at uni, and he's moved apartments and changed his phone number and whatever, but he still feels like he's stuck in this limbo where he's just. unsure of what to do to keep going.

but the group is with stevie and jinyoung, and someone he doesn't know (?) but he doesn't mind. he's technically an extrovert, even if he's been holing himself in his apartment and trying to monopolize seojun's free time. and after they had practiced for their performance, he had found himself having a relatively good time at the festival even if he was feeling somewhat wary about putitng himself out there again. whatever. what was done was done anyway.

"are there any groups you like?" haneul asks hana, having fallen out of step with stevie in order to look at some of the merchandise that was being sold. "or like, you collect photocards for?" he adds, indicating the photocard holders and whatnot that were laid out on the table in front of them.

[hyocherie]

[since today is the bday of our precious rich coconut, here are some headcanons for kokonoi! (quick unpleasant sketch by me, i was supposed to digital it but then i remembered...i can't.) ]

● bisexual, he only realized that after akane's death and he's been hanging out with seishu more

● if somebody has a birthday, he'll just buy an expensive gift for them but ask someone to give it to them bc he's shy (but during seishu's bday, he went there himself and gave him a "ring")

● he also met shin back then when seishu brought him into the shop.

● koko just wants to spoil seishu, but he can NEVER ever do that because taiju was there and that's very awkward.

● koko already moved on, he just uses akane's name because he doesn't wanna show how much he loves seishu

● he has bad eyesight. rich but can't buy glasses, geez.

● stressed. totally stressed when he came to kmg. his boss and his vp are literal monsters and it hurts being the only sane one

● when he's alone, he ties his bangs into a ponytail, so it looks weird but cute. (seishu did that back then for fun and now he's doing it every damn time.)

● he tries to visit d&d motors but he's too shy and scared to go. he only got the courage to when he brought takemichi to seishu.

● actions speak louder than words, so everything that koko does to/dedicates to seishu is telling him that he loves him.

● pure simp. whipped for seishu and seishu only

● when he saw takemichi, he remembered shinichiro, so by the years, he very much looked up to michi.

● kpop stan and not BROKE to buy albums and merch (KOKO WHY)

● sunglasses. he always wears those oval-shaped sunglasses because he finds them cool and makes him feel expensive

● tried heels, twisted his ankle, never did it again.

● his favourite colour is red, so half of his closet is painted with red clothes

● no one will stop me from thinking he lives in a penthouse.

● and lastly, his fave animal is a dog because it reminds him of seishu

[property of seiji, @hyocherie and @inc0rrect1stgenblackdragons]

[avocadomin]

where do you typically buy from when you get albums? <3 i’ve been lucky being able to buy a lot of mine from target or smth but i’m not sure where best to buy online from. thx ☺️

hello!! i probably just need to add this to an faq or make another post about where i’ve bought albums cause this seems to be a frequent question hehe. most of the time i’ve bought from these stores:

1. catchop-cd: i buy from them all the time and is my go-to site. they’re based in korea, so shipping is $$$, but it’s too much more then other common korean sellers.

2. Target: recently i’ve been getting more albums from target as they become available. TBH tho unless you want the target exclusive postcards or poster then it’s actually about 5-10 dollars cheaper on catchop then target, you just have to wait 3-4 days.

3. kpopstoreinusa: this is a kpop store based in atlanta and has pretty decent prices! they also sell some merch items such as light sticks. the staff are always so nice and they always give you a few freebies. they also sell some signed albums!! reasonably priced…just a little more then what you would pay for mnet off their site but i got a signed minnie levanter album almost a year after release for $50.

4. Barnes & Noble: similar to target…can be more expensive but you do get them right away. i get my american copies of monsta x albums here. they also carry almost any big hit group, most jyp groups, NCT, blackpink, EXO-SC and baekhyun, etc. they have more available online but these are ones usually find in the store and it varies a LOT between each store. you go to.

5. kpopusa: this store is based in vegas. similar to kpopstoreinusa they sell albums, merch, NA photo books, etc. sometimes they can run a little more speedy then the atlanta store but have things in stock a little longer. they’ve been SUPER slow with all their orders and cause of COVID but have been really good about updating their customers on why things are taking so long. 

6. SubK: a LA based seller. i’ve never bought albums from them before but they do a lot of exclusive pre order cards or pre order gifts for groups. i normally buy merch from here and haven’t had too many issues. sometimes it just takes UPS a bit to actually get your stuff to you but that’s not on them.

7: ktown4u: i no longer buy from them as they’ve has a lot of issues but a lot of people still love them. they also have shop exclusive pre order cards, along with magazines, albums, some merch, and even some beauty products. shipping is $$$ again since they’re based in korea and they can take a real long time to send things out too </3

8. kpoptown: i’ve ordered from them only once and didn’t have an issue. they answered a question i had within a few days and had everything come in order. they also have some more things in stock longer cause i bought a ab6ix album from them that i’ve been search for for a few months and they’re the only place i found that had the version i wanted

9. amazon japan: great for japanese albums. i’ve bought some NCT ones and my SKZ ones from here and gotten them pretty quickly. shipping isn’t too bad, but sometimes you have to wait or search for a decently priced seller off of it.

i’m typing this on an iPad so hopefully there’s not too many mistakes. but these are places i usually order from or have ordered from them a few times in the past. there’s also a TON of posts out there about where people buy albums. i’ve found most of these through watching unboxing videos cause they almost always say where they buy them from. hope this helps!

[soundofseventeen]

When I Grow Up 1.5 (Lee Seokmin)

I am both in my soft emo hours and unsure when I’ll post again, so here it is! If you haven’t read the first part yet, that’s totally fine, but it ties together with this one hence why it’s short! 

Word count: 2366

You tapped your fingers against the table nervously. Seokmin wouldn’t just stand you up, especially when he was the one who placed the reservation and because it was his idea to meet up with you. Is this what you got for readily agreeing to meet the boy? The waiter had been fairly kind to you, letting you know everything was okay and that this happened often...the boys running late that is. But they always showed up. He poured you a glass of wine while you waited and the sweet taste calmed your nerves a little. You also ate some of the breadsticks so the alcohol wouldn’t affect you. He hadn’t texted you or given you any other indication that he was on his way over.

But before you could leave, he came running to your table, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “I’m sorry,” he panted. “I was getting ready to come over….when Soonyoung hyung called….me about working on one...of my dance routines and time flew by. I left mid practice.” He reaches into his flannel and pulled out a rumpled yellow daisy....a couple stray petals falling. “I picked this….for you before….I came in.”

Seokmin’s thoughtfulness hadn’t gone away, you noted. You accepted it graciously and he finally sat down. “Thank you for waiting,” he said when he could breathe. “I wasn’t sure what I would’ve done if you weren’t here.”

“The thought crossed my mind,” you admitted. “The waiter was quick to get me to stay.”

“Yeah?” He seemed surprised. “I mean we’ve lost our reservations a couple of times with how late we were but this, this is the best restaurant in town.”

You twirled the wine glass between your fingertips, believing him. “I can drink to that.” He didn’t have to know that was more expensive than everything in your house put together...including your slowly growing kpop collection. 

“Great.” He removed the flannel leaving him in a plain white shirt, and you had to remind yourself to breathe. He was your friend, someone you used to watch, someone who grew up in front of your eyes. “So tell me, Y/N, what have you been up to since the last time I saw you.”

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t like the way he still addressed you so casually, especially with that smile he wore. “Well, I finally moved out of Yongin.” Obviously. Why else would you be there? 

“What do you do now?” He thanked the waiter for his glass of wine and he smiled at you both, letting you know he’d be back to take your order.

“I'm studying psychology but right now I work at a gardening store.” You realized how much your dreams had changed now that you thought about it. You remembered telling him how you wanted to be a teacher and own your own public library.

“That’s cool,” he nodded, and you briefly wondered if he thought the same thing you did. “And how are your friends?”

“I hope they’re good. I haven’t seen them in a couple weeks. Life has been hectic...today was my first free day in awhile, and well I met you. How about you Seok? Now is the idol life treating you?” If you kept him talking, it’d be easier not to let your attraction for him get in the way. 

“It’s been so fun!” He replied happily. “I didn’t think I could ever be friends with so many people! And Carats really love us! It seems like a distant dream that I thought I couldn’t do something like this.” The wistful expression lingered for a moment and then his usual smile returned. “We go on tour a lot and we practice nonstop! Woozi hyung really knows how to put a song together and give us lines so it comes out perfect!”

“You’re living the dream,” you mused, raising your wine glass and taking a sip. “I’m very happy for you. You have a gift and you used it wisely.”

Seokmin requested another bottle of wine once the waiter wrote your orders down along with more appetizers as you caught up on the insignificant parts of your daily lives like how you completed your shopping for the week and how he chose to take a day from the gym because he didn’t seem to have as much time for more days. You didn’t know if the warmth was from the room or the way the alcohol coursed through your system but the constant blush on your cheeks from giving and receiving compliments felt nice, natural even. He kept you laughing as if you hadn’t been separated for years as he reminisced the details you thought he had forgotten, mostly because you did. 

You thought you had been there a couple of hours but when the waiter abashedly told you it was almost midnight and they had to close soon, you were brought back to a sad reality where you and Seokmin would go your separate ways and tomorrow you’d go back to your normal life and he’d be an idol again and who knew when you’d cross paths again, assuming you were that lucky, that is. 

“Gosh, has it really been that long?” He asked, handing the waiter his credit card to process their payment. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to go just yet.”

There was the Seokmin you knew. He enjoyed people’s presence and wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. But you knew that if you didn’t end it here, it’d hurt more when actually said goodbye. You didn’t know why, but you wanted to spend more time with him, tomorrow if he had the chance or whenever the weekend called for it. You missed him a lot and finally felt like you had gotten the friend you always wished him to be. But still, you could feel the tug in your heart at rejecting his request.

“Actually Seokmin, I should probably get going. I have to work tomorrow and-”

“No worries. Can I at least take you home? I don’t want your boyfriend thinking that I left you by yourself.” He finally stood up and stretched, letting his bones crack in the process. “How is he anyway?”

“Good, he’s good.” At least according to his Facebook posts whenever you logged on. He got married and started a family, moving somewhere to Jeju City. You did remain amicable, even commenting how he and his husband looked adorable on their wedding day and he congratulated you when you moved into your own place...all via social media of course. “But we broke up before I moved to Gangnam. His family keeps him on his toes.”

“So you’re not seeing anyone?” He yelled goodnight to the host as he held the door open for you, and you just wanted to believe how hopeful he sounded.

“Not right now. I mean, I want to get back into it once my life gets a bit more stable, but right now, I’m content just doing whatever I like. That was something my last boyfriend told me before he pursued his coffee job dream in Japan. How about you?”

“Ohh, uh you know how it is. Dating is a little difficult when someone’s watching your every move.”

“Right, right. I read about how you got outed. I’m sorry.” You felt embarrassed for even asking now. One of the gossip magazines broke the news sometime during one of your midterms and the only reason you found out was because you heard someone screaming about it. (How you didn’t know you went to school with multiple Carats you didn’t know but then again, you didn’t exactly wear too much of their merch. It felt embarrassing in a way.) 

“I mean, it’s over now, but I have to be careful about everything now.” He hailed a taxi and let you slide in first. “What’s your address so you can go home first?”

You gave it and then rode the way in silence, an unusual thing for DK. Every time you glanced over at him, he seemed to be lost in thought, the only light coming from his phone. You wanted to say something, anything before you never saw him again...unless he went on tour again. But you couldn’t with the butterflies making their way to your throat. You weren’t sure why you nervous but you knew you wanted to hold his hand. 

The years had been very good to him in the time you been apart. You were staring but you couldn’t help it; the jawline cutting your something inside you, his moles being your favorite feature of his. You reached up to touch one, but when he turned, you chickened out and patted his head instead, loving the way his hair felt between your fingertips. It had always been his favorite method of comfort and your go-to whenever you didn’t know what else to do.  

You saw when his eyes closed and he let out a hum of approval. “This feels good,” he said softly.

“Sorry, it’s a habit,” you apologized.

“I like it. It means you’re still comfortable with me.”

“You’re still Seokmin...you’re just famous.” Telling him that he was still somehow 10 years old to you didn’t feel right, and you knew it would’ve ruined the mood. “You’ve grown up well.”

“Have I made you proud yet?”

“Seokmin, you have no idea how proud I have been of you.” 

“When I felt like nothing, I thought of you. You always helped me.” 

There was that warmth that was at the restaurant. Did it follow you here or has it been there a while? You couldn’t be sure, but you liked the warm, tingly feeling. You wondered if he was feeling the same way you were right now. You sighed deeply through your nostrils when the cab stopped in front of your house. “Thank you, Seok. I hope we can keep bumping into you in the future, even if it’s just a few minutes.”

“Yeah, sure no problem. It was good to see you again.”

“You too.” You wondered if he’d give you any other sign he wanted to keep in touch with you, but he didn’t move so you finally got off, feeling somewhat disappointed. So you swallowed your pride. “Do you wanna come inside?”

He shook his head and you could feel the rejection taking it more personally than you should’ve. “You should probably go to sleep. You have to work and I do too. I’ll call you next time I’m free. How does that sound?”

You nodded, trying to ignore the stinging. Rationality was new. He normally would’ve jumped at the chance to spend more time with you, but that was years ago. He was grown up now, still a little naive but a good person nonetheless. He waved at you until you went inside and you let out another sigh. This time, missing him felt different. It was like an ache in your heart that you knew wouldn’t go away until you saw him again. And who knew when that would be again.

The knock on your door made you jump, and you weren’t sure why you were surprised when you saw Seokmin standing there.

He took your hands in his, not quite sure what to say. “Do you have a minute?”

You nodded, still being unable to speak. You just knew that you liked it. 

“I missed you every day that I was away, and I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. I know that if I went back home, even just to visit, I wouldn’t have found you there. I know that I’m still like a child, but I promise I have grown up. I’m not the kid you used to know.”

“I know,”  you finally said. “I’ve known that for a long time.” He wasn’t the child who cried whenever you killed a fly anymore or the one who hid behind you whenever he was scared. He was now considered a man, one who was big and strong but still carried a fragile heart, and that made you so happy. All the vlives, the interviews, the persona he portrayed in front of people wasn’t so much of a stretch of the person you knew. You could even tell in the way he held your hands; he squeezed them, not enough to hurt you but to get your attention. “You have grown up.”

“Y/N, do you still see me like a kid?”

You shook your head, wondering when that changed. You met him when you were barely a preteen and he was still using a nightlight to keep the monsters away. How did he suddenly become someone who didn’t need so much looking after? He was just a kid at some point to you. When did he become someone you were interested in? “I...it’s been awhile since I have.”

He squeezed your hands again. “You don’t know how long I waited to hear you say that. Y/N, please, can I have a chance? It doesn’t have to be now, but whenever you’re ready?”

You nodded. “Seokmin, if you asked me right now, I wouldn’t say no.” You understood now that you wanted him to say this or something like it. “I’m scared though,” you found yourself whispering. 

He hesitantly brought one of your hands to his lips, kissing the skin softly. “Why?”

“What if this is a dream? What if we mess this up? Seokmin, what if we rushed into this?” You tried not to listen to your heart disagreeing with you because maybe for once, it was right.

“Then tell me to take a step back and we’ll take it from there.”

“Aren’t you scared?”

“Only that you’ll slip away again.”

“Seokmin-”

He tilted your chin slowly, gazing at you until he could cup your cheek. He finally pressed his lips to yours, kissing you softly. “When we grow up, I hope you can see that we can do this right. Things, I think, will change. Just don’t you dare let loose of my hands.”

[espship18]

Kpop ship for angellus

Hey y’all heyyyyy :3 How are y’all? It’s not even 10 am yet as I’m writing this and I’ve had one heck of a day~ I am here with a ship for @angellus ! I’m excited for this ship, so let’s do this!

Based off of your request, I learned these things about you: 

You’re 5′2 with curly brown hair and green eyes

You’re quiet but you can get very quirky and lovable 

A joke crakcer omg hit me up I got some good ones!

A big ol’ softie 

Interest/hobbies include: watching movies, reading, drawing, and cooking

In uni, studying film 

And you’re also family oriented 

And in your request, you asked to be shipped with EXO, Got7, iKon, and NCT! I am hekka excited for this ship so sit down, buckle up, and here we go!

EXO: Chanyeol

Okay so this is only group one, but I am already so smitten over you and Chan. I don’t wanna do the normal tall or short ordeal but come on, the height difference is so stinking cute and it’s the cherry on top as to why I love you two so much. You also get a gentle giant all to yourself, what is there not to love?! You two combined as a couple, you two would be so proactive. Like, you’re in school, learning new languages, going around the world for internships, Chanyeol has his career in full swing, and you two are heavily involved in each others career paths. Your career hopes is just an add in to Chanyeol’s career, so like, there wouldn’t be a doubt in my mind that you’re with Chanyeol at his work whenever you can be, and it’s just a great learning opportunity! You’re literally getting so much experience in different parts of film and producing, and Chanyeol would literally show you and every opportunity he could! And our Channie is a smart boy, and he loves to learn as well, so there is no doubt in my mind that Chanyeol would like to dabble into your interests as well and see you take charge in an area he’s not very good in. And I think a really cute example of Chanyeol taking you along to work with him would be taking you to a variety show filming. Chanyeol would be an even extra crackhead that day too, so on top of seeing the industry and Chanyeol, it was a perfect day. And I will be the first to say that Chanyeol is going to treat you like a queen, he’ll even get you a staff and crown, and that’s a big ol’ truth bomb right there. He’s needy, he’s respectful, he’s gentle, lovable, he’s just everything anymore that you could’ve asked for. He would be thinking about you always, and if he was out or you were away, he would get little trinkets of things that reminded him of you. Whether it’s from your birthstone to a little camera key chain, you would have this big collection of bit and bobs from your special man. Another reason that Chanyeol is a king is because he makes time for you every week, at least once a week. For a good like, five or six hours, it’s you and Chanyeol time, and you can either go out, stay home, hang out in his studio, the world is literally your oyster. Hell, sometimes you two will literally stay home and sleep and get tangled up in each others limbs you’re so cuddled in with each other. PDA wise with Chan is all about height. He loves how there’s almost a whole 12 inch difference between you, and he would love to rest his chin on your head, playfully use your shoulders as an arm rest, or he would hug you and lift you up so he could give you kisses.

Got7: Jaebum

Moving right along, I can already tell that you two are more mild when compared to you and Chanyeol, but your bond gets even closer the more you stay in. Although you would be more than comfortable with Jaebum, your quieter side would come out more with him, and your chill vibes would work in unison with Jaebum’s perfectly! And of course, you and Jae would have the same ol’ super sweet puppy love that we all know when it comes to my blog. Omg, imagine if you two were like a business couple. Like you and Jae would work together with his Def Soul projects, whether it would be you two choosing the album or you filming some behind the scenes of really candid moments of Jae writing lyrics and recording, you two would do it all! And omg imagine making merch! That would be so stinking fun OMG! Jae would make all kinds of different bucket hats and you would make fun t-shirts and then you two would make the campaigns and do the merch shots for the website and you two would be completely self made and it’s such a badass moment for you two! Like you two would be absolute couples goals and I am living for you two. When it comes to being social, I can see you two being more of an introverted couple. You two would enjoy staying home and watching crime shows on Netflix, but that doesn’t mean that you’re completely hermits. You two would go on museum trips and go on double dates with your friends. Jaebum would also like to take you on little shopping trips, just one way he would show you his appreciation. Okay listen, imagine if he got you a pair of pearl earrings omg. I think that would be the most expensive thing you would allow him to buy because you’re not materialistic, and a pair of pearls is like a HUGE investment, and you’d wear them practically every day. Another detail I would like to add, is that I think you two would have that teacher/learner type of relationship. I think it would be sweet if Jae would want you to teach him how to draw. He would like to watch you doodle and HOLY CRAP, IMAGINE GIVING HIM SHARPIE TATTOOS!!! You would put them on his hands or arms and I can grantee your little tattoos would have iGot7′s losing their shits. I promise I’m not trying to be all over the place, I’m just so excited about you two! You’re also Jae’s #1 mullet supporter. Like, Jae would keep his mullet for as long as he did because of you. You would give JAe so much confidence and he would keep his mullet. PDA wise, the softest knuckle kisses, soft and secure hugging, and he would always would keep you close because you are tiny. I love you two so much I gotta stop~~~

iKon: Donghyuk

Okay, family, children, Donghyuk, ohhh girl, you’re getting it all- this man has everything you could ever need! As a couple, you and Hyuk would be a good balance of wild and mild and your aesthetics would work well together in my professional opinion. When it comes to you and Donghyuk, all I can think of is family. Whether it’s your family, Donghyuk’s family, and even iKon, you two are such a family oriented couple that I wanna sob it’s so sweet. Once your family would fall in love with Donghyuk imagine your little cousins asking if Dongjyuk is coming. I can definitely see your little cousins falling in love with Hyuk because at family gatherings, you and Hyuk would play tag with the kids and let the kids climb all over you two, and they would like to play pirates or something super cute, and you two would play along so well and the kids just love you two. OO OO! This is the best part, imagine Donghyuk’s mom sending you care packages, and she would always ask you to take care of her son while he’s working, and you two would be best friends. She would also give you some of Donghyuk’s favorite recipes that his mom makes so you can comfort him when he feels homesick. Hehe, and imagine you and his mom getting lunch together and getting pedicures together, so cute! Then you have iKon to take care of, which to be honest you really become a second mom with Hanbin around and you take care of all seven of those crack heads, but they love you to death and you love them back. Moving onto another part of your ship for Donghyuk, I think it would be really cute if you two were big jokesters with each other. Like the king and queen of puns and jokes. And heck, since there is a family theme to this ship.. DAD JOKES! Imagine Donghyuk having a daily subscription to some website where they send him jokes throughout the day, Hyuk would spitting out those jokes like no bodies business. Keeping you smiling is always on the agenda~ Date nights I feel like would be at home and private. Date night would be reserved for you and Hyuk time, mostly because of where you two are out so much. Movie nights would be a perfect type of date night, simply because it’s chill and a good building block for a great date night. Get some good take out and blankets, boom, you have a great date night! Lastly PDA, he’s so gentle and soft with you. He loves to hug you close and sway you side to side, telling you how much he loves you. Then he would have this lil habit of twirling you, so sweeeeet~ 

NCT: Taeyong

Last but certainly not least, we have NCT. Once again I am in love with this ship so much. And I will go on a whim here and say that you and Tae have more than puppy love, you have smitten kitten love. You would be the rock that holds Taeyong down. You would be one of the few non-work related things that would help Taeyong relax and we all know that Taeyong needs some real relaxation time. Straight up be prepared for some major snuggle time with Tae. I’m not saying Taeyong is submissive or anything, this is not the blog for that conversation lol, but, Taeyong would be more needy for your affection and your touch, because where he’s real emotionally dependent on you. Which like it’s Taeyong we’re talking about, it’s an honor to have him want to snuggle on you. You would have that magic that Tae would crave to help him relax, and he would always want to come back for more. When it comes to couple activities, I think it would be really sweet if you and Tae had a little bit of an old school type of love aesthetic going on. Tae’s the sweet gentleman who gives you his jacket on warm nights and sometimes date night would be playing monopoly til three am and you two pass out on the floor. And omg it would be hecca cute if Tae would have to get one of the other NCT members to watch the Dreamies so you two couple be alone on date night. Moving right along, when I say this, I don’t mean this to sound negative or anything, but I can imagine Taeyong would sleepy for the first couple days or hours when you two would be together. His adrenaline and stress would diminish dramatically and he would be exhausted. You would come to the rescue though because you would be the pillow for Taeyong to sleep on, and you could relax while he rests. You could read a new book you got, or do homework on your laptop. And then when Taeyong wakes up, he’s refreshed and ready to go out. If you two aren’t having a game night, Taeyong would cook you two dinner. Him taking over date night would be like a sign of love he would show to you. Then he would make a dessert made to be shared for two, and you’d eat the dessert together. And for fun, let’s throw in some slow dancing because you it’s the most perfect classic old school love date activity. Lastly, PDA wise, Taeyong would not be able to keep his hands off of you! Tae would always love to have his arm wrapped around you tight, he would come up behind you and give you back hugs, and if you were walking and he wanted a hug, he wouldn’t let go of you til you hugged him, so you would be dragging Taeyong along you like a puppy, hehe. You two are adorable!

I used to do outro’s but I stopped and I wanna bring them back~ I had so much fun shipping you omg. I may or may not have guessed your biases, but I shall support your loves and these loves no matter what! Lemme know how I did, and I hope you have a wonderful day! <3

~STA

[jeongjaebae]

yes yes !! it is i, squirrel anon!! i've just been lurking around every month or so and saw you had a few gaps on not posting so i wasn't sure if you were that active anymore !! (glad you still are active though)

i'm doing great! i'm not sure if i ever revealed my age group?? (oh well) college apps have been quite stressful and the thought of after hs scares me 😭 jacob and i are still together! i actually gave him a nickname cobbie bc i was like why not with tbz jacob too HAHAH. i was supposed to visit my family in the north so i can experience snow again but sadly they said the tickets were too expensive ㅠㅠ. how are you? any life changing events? oh remember about my new year's resolution last year? i've made it to 8k!! while i've been slacking a bit i'm so proud of myself :D

oh no was whisper bad? i mean i watched and listened to the song but like i don't remember anything at all 😭 thought it was an average kpop song i guess... still love tbz though !! but yes i did watch wednesday! ever since i saw the trailer i promised myself to watch it... and i finished watching it in the same day... i also love one of the actors tyler 🫶🏻🫶🏻 i haven't really seen any special stages (• •;) aside from that one han jisung part and yuna stage. i hope you know what i'm talking about HAHAH.

awww i'm so glad my message made you happier! hope you're having a good day cherry <3 (btw idk if the spacing is going to be weird for you? but the spacing on here seems so wide 😭) -🐿️

haha i wouldn't say... i'm too active on here :') like i'm pretty much out of material to post for now until i finish one of my long wips or until tbz's comeback next month magically sucks me back into the fandom LOL

ohh are you an 05 liner then? ah i figured as much!! college apps are indeed a stressful time and picking a major even more so 😭 the fear is understandable, i guess it's kinda hard to picture your life until you get there? hopefully it'll be a smooth transition for you! aHHH that's good that you and jacob are still together!!! omg you nicknamed him cobbie HAHA that's cute, does he know tbz at all? and yeahh everything is so expensive these days, i hope you do get to visit family and experience snow again one day!! it's been a fairly warm winter here so far so it hasn't snowed much, but it's been soooo gloomy all the time 😔 oooh your resolution was clearing photos right?!? 8k is decent progress!! i probably said i had like 2k last year but... here we are at 7.5k this year (it's the many concerts i went to... i wanna keep svt and ateez on my phone forever, they're beauuutiful HAHA)

i'm doing well but life is kinda boring atm 😅 hmm in terms of life changing events... i got a job!! also did a bit of travelling and went to 8 kpop concerts within the past 6 months, and a few of them were life changing (skz, svt, ateez). also started a kpop album/merch collection which was unintentional but... here's where my newly earned money is going LMAO

whisper was... well, i think they were going for thrill ride 2.0 but it didn't meet expectations? i personally didn't like the song and thought that the concepts they teased weren't really related to the song 🥲 but hopefully next month's comeback will be better!! ahh i still have not watched wednesday but... will start... one of these days :') ooh is the actor you're talking about hunter doohan? just googled him rn LOL. the only thing i know related to the show is that emma myers is a huge svt fan HAHA. and yeahhHH i know that stage, the one with han's iconic hockey uniform that everyone went Wild over!!

and dw the spacing looks fine!! not surprised that it might look weird bc tumblr always does things like that, also i think they went through a recent update? things are a bit wonky HAHA. anywayyy hope you're having a good day too and that everything goes well with college apps and acceptances!! <3

[sungvin97]

BTS LOVE YOURSELF TOUR OAKLAND

Wow wow wow wow! I can’t believe I was actually there! So yes, I went to the BTS Love Yourself tour in Oakland last night and let me tell you, I was planing not to go. Like NOT AT ALL! 

I never bought tickets when they were released but then as the concert got closer and closer I was beginning to regret the decision a little. So my friend in one of my classes said that we should go just to get merch and have fun. So we did. We arrived at 7:00 AM and lined up in a very unorganized line (why are kpop concert lines never organized until the last minute??). But anyways, we met some nice awesome ARMYs and the time passed quickly. We got through the gates at around 11 and they made us hold a rope to keep in line! I felt like we were in kindergarten! Of course everyone took off running when we saw the merch line. My friends and I were in a good location and by the time we got up there only the shirts and the group picket were sold out. I got a eco bag, mini photocards, Jimin’s premium photo, and Jungkook’s picket. Way overpriced but worth it. So then we went to the LG booth and took some pictures with the cardboard cutouts of the boys. The closest I’ll ever get to them (cries). Then we drew for the chance to take a picture with one of the boys through a green screen. I didn’t win but my friend did so she took a picture with her bias, Jin. All this time we had been looking at tickets online, watching the prices drop from $800 to $700 to $600 very slowly. And then we saw two tickets for $548 plus fees. We couldn’t let them go so we bought them for $700 each! So expensive!!!! But now we had tickets and were officially going to the concert! Two hours ago we were just there for the merch but now we were actually going! Fast forward a couple hours and we were in the venue with all the other ARMYs. Here is the set list that they performed: IDOL, Save Me, I’m Fine, Magic Shop, Just Dance, Euphoria, I Need U, Run, Serendipity, Love, DNA, Medley Set B: Boyz With Fun/Attack On Bangtan/Fire/Baepsae/Dope, Airplane PT. 2, Singularity, Fake Love (Rock version), Seesaw, Epiphany, The Truth Untold, Tear, Mic Drop Remix Remix (MAMA 2017 one), So What, Anpanman, and Love Myself. Honestly, one of the main reasons why I wanted to come to the concert so badly was because I wanted more than anything to see Seesaw and Serendipity live. It’s been over a year since I last saw them at the Wings tour in LA and their English has improved so much! Hearing the ARMY singing Magic Shop was something that really touched me and I was looking at Jungkook and thinking that he must be so happy to hear us sing his song. And then hearing everyone, and I mean everyone, sing with Jin and sing “I’m the one I should love in this world” really made me cry. It made me remember why I was here and why I loved these seven men. It really made me realize that I am the one I should love and that I really should love myself. The whole concert was like a punch to the face of knowing that truly loving yourself is the most important thing in this world. Side note, Anpanman is my favorite song and so I was going hard when that came on. I did not stop dancing for one second. I was in another world. Hobi said that we all dance well too. Also, the concert was on Namjoon’s birthday! So we had been screaming for him so much and the lights when out at the beginning and they were all confused before we all broke into song and sang him happy birthday. He was so happy and smiley! He was totally feeling himself during the whole concert and was having the time of his life when he was performing Love. They were all so happy on the stage and looked like they were having a great time. Again, I realized that BTS does make good music, does dance well, are very handsome, but also that their stage presence is just out of this world. You never know what to expect and you’re blow away when you see them. You walk out of there Jungshook. It’s another world at a BTS concert. Someone gave Jungkook a Korean flag too and he was showing it off and walked off the stage with it too. The day went from just a normal day to suddenly being one of the best in my life. I’m so thankful I was able to go on such short notice. I’m thankful for the ARMY and for BTS. The concert was amazing and I’ll always remember it. I PURPLE YOU BTS! 

[x-wearethefuture-x]

What do your muses want for Christmas?

((This is going to be a slightly long post because I have a lotof muses, but I’ll try to keep it somewhat concise.

Sooyeon: She wants to try switching up her choicesin perfume (she’s been wearing the same one FOREVER, and it would be nice tochange it up), so maybe like one of those perfume sampler gift sets? Also maybesome new makeup brushes. And, lastly, books. Genre, stye, author, etc don’tmatter. She just wants something new to read and she doesn’t know where tostart.

Seunghyun: There’s nothing in particular thathe wants? He doesn’t admit it easily, but he’s a fan of some kpop girl groups,so if someone knows him really well they might get him a new album orsomething. He doesn’t, like, collect posters or anything like that though, sono need for merch- he just enjoys the music. Also, he needs a new pair of bootsand a new watch ^^;

Hyuna: Eyeshadow palettes: the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill palette, theViseart Editorial Brights palette, and the Fenty Beauty Moroccan Spice paletteare the ones she’s most interested in (they’ve all been used on her forphotoshoots and she loves them, but she doesn’t actually own any of them). Alsoat least one Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipstick, preferably in bikini babe,wifey, or heartbreaker. Also, maybe some new heels? Something strappy andblack- like this or this. Oh!And, lastly- a pokemon hoodie! Preferably a size or two too big for her. Also,the ones that are either simple (with like a single pokemon on the front orback) or the ones that have the hood with the ears on it (she’d love a shinyumbreon one, without the tail tho if possible. It seems like it would just getin the way). Alternately, maybe thisSailor Moon jacket, she absolutely loves it!

Kyuhyun: Red Dead Redemption 2, Dragonball Fighter Z, or Assassin’sCreed Odyssey. He also intends to preorder the ps4 vr bundle that comes withBorderlands 2 and Beat Saber (mostly for Borderlands), but that’s expensive, sothat’s more of just something he’s getting for himself ^^; Also- he likes 2player video games so that Chanmi can join him if she wants to. He knows she’snot, like, super into them or anything, but if he can find something she enjoysplaying, then he wants to get it. After all, what’s better than getting to doyour favorite leisure activity with the one you love? He also needs a newwatch (he goes through one or two a year because of work oTL), and some newwinter gloves. Also, maybe a new phone case- his is looking dull and worn. ALegend of Zelda related one maybe?

GaIn: She’s been trying to learn how to play the piano, but it’sdifficult when she doesn’t have one- so maybe a keyboard. Nothing expensive orfancy, just something functional that she can learn on. Nail polish, redlipstick, and black eyeliner are things she always needs, so any of that would be great, too! Also, she’sbeen meaning to get a suit that’s better tailored to her own body rather thankidnapping Kwon’s all the time (they’re a little big on her). So something likethat would be nice. Or a slinky, red, dress.

Kwon: A guitar rest for his acoustic guitar at home (hisrecently broke, so he’s resorted to lying it in places he hopes are safe forit). Some new heels- he’s in love with this pair. Otherwise,Kwon doesn’t really want for much. Maybe just some new music notation sheets. Acalligraphy kit would be nice, too.

Hyojin: She needs CASH. Like, that’s what she really needs. Notstuff, just CASH. Though some new headphones would be appreciated (not earbuds,but actual headphones), as would a new winter jacket with a faux fur trim onthe hood. Hyojin is the kind of person that doesn’t care much for gettingpresents. She never knows what she wants until it’s right in front of her- soshe prefers money in order to get things for herself.

Hyuk: A new tripod for his camera. He already has one, butanother one would be awesome because he keeps losing his other one somehow?? Hewould also like a nice water bottle, something sturdy and easy to carry- he’sgained a little weight lately and now he’s trying to carry water with himeverywhere so he’s not tempted to drink sugary stuff (because he likes both hiscoffee and tea WAY too sweet). Lastly- he’s a big movie buff, he’ll watch justabout anything. So movie memorabilia? Or literally just, like, the actualmovies because he has hardly any and he’s just stuck with whatever’s availableto stream on Netflix.

Yongsun: Mostly she just wants stuff for her dog, Aayla. So, like,dog toys and dog treats, maybe a new leash. Also some running shoes- she won’tuse them much at this time of year, as soon as it’s warm she likes to go onjogs with Aayla not just through the park, but outside of the city too, likealong forest and mountain paths. She grew up surrounded by nature, so the cityis stifling to her. That’s why she’d also like a couple easy to care for plantsfor her house, too. Nothing that will die if she doesn’t have time to tend toit for a day or two, but something to brighten up her place. Also- some coloredpencils because she bought a Harry Potter adult coloring book and hasn’t beenable to use it, but she keeps forgetting to by colored pencils oTL And,finally, one of those Star Wars Death Star waffle maker because who /doesn’t/want Death Star waffles?! Or the Millenium Falcon one!On one last note: Yongsun doesn’t need much. She makes a fair amount of moneyfrom her job (not as much as you’d expect, but she has plenty). Honestly, thebest gift for her is someone who will come over and help her bake Christmascookies and pies and things for her family and friends. She usually cooks andbakes alone, which is fine because it’s very therapeutic to her, but sheprefers it when other people want to join her.

Junsu: He also doesn’t want much, he usually just buys whateverhe wants. But copic markers don’t come cheap, so maybe a nice set of those. Newsketching pencils and pens for inking would be nice, too. Books are always agood choice, as well. When he’s not drawing or writing, he’s usually reading.You could get him just about any book and he’d still read it, so you can’t gowrong with anything, really. He does prefer adult fiction, but as an author ofyoung adult novels, he reads a lot of books in that genre for inspiration.Otherwise, there’s nothing in particular that he desperately wants. He livespretty simply. Though, just a small hint with Junsu- he doesn’t seem it, buthe’s fairly sentimental. He doesn’t care much about gifts- for him, the card isusually much more important. So get him a card and write something in it. Heloves that. He has a small box of old Christmas cards, mostly from when he wasyounger and still living with his siblings and parents. His younger siblings usedto make cards for him all the time and he’s kept every single one.

Wheein: She mostly likes Christmas for the sweetsand baked goods. It’s why she always ends up spending Christmas with Yongsun’sfamily- they make a TON of food and bake a ton of cookies and Wheein can bringhome as many left overs as she wants xD So, seriously, load her up on sugarystuff. Her manager might be upset with you for it, but Wheein will appreciateit! Aside from that, Wheein cares less about gifts and more about time spent together.The best kind of Christmas gift is something as simple as taking her out iceskating or something. Usually she and Yongsun get a lot of time off aroundChristmas, so she has more free time to spend with people. Unfortunately, sheusually assumes that everyone is too busy with their families to want to spendtime with her, so she’s never really the one to initiate a day out with afriend. But if you want to get her an actual gift- she likes candles. She alsotakes a lot of baths, so bath bombs and such are perfect.

Youjin: He needs a new jacket, for one thing-preferably a leather jacket. Also new winter boots because he hasn’t had newwinter boots in like 4 or 5 years, so his aren’t in great condition ^^; Anotherthing that he’d actually like is something he wouldn’t really go out and getfor himself unless he was prompted to, but... a nice suit. Or at leastsomething to wear someplace nice. He’s a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, so hedoesn’t own many nice, dressy, clothes, but he wants to be able to take Eunbiout to nice dinners and things sometimes and he’d be ashamed to do so in suchcasual attire ^^;

Chloe: She’s always looking for new gloves towear year round- faux leather gloves, satin gloves, even ones that are slightlysheer. She’s been trying to trick herself with fingerless gloves or fishnetkind of ones, too, in the hopes that she can slowly kind of get into the habitof not wearing gloves at all eventually. So anything like that that’s a glovebut that forces her to actually make contact with things despite wearing thegloves is great. Otherwise, she kind of wants Overwatch now so she can playwith Lina ^^; And maybe just a few games, in general. She’s not much of agamer, but they’re a fun leisure activity, you know? Also... fake flowers. Thatsounds a bit silly maybe, but they last longer and they can look really prettyaround the house, too. Also maybe some new clothes? She doesn’t buy new clothesfor herself very often, so most of her wardrobe is from high school anduniversity ^^;

Jinyong: If you want to make a good impression, buy something forhis daughter instead of for him. He doesn’t buy much for himself outside ofnecessities because he focuses on getting things for Areum, instead. But ifyou insist ongetting a gift for him, he prefers not to get decorative things (like photos orknick knacks). He likes more functional gifts. Like a movie that he and hisdaughter can enjoy together. Or maybe a cookbook because he’s been trying tolearn how to cook and bake better. Actually, any kitchen necessities would begreat because he’s always missing something. Likea rolling pin, a hand mixer or stand mixer, new pots and pans or a nice knifeset. Stuff like that. Also, he’s someone who actually enjoys getting ties for Christmas, so don’t shy away from that!He’s almost always wearing a tie at work so he likes to have a variety.

Hyemi: Hyemi is a tricky person to buy for. She’s minimalistic inmost aspects; she doesn’t like a lot of clutter. No artwork or figurines. Herhome is pristine and plainly decorated with basically just essentials. Most ofher clutter comes in the form of clothes, makeup, shoes, purses, jewelry, andsunglasses- things like that. She makes money off of her youtube videos whichmostly involve makeup and fashion stuff, so it makes sense that she has quite acollection of these things. That said- I guess the best things to get her forChristmas would include functional items (think headphones, a phone case (gold,white, or a soft pink preferably), even bathbombs, perfumes, and such) orsomething like makeup, jewelry, shoes, and the like. She may seem like a fussywoman who will only wear high end stuff, but seriously, so long as it looksgood she doesn’t care if it cost $5 or $5000, she’ll wear it.

Jaewon: Jaewon is a big dorkwho loves things with science and math puns. Yes, you read that correctly-science and math puns. The more ridiculous, the better! There’s not really muchthat he needs, but he’ll be happy with just about any gift, honestly. Mysuggestion for this Christmas would be something like I mentioned above, ormaybe a new controller for his PS4 because he recently broke one of his and nowhe only has one (don’t ask him about it because he’ll lie, but he got mad andthrew it oTL). He’s not like a huge gamer or anything, but he does play themsometimes to chill out. 

Ericka: Ericka is all about those “gothy”clothes- black, black, and more black! Anything witchy is totally cool, too!She likes crystals a lot and kind of wants a new Ouija board, too. Alternately,she’s a huge gamer- she’ll play literally just about anything! So you want toget her a new game? Go for it! A new gaming headset? Heck yeah! Just somefigurines or hoodies of characters etc. from a game? YES! She also likescooking and needs some new pots and pans and things but she’s pretty broke, sothat would be cool, too!

Nick: My dear sweet boyjust wants a cat tree for his kitties. He’s been trying to find a good one, butthey’ve been a bit out of budget lately. Basically, anything for his cats is agreat gift for him. He loves his cats so much

Sarah: Sarah likes cute things.Plushies, decorative pillows, little figurines, stickers, etc. She’s also fondof cuter clothes, especially anything in a soft pink color (a cool toned babypink is her favorite), so anything like that would be nice! She also reads alot, so books are a great gift! She mostly reads fantasy novels and sometimesromances or detective novels. Sarah also likes journaling and does those cutelittle bullet journals. She’s going to need a new one for the upcoming year!That said, other things that go with bullet journaling would be great, too-like washi tape, gel pens to add some color, even stamps and ink for stamping(things like mini calendars, days of the week, etc). 

Donghae: Donghae has basicallyeverything he could want, to be honest. The best kind of gifts to give him are allpretty functional- a new wallet, some earbud headphones, even just a tie orsome festive socks? Lately he’s been writing a lot though as he intends tocross over into more musical pursuits soon (releasing an album sometime thiscoming year), so nice notebooks are a great choice of gift, too!

I hope that that’s enough ideas? Some of my muses are hard to buy for ^^;))

[skzfaker]

hehe yes im a horror writer, it's what i do :') i just simply cannot write cute scenarios

omg wow, to meet skz. i have a (not very close) friend that literally saw them and waved to them in LA a year ago and i was like wtf!!! hopefully u can see them someday! being in japan or korea makes it a little easier to see them imo, coming from an american

AHAHA yes i am exactly with your manager. that's my timezone

and yes, ofc im being paid to lifeguard :) it's a chill pool so i dont have to stress about a ton of people which is super nice

thanks for the luck on the scarf!

omg, someone who doesnt like mullets like me. it seems like most people do, which is fine, but as part of the minority im like,,, why 😔 i also agree, the longerish mullet but also not mullet is better. i think for me it just reminds me too much of southern men with mullets, and i hate those with a passion. "they're not the same" but they're the same name! augh. but im definitely someone that likes shorter hair on guys

and omg i think you're right, i cant think of felix ever having dark hair except at debut. damn. they should let him have his dark hair for a bit lmao. to heal

and no problem! it took me a sec to respond to this bc it's a little busy so we're both a little busy haha. gl with your holiday prep tho! it's almost there :) do u have any gifts that you really want?

- 🎅

Okay my electricity went out right when I wanted to answer (￣^￣)

Aww man I’m very jealous - I hope skz saw them wave! And you’re totally right. Since kpop caters so much to the jp market it’s much easier to meet them there and just…get merch in general. Oh the amount of money I’ve spent in tower records…Thank you tho - manifesting we meet our boys eventually!!

…I guess I’ll monitor the times you’re online and wonder why you’re not asleep too then HAHAHA. I mean at least you won’t be telling me to do stuff when you talk to me so it’s all good. Btw, how do you prefer to talk to your mutuals/friends here? Through DMs, asks, or do you use outside services like discord? (Asking partially because I’m always interested in how people communicate and partially because I wonder how I’ll most likely talk to you after this)

Eyy the pool sounds like a good sidegig then! I’m guessing you only do it on vacation days or during the weekend?

HAHAHA YES THOSE MULLETS ARE JUST NOT GREAT. Like I always picture billy ray cyrus during the 90’s first when mullets are brought up oh god imagine an idol with that exact haircut And right? Can they just..not have the same name? Because we’re always going to think of the bad hairstyle first.

YES. Another person who supports the Felix scalp recovery movement! We’re so used to seeing him blonde and he does look good with it but definitely it needs to heal for a bit.

Oh and it’s cool - we’re only a few days until reveal day anywhoos! Reply as late as you feel like HAHAHA. As far as holiday prep goes, I’m still putting off wrapping gifts and just any prep in general so…gg I guess _(┐「ε:)_ how about you - how’s it going over there? Ah, and the gift I really want are the skzoo detective outfits. They’re so hard to find now and when I do find them they’re so expensive!! But they’re so cute so I want them ( ；∀；) what about you? Anything you’re hoping to get this year?

[leejenos-archive]

Places to Buy Kpop Merch

I’ve been dealing with a lot of problematic places lately and let me tell you, it’s so annoying. I don’t want people to deal with them like I’m doing right now so I decided to write this. I’m gonna include both reliable and non-reliable places to buy kpop (mostly exo) stuff online!

KPOPTOWN

Kpoptown is my favourite place to buy albums and official merch. 

Prices: They have reasonable prices, probably the best prices out of all of these online shops. I went to SUM this year and checked the prices, if a photocard set is $25 in SUM, they sell it for $28.

Shipping: I love their shipping method tbh. It’s not that expensive, $8 for an album maybe, it depends on the weight but they do give you a tracking number. Also the shipping is fast. I live in Turkey and I usually receive my stuff in two weeks!

Packaging: They do package good, a lot of bubble wrap and they usually put it in a box.

Communication: They always reply in 24 hours. I pre-ordered EXO’s sing for you album without knowing that there would be individual covers. I emailed them if I could get Chanyeol’s cover and they replied with a yes. I was scared that they would send me another member’s cover but Chanyeol was there when I opened my package so I’m quite happy! Also if the package is returned to them, they asked if you want a refund or if you would like them to ship it again. (they want the shipping fee). You get your refund as a discount coupon! Also whenever you buy something, they give you coupons! 

Overall: 4 / 5

KTOWN4U

They have a reaaaally huge collection of official merch with good prices!

Prices: The prices are similar with kpoptown. They do sales sometimes, you better not forget about them. They sell those stuff for cheap!

Shipping: The shipping is a bit expensive than kpoptown but still reasonable. They do give you a tracking number also!

Packaging: A thin coat of bubble wrapper in a box. It wasn’t that good.

Communication: I’ve never had a problem w them!

Overall: 4 / 5

KPOPMART

Prices: The albums look cheaper but when the shipping is added it looks more expensive.

Shipping: The shipping is unnecessarily expensive, they don’t even give you a tracking number booooo!

Packaging: A thin coat of bubblewrap + box

Communication: I don’t like this place at all. I don’t buy from here unless that I really want something. Once my package got lost and they didn’t even try to talk to me. They refunded me like %45 of the price i paid as a discount coupon. 

Overall: 3 / 5

YESASIA

They have a huge collection of Kpop, Jpop and Cpop albums.

Prices: Too expensive. They want $30 for an album??? 

Shipping: Free if you order is above $40 but doesn’t come with tracking number. Shipping takes about 3 months?? 2 months if you’re lucky

Packaging: It’s bad, trust me it is. Thin coat of bubblewrap and they put 4 albums in a plastic package??

Communication: it was like 1,5 years ago when i ordered exo's romantic universe cd's. it had been like 2,5 months and i still hadn't received my package so i emailed them. they told me to wait one more week and write back to them, and still if i didn't receive it they told me that they would ship another copy etc. so i emailed them, telling them that the package was nowhere to be found, and again they sent me an email about shit, they wasted my time blah blah, then finally they shipped my new package. after 2 more weeks i received my first package (with like a 2 month delay) but like i've never received the package that they've sent after?? like dude r u sure that you've sent it, and now one of my friend had issues with them, she paid w her credit card and they're telling that the order was not completed bc the credit card was denied AFTER A MONTH and the package is nowhere to be found. DONT BUY FROM HERE

Overall: 1.5 / 5

Some other sites I haven’t tried but that my friends like:

CDJAPAN, KOREAN MALL, GMART 

EBAY SELLERS:

I don’t usually buy albums from Ebay sellers because sometimes they come damaged and they’re a bit expensive also the shipping fees are so so so unnecessarily high.

I usually buy photocards & merch from here. I’m gonna divide this part in two; Good & Bad

GOOD

jace0337

kr-monster

gggaojung 

grapemusiccd

myjilju

my5star

bw10463407

+ there are a lot of good sellers on ebay, you just need to make your research but these ones are the best ones!

BAD

k-pop.korea : their photocards look really authentic but they’re fake

music-plaza : again sells fake photocards but you can buy albums if you’re from the US

Here’s a proof why music plaza is shitty; cr. itsferret on ig

I will try to update this whenever I buy new stuff online! Feel free to message me and help me add things!

[universetwo]

My Experience at #BeautifulinNY + Tips

So let me start with the fact that this was my very first time to go on a k-pop concert and I was so nervous, hard to explain why. I tried to read people’s experiences from previous concerts, but that didn’t calm my nervousness. 

{long post ahead}

Unfortunately, I do not own a lightstick, so that made me a little bit sad. I could have pre-ordered it (to pick it up at the venue) or buy it there because they set up a table for merch. But I found it kinda expensive for $55 so for this time I gave up on it. One thing to note, it’s better if you order it before the concert (which I wanted to but was sold out on their site) because everything is more expensive at the venue. Like I legit bought a pack of stickers for $25 which was a lot, I know, but that was the only thing left by the end of the concert and I didn’t want to walk out without an official merch. (the fangirl was strong in me post concert)

Anyway, back to the beginning.

I left work at 1 pm and when I got home I got ready and waited for my mom to come home from work. I started to panic about not getting there on time so I decided to watch Monsta X Ray’s new ep while eating ramen, only for Wonho lol While I was watching them on my screen, it was still hard to process in my mind that I will see these guys in a few hours perform right in front of my own naked eyes. 

I saw on Twitter that people were already lining up by the venue and I was seriously freaking out. Although my ticket was for P3-P5 (somewhere in the back lol) and I knew I have an exact seat and everything, I was still worried that I’m going to miss something.

So it was almost 6 pm when we left the house and got on the D train (which I hate because it always fucks me up). We got off by Bryant Park/42nd st around 6:45-ish and went to Playstation Theatre at Times Square. There were so many people so I didn’t see at first where the line was for the venue. But then by the entrance, I saw some people standing there but the security came and put us in the right direction for the line. Good thing to know, Playstation Theatre is located on 44th st and 7th ave and the security told us to go to 45th street and 8th ave. So we followed the line and looked for the end. BUT WHERE WAS THE END??? like legit almost at the other side of the whole block, like I don’t even know how to explain it but it was damn long. And people were still lining up after us so it became even longer.

We had to wait for one and a half hour to get into the venue and by then it was way past 8 pm, which was supposedly the starting time of the show. I had no idea why it was delayed, why the line went so slowly, and I don’t think anyone around me knew it. But later on twitter, I read fans saying that a fan got injured in the line and that’s why. Which is actually a nice thing that they took care of the fan and didn’t ignore the injury. I didn’t mind standing in line for long because at least I got the chance to buy a fanmade cute Kihyun cut out that I could hang on my neck. I would have bought Jooheon’s too but it was all gone TT but I love that thingy so much like I hung it up on my neck even for breakfast the next day. And I also got a banner for free, which was handed out to everyone and it said “I’ll protect you, so you can bloom more beautifully” in English and in Korean (Beautiful lyrics) and I loved how the directions were on the back, like when do we need to hold it up and in English, Spanish, French, and Korean. We held up ours at 5:14 (Last Page), the very last song.

So fast forward to when we finally got into the venue, it wasn’t actually long after that they came out and boy the screams were so loud but of course I joined in. (I had no voice by the end and even now while writing this my throat still hurts). The setlist was pretty much the same as in Chicago so I won’t be going over that.

After Hero ended they greeted us and they had an “official” translator who was pretty quick with translating hopefully everything that they said. I have to just say I can’t get enough of Changkyun’s English, I really love it lol 

They interacted a lot with the crowd like they were always like ‘are you having fun’, ‘did you like what we just did?’ and I think those were really good for hyping up the crowd. They also did like small comedy bits like who is the most romantic and they showed, sang something to prove their romantic sides. They also sang snippets from songs that have New York in it like Kihyun sang a bit from Empire State of Mind. Hyunwoo from English Man in New York. Also Wonho mentioned that Hyunwoo is a romantic person because he buys his friends in Korea all different types of presents. I got to experience Jooheon’s and Kihyun’s beatboxing lol Jooheon also sang from GD’s Untitled. 

They talked SO much about Hyungwon and I really loved that. At the beginning and at the end they mentioned him too, and Wonho after they did their special stages and how he hoped he could fill in for Hyungwon. It made me feel really warm especially as I saw how many times they left a special space out for Hyungwon and sometimes acted as if he was there too.

The performances were SO L I T, they were dancing so well and so powerfully and the energy was no joke. But then they were also able to slow it down and make the crowd melt with songs like Ex Girl, Honestly, I’ll Be There, and Sweetheart. I like how one time Changkyun was like we gonna slow down to mid tempo and they literally sang their slowest song, Broken Heart. And then Kihyun’s iconic mom moment to Changkyun with ‘There is something on your face’ and started to get something off from his face. And Kihyun wiped the sweat off from Wonho (K I H O) They also mentioned like twice for the pit to take a few steps back for safety. That’s how Hyunwoo’s ‘please safety’ was born. (did I mention how much I started to love Hyunwoo after the show? Like literally he was one of the highlights of the concert.)

I also loved their outfits, especially when they went for this mint theme. And then for the rocker versions of songs, like there is nothing better than rocker!kihyun and his leather jacket. 

Their special stages were no joke. When Hyunwoo, Minhyuk, and Changkyun performed 24k Magic, the whole crowd was excited because it’s everyone’s fave song don’t lie. Wonho performing From 0 with their dancer was great, but I missed Hyungwon. Especially that ionic movement in the dance was weird with the dancer and not with Hyungwon lol but it was still great and Wonho put his heart into fully. 

But my favorite was definitely Mirror by Jooheon and Kihyun. When Jooheon was having sort of his highest point in the rap parts, I legit got goosebumps. He is such an amazing rapper, I was truly speechless. But then Kihyun’s powerful voice added even more to it, and that performance really left me amazed. I knew I have the right biases. THESE TWO LOVES OF MY LIFE DESTROYED ME. 

They also had some problem with moving the chair like lol one problem was that they were sitting on it (during the slower songs) so no surprise but I think it also got stuck in something. Which reminds me of… WHY STUCK WASN'T ON THE SETLIST? It’s like legit one of my biggest faves from them, but they performed Blind and it was sexy and I was close to passing out. 

Their vcrs were cute and creative. First they had one before the unit performances where they talked about what they prepared. I couldn’t see the screen well but there were English subtitles and I could kind of read it, so that was helpful. They were being dorky and I love nothing more than that haha. The other one was a bit more emotional because they were showing a mature side of them and a whole story. I don’t remember exactly how it all went down, I definitely have to watch it again. But it was emotional, that’s for sure, and it showed how important it is for them to be together and stick with each other.  

Also Wonho the dear clumsy one accidentally spilled his candies from the basket to the stage and he was throwing them to fans from the floor. Jooheon was also there picking all up probably until the very last one was thrown to a fan, and he even bent down for them while singing his part in Sweetheart. One thing is that his voice was stable lol but even my mom mentioned it that how considerate of him was to not let them go to waste and make sure fans can have them. (side note, after Hyunwoo and Wonho, my mom’s new fave, she even said almost #1, became Jooheon lol we are in the same boat now)  

It also took them forever to come back for the encore. I thought they are going to leave us so we had to chant Monsta X two times and we even started to chant Hyungwon :’) but then they finally came back and it was better waiting for longer because it was more precious to see them again. It took them longer because they changed into another outfit. And then they performed Fighter (L I T) and 5:14 (Last Page) (S A D). It took them so long to say goodbye because they shared their thoughts again, we had a picture taken, and then they bowed like four times from four different directions (while dragging each other hand by hand from one side of the stage to the other) Even my mom said that it looked as it was hard for them to say goodbye. Trust me, I didn’t want to say goodbye either. 2 hours was enough and I was exhausted, yet it still feels like it went by so fast.

But I happened to fall in love with them once again. They are so humble, down to earth, but then SO SO SOOO talented and powerful and energetic and funny and know how to hype up the crowd. I’m so happy that they were my first group for my kpop concert experience because I wasn’t disappointed at all. And I love them so much pls give more love and appreciation to Monsta X, they deserve the world. 

Here are some concert tips:

it’s okay if you don’t own a lightstick and can’t afford to buy merch, you are still a true fan ^^

don’t worry if you can’t get to the venue early, if you are not in the pit then it doesn’t matter when you enter the venue, just try to be there at least around the time when the doors open and have time for yourself to use the bathroom, eat, and look through the merch they have

BUT if you are in a big city and you rely on public transportation then it’s good to get out of your house early because you never know when they will get into a problem, same with cars and traffic

if you have time, prepare with the fan chants because it always makes it better for the crowd and for the idols

try to know more info about fan projects and freebies or even fan made merch for a couple of dollars — it’s always good to be up to date and to support fellow fans, I told my mom I would rather buy from a fan a few handmade cutesy stuff while supporting that fan than buying a bunch of expensive merch at the venue, I mean it’s everyone’s different opinion but I always have the chance to support the boys, but not always have the chance to support fans

wear something comfortable on foot and prepare for standing up for the whole concert even if you have a seat (i was standing the whole time too)

bring a smaller bag, preferably not a big backpack, a small one is fine

prepare to be either very cold or very hot: like when I went to see 5SOS I was feeling cold in MSG but in Playstation Theatre there was legit no AC (idk how the boys could handle it TT) and I was burning up

if you have a shitty android like me and not an iPhone with a great camera, that’s okay if you record at least their voices are still good on the recording especially if you catch the ment part, otherwise songs with heavy bass and techno sound won’t be that good

a lot of people say this but it’s true: try to enjoy the concert and not record the whole thing — it won’t be that good anyway on your phone as if you see it with your own eyes, that’s why I decided for some of my fave songs to record maybe like 30 seconds or something and then I put my phone away and for the ment I really wanted to record their talk but even then I was just holding my phone but not really focusing on the stage through it

try to socialize (this is a big tip for myself too), concerts are great to befriend people with the same interest and likes as you, I did talk to some people but it’s not like I befriended them because I’m a social flopp and my mom was there with me too so I was just talking to her

if you have no idea about kpop concerts, like me, then know that hi-touch is after the show (at least that’s how it was) and the security makes everyone leave who doesn’t have a wrist band for the event, but they still let you take a few pics of the venue and of the stage, just hurry up because if it takes more time for them to push people out then the hi-touch is delayed and it’s bad for the fans and for the boys too

Specifically for Playstation Theatre:

The venue is small so be ready to feel a little crowded

but the good thing is that even if the stage is far (if you have a seat like in P5) it’s not as far as in a stadium

if you are in P5, don’t expect to see the screen, Playstation Theatre has a couple of small TVs hung up above people and they are just in the way to see the screen

I was legit so mad I wanted to tear all of them out from the ceiling like you think they might show them on those small TVs too but NOPE I guess they never thought about advanced technology and multi screening

There is a place for you to give your coats in

the restroom is pretty lol it kind of reminded me of Harry Potter because all the sinks are placed in the middle of the room and I felt like we can get down to the  Chamber of Secrets in New York, besides they also blasted Shine Forever (when they give you nice background music for peeing lmao)

So that’s it from my part, I hope I could cover everything important but even if I was there I couldn’t process everything because it was so fast and I was so happy and living in the moment. I’m definitely going to watch back some videos and be nostalgic about it lol I’m also waiting for the HQ version of THIS pic which was taken there by wonderful fansite-nim, I thank you with my life

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to message me or send me an ask ^^

btw, at the beginning of the concert while we were lining up on the street, a random old lady asked us if it’s worth lining up for this long for the concert and hell yeah it was so I think that once in your life you deserve to see your faves and to not care about how much it costs. It was great for not thinking about life’s problems for two hours and just to enjoy the moment. So please be kind to yourselves.