#why no tvxq or super junior though

[winwintea]

That anon has a point though! I understand why you want to boycott and I respect it but riize getting out on a forever hiatus or disbanded is possible if you boycott them. I’m all for an SM boycott but a riize one could very well ruin their careers. Can’t we just get trucks to protest in Korea infront of SM just like knets do? That way we don’t risk losing riize as a whole😭😭

i see your point but when has this ever happened to a sm group? the chances are HIGHLY unlikely, sm will do anything to make even a sliver amount of money. tell me why tvxq is releasing another album in november, even with it's histories of controversies and members leaving the group? super junior is still going on wether we like it or not. sm loves money !! (so do i tbh)

AND OH MY GOD THE TRUCK THING

yes we can anon and it has already started!

okay wait lemme yap about trucks (it's not really relevant to the argument but sort of towards the end) bc i find it so interesting hold on. so in case nobody knows i'm korean lol, i live in the us but i have korean family members who live in korea. so i once asked them how the protest trucks work, because i was genuinely so curious, AND THE INDUSTRY IS CRAZY. you have to understand that there's a whole market for these protest trucks, like they get sent to sports stadums, entertainment companies, even government buildings sometimes. basically if anyone pisses off the knetz they'll send some trucks. and you have to understand as well that these trucks keep going year round, like although we don't hear about it because we're international fans, most of these entertainment companies get trucks sent to them at least once a week if they're lucky. usually it's more. i was told hybe generally always has trucks sent because of the mass amount of artists and loyal fanbases there. WHICH IS SO CRAZY. so are trucks very efficient? in my opinion it honestly depends on the situation at hand, because these companies are getting sent trucks almost on the daily, it won't make that much of a difference, but international fans sending trucks is something generally not done a lot, so maybe this could potentially start something.

[a9saga]

I started typing this whole thing on mobile and couldn't figure out how to put a break in and I refuse to update the app. Fuck it. You are scrolling past this whole damn thing. Unfollow me. This is all I'm gonna be talking about for the next two weeks.

Exo needs to break up. They have needed to break up. That was my hot take I had been saying I'd eventually share but I never got around to it, and now it's a lot more apparent. Not that I thought this was going to happen. I thought that when I finally posted this, someone might be mad about it, but in wake of CBX's lawsuit I don't think anyone's going to be surprised to hear it.

I was sure exo members were done suing SM entertainment a long time ago. It's been 9 years since Kris and Luhan filed their lawsuits, both of whom won. It's been 8 years since Tao's hiatus, and almost 8 since he filed his lawsuit months later, which he ended up losing despite never rejoining exo. I became a fan of exo during Call Me Baby promotions when Tao was still dancing with a broken leg. I was 15 at the time, about to turn 16. EXO scandals were extremely fresh and ongoing. But those three are so far in the past now. Lay quietly decided not to renew recently, but he hadn't been able to appear with the group for 5 years so, yeah. No surprise. But I really thought it was all done when EXO-M was done for.

Well, I can tell you why I'd been thinking for a while EXO should break up. It's because they're really a thing of the past, and essentially after Love Shot, it felt like there was nowhere to go from there.

That felt like the last breath of their 5 year long prime. Don't get me wrong, it was awesome. EXO have hit after hit after hit, think of the absolute best most addictive song by your favorite pop artist, and EXO have a discography of mostly those. But they haven't grown and changed artistically or commercially as a group. They've been around 11 years, they're in their 30s now, and I don't even think most of them have the heart to revitalize their prime like Super Junior did after their military hiatus was over. Maybe a couple of them have it in them to do the pop star thing for their entire careers, but I didn't think that like, Sehun or Chanyeol were necessarily passionate about creating new music for the rest of their career. Chen has a family now and that's also something I'd like the rest of exo to afford without their huge commercial group getting in the way of that. The only one I felt for sure would not be done anytime soon was Baekhyun. I thought he'd be the new Kangta of the group, sticking around when EXO were dormant and fizzled out. I never thought SM would actually let them break up, like H.O.T did when I was a baby. But yeah, Baekhyun leaving shocks me the most. Not that I blame him. I do fully believe the allegations made in the lawsuit as SM have had such a shady reputation.

Looking at SM's pre-EXO boy groups, one might say EXO were the main successor to Super Junior, because, obviously, both groups debuted with 12 people. Large groups like that weren't really a thing in kpop before Super Junior debuted. Additionally, Han Geng of Suju was one of the first Chinese kpop idols. In 2008, two more Chinese members were added to the sub unit Super Junior-M, which released Mandarin versions of pre-existing and original Korean Super Junior songs. Hm, this sounds familiar. I only just built up a better case for the EXO/SJ argument. Diana and I talk about this sometimes though; I once made an argument that I think EXO was more a successor to TVXQ/DBSK (Tong Vfang Xien Qi/Dong Bang Shin Ki), which I would have forgotten saying if she never brought up that one time i said it ever again.

In July of 2009, JYJ threw the first brick at SM Entertainment I mean TVXQ's members Kim "Hero" Jaejoong, Park "Micky" Yoochun and Kim "Xiah" Junsu filed a lawsuit against SM for contract termination, claiming they had been coerced into slave contracts as minors. They were 22-23 at the time, TVXQ having debuted on December 26th, 2003. The three of them won the lawsuit, signed to C-Jes Entertainment and formed the new group, JYJ, of just the three of them. It was assumed the original five piece was dead by that point, but surprisingly, in 2010, Jung "U-Know" Yunho and Shim "Max" Changmin chose to stay at SM and continue TVXQ as a duo.

This whole thing is arguably the most significant scandal in the 30-year history of SM. TVXQ had been SM's biggest success to date and some argue they and Boa still are. Your faves wouldn't have cracked Japan without the efforts of those two, and if kpop didn't reach Japan in the early 2000s, the entertainment industry in a small East Asian country wouldn't have become huge across the entire planet---and frankly, if TVXQ hadn't been big internationally, they'd have been done for because SM had them blacklisted from Korean television for a decade.

Han Geng of Super Junior actually did file for contract termination shortly after JYJ did, also for mistreatment. As did Luhan, Tao and Kris as we've already acknowledged. But all four of them could move to the entertainment industry in China. Sure, you're always going to lose something by leaving as big a group as EXO, Super Junior or TVXQ, but SM hasn't been sued by its Korean idols since JYJ. Baekhyun, Xiumin and Chen know that they're putting at least as much on the line. And now, like TVXQ, more than half of EXO are no longer in the group, and the majority of the run for the both of them has had this cloud of mistreatment over their reputations. They were also both so unstoppably huge and popular.

I was in elementary school for DB5K's prime, and there were fans of kpop in the west but I can't tell you what their success across Asia looked like as someone who wasn't there. But I can tell you, between 2015-2016 when kpop gradually started to become very big, EXO for a time were bringing in more people to kpop than A Particularly Famous Group in the West I Have No Interest in Naming Because I Don't Want Their Fucking Fans Derailing My Post With Unrelated Discourse While I'm Not Even Talking About Them. Just believe me there was a time when EXO were way more popular in the west than Said Band I Decline to Specify, the eclipse that happened was gradual, and to my understanding EXO continued to be the biggest thing in Asia despite that another one eventually cracked America more and I'm not denying that they did. Point is, EXO coming first was important to all of that, because I and several others wouldnt have heard of the one kpop group if EXO didnt get us all into kpop first from 2013-15/16.

That all said now, this was all very much not how I'd wanted EXO to actually end. This is crashing and burning. Much like TVXQ, EXO is not going to be able to have a reunion after this, because they'll never receive SM's blessing to work together. I mean, EXO-M never would. 12 member EXO hardly lasted for two years though and their prime was very new when people started leaving, so to be honest, I don't know if the kids getting into EXO in the 2020s would really care to see Luhan, Tao, and Someone Sitting In Prison Whose Name I've Uttered More Than I'd Like To.

But in a similar vain, while DB5K originally split into two, JYJ are all off in different directions now. Yoochun was fired. Junsu left C-Jes and made his own label. Jaejoong did the same recently. Could you tell I listen TVXQ? But yeah, now that there are more than 3-4 people departed from EXO, they've got former members going in a lot of different directions. Someone already said it but I hope Xiumin follows Luhan back now. Back in my day Xiuhan were so cute.

Also, since I managed not to slip this into the post anywhere.... these guys have been showing up to work. Every damn day they've been showing up to work, that's another reason why it's so shocking. Chen dropped a song days ago and Baekhyun has been doing shows, posting dance practices, EXO have been appearing together for their 11th anniversary and supposed upcoming comeback. Whaaat a slap in the face. I support CBX 100% though and you should too.

[dojae-huh]

Anon as someone who works I agree most times ppl who work with you are just colleagues but you do build friendships on the way too. I've had colleagues help me financially (giving me loans when I needed it) to help me find someone to take over my responsibilities for 2 months when I needed holidays the most a few years back. There are a few ppl I would never be alone with but Ive also built friendships that have lasted me to this day even if they left the place I work at.

Most SM idols are very close, they all meet outside work and even years after they worked together unlike others. SES and also girls generation still meet (other than Jessica though). Same with tvxq we have pics of yunho and jaejoong chatting and sitting with eo parents and family. 127 are a male group so believe me when they're angry at someone they fight and resolve it, unlike women who have been programmed to be competitive with other women and so never even get along well with their sisters. Women compete for attention, snsd talked about this very well in the beginning of their career.

As for 127 you could clearly see the cracks in the band or the groups very clearly a few years back. It's still there but it has become alot better since 2022... Either they all talked out what each members wants to do or members have accepted that changes will be happening.

As for taeyong and doyoung, doyoung built this friendship. Doyoung used to get irritated with tae and even talked to his manager about it but ultimately they learned to live and become very good friends through it. Dotae are so similar to my fav ship from shinee minkey, to this day they keep arguing and fighting but they also do everything together.

We build most of our relationships both platonic and romantic and dotae is very much built on mutual respect and love so it's not fake at all, Doyoung smiles fake but never cries fake, he hates being emotional so why would he cry for the fans.

Dowoo, johndo, johnwoo even johnjae are very much collgues... Just look at BTS videos and who are usually sitting together... But they're good enough colleagues to be good work friends

Yes sometimes over the top ships are fake, like markhyuck but markhyuck are very close and depend emotionally and spiritually for strength to continue with their work in 2 bands. Mark kept haechan active last year but ultimately I've a feeling 127 hyungs asked haechan to just take a break so he sat out of the tour. Same with ppl not realising that haechan is very close to jisung and jeno... He closest to them along with renjun

Random but renjun is the very social and I as a NCT fan never realised it, the boy has friends who are 10 or more years older than him in SM. He's making good relationships as he gets older. From what I've seen his friendships are close enough for him to make fun of a hyung who is 9 years older to him

Also as groups grow older most groups stop selling we're family, shinee and 127 never sold the idea of good family or siblings. They are very open about being colleagues who got together but both these bands have very strong bonds... Super junior always talk about them only doing stuff for the camera but their families go on vacations together. The Siblings of the members are on friendly terms and so are the parents... The boys even live together still (at least eunhyuk and kyuhyun lived together in a flat a few years back)

As for 127 crying, army changes alot of things... Eunhyuk was the most funny member and the member with the most work but after army he hasn't found a permanent gig that's popular. Same with suju being limited to their own fandom. Shinee got a boost of new fans thanks to superm but most have left or prefer being taeminnie fans

Taeyong isn't a singer, he is the visual and the face of 127. He might be worried that fans would be bored and leave the fandom. It's tough waiting for 3 or 4 years for the band to be back together

It took shinee almost 4 years and believe me it was tough although we got so many solo albums in between this army period but the band together is more fun and the reason most ppl are in the fandom.

I get why taeyong cried and I get why doyoung supported him... Also you have to realise not everyone can cope with army. Taemin had to leave in the middle of his service coz of his mental health deteriorating too much. He did his last year as a public service person, it must be tough thinking of the future where you're expected to follow rules and regulations harsher than even idol industry. Btw fans have left fandoms in the army period alot of times... Even if youre in the fandom sometimes you stop following everything and not know half the fandom jokes or fights (me with shinee fandom atm)

I prefer to buy 127 albums instead of shinee ones now, I still don't have physical copies of key solos, And he's my ultimate fav K-pop singer

P.S. as a teacher I can tell you anon that all work places are fake, I also smile and small talk with ppl I won't trust.

Idol industry is normal life but on steroids, all these things happen in real life too, but most times you don't realise it until you're in the job.

A workplace is a place to meet people. Whether those people become friends or not depends on your personal compatibility and events that help you to know each other better. Like when I work in the field I live in the same room with others, we see each other in underwear, cook for each other and go into the night to spend hours in a dark forest. In such conditions people with suitable characters naturally become close quickly (and the opposite happens with difficult people as there is no room to breath, no personal space really). On the other hand, working at a cafe or a store offers very little to help bonding. Everyone is tired, pissed at managers and hate their job.

The anon's reasoning is correct for many idol groups, it doesn't mean it applies to each one of them. Also, I myself think that families are often less close than good friends, that they are kept together by blood, tradition and responsibilities. Thus I find comparing a band to a family very fitting actually. As one can't choose relatives, one can't choose bandmates (in most cases, sometimes older A-list trainees invite their friends into the agency and then debut together).

[what-if-nct]

OMG 2NE1 AND UKISS- I feel old even though I'm 19. I know a lot of gen 2 and gen 3 groups, but they aren't my top groups I've listen to but heard others talking about it during the time it was popular. My older sister is into K-pop and she's about 29 now. She stopped listening to them around 2017-2018. She loved 2NE1 and SHINee. Also, there was a group that was called Brown Eyed Girls and Orange Caramel...? Also there were Girls Generation, Wonder Girls, B.A.P (I had to research bunny kpop group because I remembered the logo but not the name lmao), Super Junior, TVXQ, SHINHWA, BIGBANG and many more that I forgotten from my small brain. The newest group she got into was Red Velvet. She doesn't really like newer gen 3 and gen 4, especially with how young the members are. She prefers 1998-1999 and before. She also has a funny sense of humour about it.

"If there are members that aren't born in the same century as WW1 and WW2, then I won't listen to them. This was her reaction to when she saw a K-pop idol born in 2000 💀 (Now imagine an idol born in 2008)

Oh yeah she does listen to NCT, but only the 127 unit. Her bias was Jonghyun and for NCT it's Taeil and Taeyong.

"If there are member that aren't born in the same century as ww1 and ww2 then I wont listen to them" I love that so much. I use to feel that way like you have to be born in the 1900s. It's why I took a while to get into dream at least till the 2000s babies were 19. And the fact so many kids are born in 2004 and 2005 like that just happened you're suppose to be one, you're just a baby. But also I remember being a kpop fan when I was 16 and 17 and when idols were my age like Taemin he's only like two weeks older then me and he debuted when he was 14 same with Dongho from UKISS he's a year younger then me and Taemin and he debuted the same year Taemin did. So because I remember how it was and that it's never changed I've come around and can listen to newer kpop groups. But I still feel like new kpop groups need a visual kei phase and a random metallics phase. so many 2009 - 2012 groups wore so much metallic they looked like dancing aluminum foil. I miss those days. I miss 4minute, Teen Top and Ukiss the most of all.

[just-some-random-blogger]

good evening, lovie!! this cat TT it's so cuute 'the general consensus is that is morning' girl 11.... 11 timezones... 'i will always reply to you i promise' i love you TT my overthinking isn't really your problem so.. but i appreciate your kind words and your answers<з 'I LOVE THAT FOR US' big brain cells love johnny in this house!!! fun fact: in the russian search engine johnny is the only one from nct whose name is written in english LOL so yeah. do you stan any other group, btw? 'THE EARN YOUR FIRST BILLION WAS SO RANDOM' do you want to? 'not that im saying you hated this song' it's ok i didn't even know it hfhfjd that time i was listening to some 'cool' rap and absolutely crazy remixes about being a depressed child... yeah. no idea why im what i am now... 'stabbed in the gut by someone mid wartime' OMG how completely opposite TT i was so sure about the childbirth thing, actually... 'thus why Daemon managed to find a sorcerer' lol he's the prince and the rebellious one, always travelling and doing things so i thought he kinda just... omg my wife is dying go find that sorcerer in the woods! it's quite funny but also ig that's the magic of writings? everyone has their own image. but SO opposite? lol men (derogatory). fact. 'add as many ideas as you told me into the story' omg what a monster it should be with ALL ideas. actually it's so very sweet TT thank u TT doing my best for you TT i understand you didn't mean like ALL the ideas but imagine... imagine a work with all the shit i've said... it should be scary and so chaotic ig TT i believe in you and your talent, so i'm waiting and readying myself to write a long as hell reply! god bless your imagination! also this bear gif reminded me of the summer when we had like.. 3 wild brown bears in the town... they were cutie. and this gif is cute too. 'you can send me alien songs id still listen to it' i used to like it SO MUCH in 2020. you're so cute for this though TT thank u sm TT 'SACRIFICE SACRIFICE' no but i have high temperature now and i really need a sacrifice TT 'someone else could write it so i could fucking read' girl... if you can wait for a real lifetime..... bc i don't now when and even IF i'll ever write something.... it's not a promise, pls dont see it as one. 'i made the key not so high and she still messed it up' oh poor girl. hope she's doing fine now. rip. what key though...... i'm really bad at music, i'm sorry TT idk if it's like a music word or not... 'idk you know what time im sending this from <3' yeah i see the time you publish it... that's how i learned your time at first before you said where you live. it must be 20:58 for you rn if you're interested. so guess good night or good morning!! love you!! good luck with your soprano!! take care<з

BESTIE HIIIII!!!! I just finished writing a daemon fic it's super fluffy you might like it

have a kitty gif!

LOVE LETTER TOIME

good evening, lovie!! this cat TT it's so cuute

youre so good at knowing my time lol HAHAA also yes that kitty was sososososooso cute

'the general consensus is that is morning' girl 11.... 11 timezones... 'i will always reply to you i promise' i love you TT my overthinking isn't really your problem so.. but i appreciate your kind words and your answers<з

I MEAN IT WAS MORNING WHEN I SENT IT SO ////: HSFHASLHFLAHF HAHHAHAHH also its fine i understand overthinking cos i do that too but i have been getting better at managing it though <3 so relax its all good

'I LOVE THAT FOR US' big brain cells love johnny in this house!!! fun fact: in the russian search engine johnny is the only one from nct whose name is written in english LOL so yeah. do you stan any other group, btw?

BIG BRAINERS LOVE JOHN. THIS GIF 😃

also the search engine HAAHAH that's johnny's american powers for you HAHAAAHH. i do stan a lot of groups actually but i think my mains would be nct svt bigbang shinee then i also like exo super junior tvxq got7 and a bunch more im too lazy to think of them all AHHAHH

'THE EARN YOUR FIRST BILLION WAS SO RANDOM' do you want to?

HAHAHHAH YES GIMME A BILLION RIGHT NOWWWWW 😈😈😈😈

'not that im saying you hated this song' it's ok i didn't even know it hfhfjd that time i was listening to some 'cool' rap and absolutely crazy remixes about being a depressed child... yeah. no idea why im what i am now...

well ur my cat now duh 🙄 my cutie lil baby that i keep in my pocket. also HAHLDHASKHD It's so funny that you were blissfully unaware of the rap being cool HAHAHHAAH

'stabbed in the gut by someone mid wartime' OMG how completely opposite TT i was so sure about the childbirth thing, actually...

hehe lol thats fine

'thus why Daemon managed to find a sorcerer' lol he's the prince and the rebellious one, always travelling and doing things so i thought he kinda just... omg my wife is dying go find that sorcerer in the woods! it's quite funny but also ig that's the magic of writings? everyone has their own image. but SO opposite? lol men (derogatory). fact

yes yes truly the magic of writing! daemon BETTER look for a sorcerer if his wife is dying of labor /: mid. men (derogatory) [real]

'add as many ideas as you told me into the story' omg what a monster it should be with ALL ideas. actually it's so very sweet TT thank u TT doing my best for you TT i understand you didn't mean like ALL the ideas but imagine... imagine a work with all the shit i've said... it should be scary and so chaotic ig TT i believe in you and your talent, so i'm waiting and readying myself to write a long as hell reply! god bless your imagination!

it would be such a monster tbh T_T HAHAAHA so long so painful so tiring but so good T_T i'll do m best but im starting my classes so it will take a while. i truly would be a chaotic masterpiece. i believe in my skills too 😌🤩💅 purr. God bless us all. im excited to see what you think of what i'll end up with.

also this bear gif reminded me of the summer when we had like.. 3 wild brown bears in the town... they were cutie. and this gif is cute too.

TEDDY BEAR SNUGGLES IF BEAR DEADLY WHY SHAPED LIKE FRIEND

'you can send me alien songs id still listen to it' i used to like it SO MUCH in 2020. you're so cute for this though TT thank u sm TT

OMG I LOVE AKMU THEYRE SO TALENTED this is the first time im listening to this song. its fine HAHAAH i much prefer this song of theirs. Also this one. i randomly downloaded a bunch of their songs and i fell in love with these ones in particular

'SACRIFICE SACRIFICE' no but i have high temperature now and i really need a sacrifice TT

T_T oh no my love i hope you get well soon [sending you love and my high... idk what its calling in english... resistance to getting sick??? well im sending that to you] GAAAAAAAAH GET BETTER 🤬🤬🤬

'someone else could write it so i could fucking read' girl... if you can wait for a real lifetime..... bc i don't now when and even IF i'll ever write something.... it's not a promise, pls dont see it as one.

HAHAHAHAHAHA as i said i would love to read anything you gimme. its ok if you dont come around to writing. i cannot wait a lifetime but for you i'll always be ready to read whatever lol. i mean i like writing but GOSH DAMN SOMETIMES IT SHOULD JUST WRITE ITSELF!!!!

'i made the key not so high and she still messed it up' oh poor girl. hope she's doing fine now. rip. what key though...... i'm really bad at music, i'm sorry TT idk if it's like a music word or not...

T_T IM SORRY I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT KEYS EITHER ASFKHASFKASFA IT BASICALLY MEANS HOW HIGH OR LOW A SONG IS!!! AND I MADE OUR SONG NOT SO HIGH BUT SHE STILL MADE HER PART HIGH!!!!! KHASFKAF WHYYY??? IDK she's doing fine but T_T my ears T_T im sorry it- yeah imma leave it at that

'idk you know what time im sending this from <3' yeah i see the time you publish it... that's how i learned your time at first before you said where you live. it must be 20:58 for you rn if you're interested.

lol good for you HAHAHAHH i think i received this at around 21:00-ish already so !! yeah pretty spot on HAHAHAHH

so guess good night or good morning!! love you!! good luck with your soprano!! take care<з

good night my love! or morning for you? idk whatever it is GET SOME SLEEP 👿 EAT WELL 👿 EXERCISE 👿 TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF 👿 THAT IS A THREAT 👿 and my soprano T_T yeah good luck pray for me AHHAHAHH i hope you get better <3

xxx

[strawberrysweetcinnamon]

Hi,

Unfortunately I think there were awful fans at the smtown event a few months ago that tried to do a dark audience (as in no light sticks on) towards Chen. Ugh, that makes me so angry. I hope he feels the love of everyone else!!

I love Christmas or “string lights”. Like you, they make me feel good. During the whole year of covid I put some up inside the house to bring some happiness. I hope they can bring a level of holiday cheer to you this year. I just put up an artificial tree in my living room and a string of lights around my fireplace mantle. Other than that I put lights and garland around my front door. 🎄

Do you do any baking for the holiday? I am trying very hard not to bring sweets into my house. LOL! If I do then I eat them. Hahaha!

Are you excited about Minho’s solo album? I think I saw a post about it the other day.

Hope you are having a good week!!

Your ESS 🎄❄️

Aaaaaaa I'm late in answering this 😭 First of all hiiiiii again @mel-loves-kdramas and THANK YOU so much for your lovely and super-thoughtful gifts!! 💗 I especially love the black/white/peach one, it's SO gorgeous, I couldn't have imagined it!! 🖤🤍🍑 I'm serious, I got goosebumps when I saw it!! Thank you so much for putting so much thought, effort and creativity into this and for having been such a lovely Secret Santa for the last few months! 💖

Oh no, I was hoping the SMTown thing went well for Chen😣 especially since you could SEE how nervous he was (at least in Suwon - I feel like he felt a bit more at ease in Tokyo) - I guess the cameras didn't show the dark audience, I didn't notice anything during the live stream... It's so ridiculously awful. But that's also why I loved that footage I saw the other day of when Chen came out after prerecording some music show and there were K-fans waiting and he was chatting with them happily. Even if the awful fans aren't going away, I hope it helps him to talk to the ones who show him love. ❤️

Ooooh your decorations sound lovely!! 🎄 And I love the idea of keeping the string lights throughout the year! Heaven knows we can use some beautiful atmosphere during other times of the year as well. Meanwhile I still haven't managed to do any decorating. 😂

BUT yes, actually, I did some baking yesterday!! For the first time in ages! I made "soul cakes", which are I think not exactly "Christmas-y" but more of a Halloween thing...? (I meant to make them for Halloween but then I put too much effort into dinner and couldn't be bothered to BAKE something, too 😅) But to me they still count because they contain spices and cranberries, Christmas-y enough in my book. 😝 I feel you about the sweets though. I have a massive sweet tooth. The soul cakes actually aren't so sweet (and quite filling, too, haha), so I can't eat too many of them. But the typical stuff like gingerbread, I just eat wayyy too much of that when I have it at home..... so I relate. 😄

Oh, Minho's album is lovely!! I was hoping it would be in the vein of his solo song "Heartbreak" from last year and IMO the album really has that vibe, which I love. Dark and moody, it fits him very well and "Waterfall" is one of those songs I've had on repeat for hours at a time lately, it's got a special atmosphere that is SO good for dark winter nights. 🖤 Style-wise it reminds me a bit of the stuff on Kai's first album, which is still one of my favourite releases ever! Now I'm really looking forward to this week's release of the new Super Junior album. ❤️ And curious about all the upcoming SMCU stuff, especially since this year it seems there will be some actual EXO participation 🥰 and not just poor Kai by himself, haha.

Are you particularly looking forward to any of the upcoming releases? I can't remember if I already asked you if you're into any other SMTown artists (other than TVXQ, that I do remember 🙂)?

Once again THANK you and lots of love to you!!! ❄️🤍☕️

[symeraid-s]

Honest Opinions about:

1. I had zero expectations for the group any yet they've met almost all my standards. It's a good song, with a great MV and styling (not a fan of snake print, but hey, we can overlook that for the awesome biker outfits!) And the choreo is on point. Overall, it's one of the better comebacks of the year (which was weak until now, excluding Super Junior) and I actually get why they were picked to form a group now (doesn't mean they're save from nickpicks). Right now I'm only missing someone from Super Junior and I think that maybe Sehun and Kai could switch places (he does deserve some spotlight). Maybe take someone from TVXQ! too while your at it and take an NCT member out.

2. Somehow, as in most songs of SHINee, I feel like Taemin is too good for the song (like everyone else in SHINee in every comeback). I don't mean this in a bad context. The thing is just, that his vocals seem way better than Baekhyuns, even though Baekhyun is in no way a worse vocalist. Maybe it's because Taemin sounds like he put 100% behind it and I fail to find the same in him. Maybe it's because I prefer Taemins voice. Maybe it's because the song feels elevated every time he sings. But he's just too good for the song and the song is too weak for Taemin. It's honestly a problem I have with most SHINee songs (including solos). They all sound way better, than what they do.

3. I actually don't know enough about NCT to tell all of them apart, which is embarrassing. But their rap parts slap! Especially Taeyongs (the only one I can recognize) are good. Bloody hell, if Taemin wasn't there to carry the song, he would. All of them did a great job. I also think I should start listening to NCT now, but where to start...

4. The lyrics are a bit dumb (Jumping+Popping= Jopping... sure...), but I think their power delivery makes it secondary. Of all, I think Kai did the best job (after Taemin of course). The high notes are also great. I think Baekhyun did them, but I'm not sure.

5. At first I just thought it was a decent song, but I have to admit that it's growing on me... like a parasite. I can't get it out of my head.

[jonghyuns-husband]

How old are these fandoms!

[DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE THE AVERAGE AGES I’M GUESSING! If you are over or under the ages I stated, I’m not saying you cannot be in those fandoms — in fact, I’d consider you cultured, especially if you’re underaged and you know these older groups!]

BTS - Definitely under 18, particularly around 13 or 14.

TXT - Slightly older than BTS, but about 15-17 years old.

Stray Kids - 16-19 years of age.

ENHYPEN - 14-18 years old.

Ateez - 16-21 years old. (But I’m more confident with 18-19)

BLACKPINK - 12-14 years of age.

TWICE - 15-18 years old. Most likely to be 16-17.

SEVENTEEN - 18-21, but I’d agree with 19. (Ik it’s not an old group but still)

Red Velvet - 20-22 (I’d think a bit older too since there are older members)

NCT - 16-21 (Most likely around barely legal which is 17-20, but the same as Ateez)

Monsta X - 18-21 (Yeah, I feel like this group attracts queer teens and young adults)

Girls Generation - 20-25, but I’d think they’re about 21 or 24 (To be fair, the older the group, the older the fans are)

EXO - 20-25, but they’re about 20-21

BIGBANG - 24-30, but definitely 25 or 28 (I don’t think younger people would openly stan them after hearing what happened, even if they’re iconic…)

Super Junior - 24-30, again, but a bit younger like 24-25 (same with BIGBANG, unless their songs brings nostalgia to you in which you may have of had to be there to be so)

GOT7 - It’s definitely the older version of BTS — 16-21, but around 18-20 for sure.

IKON - 20-23 (I haven’t seen a lot of people talking about them, or maybe it’s just me)

SHINee - Definitely in their 20s, but if I have to pinpoint what age they are, I’d say 24-25.

SuperM - Merge all 3 groups together and you get 16-21, and the exact age has to also be either barely legal (17-20)

TVXQ - 25-32, I’ve seriously never heard anyone young talking about them unless they’re at least around 10 at the time of their debut.

ITZY - 14-16, their fanbase are quite young though…

Loona - 14-18, definitely about 16-17

SHINHWA - 25-30 (same with BIGBANG and Super Junior, plus I’ve never heard any younger fans talking about them.

Dreamcatcher - 24-28 (The members are older whilst being a newer group which could be the reason why the ages are a bit high, plus I haven’t seen anyone younger talking about them)

The Boyz - 16-24, around 18-21 (I’d like to assume this group has a wide variety of ages which makes it harder to determine how old they are)

NewJeans - 10-16 (I know this is a little too early to assume, but I doubt anyone over the age of 18 would stan them due to how ridiculously young they are, unless if they really like their music)

H.O.T - 25-35 (Same with the others, pretty sure anyone who has been there at that moment would listen to them, but anyone who is younger)

Block B - 20-28, around 22-24 (not many younger people has been talking about them very much which makes me wonder how many who are under the age of 18 knows them)

(G)I-DLE - 16-21, (same with the other 16-21 age ranges)

Part 2?

[peekbackstage]

Hello. At first let me thank you for your blog. I mean your posts and opinion as an insider is so interesting to read, it’s like you let us see a little more in this entertainment industry. After reading some posts I can now clearly see why so many stars live hard life, often have anxiety and even suicide thoughts. I mean their life seems to be fully controlled until they become really “someone” in this industry. Does it mean that until it happens they will do anything their company want and have nothing to do. I mean even if they get hate, they should pretend like they don’t care and can’t even say something against haters. My question is so random, I’m sorry. I also wanted to know, why so many singers and idols go acting even if they know many will hate it, they know they will get comments like “idols don’t let real actors to play”. I’m not sure about c-ent as I’m new. But I saw many such comments and reactions in Korean media. So why do they do it? Will they earn more money than being a singer or? Why not to try acting then? Why do they try to become idols? I mean there are so many talented singers and trainees who want ro sing. But eventually we see that many people who debuts as idols soon or later give up singing and try acting. I was just wondering. Thank you in advance, sorry if my question is too obvious. And better late than never. Happy New Year :)

Disclaimer: The following post is informed by my own experience working in the music industry. Chinese industry practices might vary.

In Asia, the world of entertainment tends to be pretty tightly regulated. It’s generally pretty difficult to get a foot in the door and even more difficult to actually “make” it. This post is going to mostly discuss Korea and Japan’s industries, as I am most familiar with those two markets. 

LET’S TALK A BIT ABOUT IDOL HISTORY! 

(Skip this entire section if you aren’t interested in history.) 

In 1962, Johnny Kitagawa, the CEO of the entertainment company, Johnny’s & Associates, launched Japan’s first boy band, Johnnys. While this group saw some minor popularity, it paled in comparison to the group that is often considered to be Asia’s “first” idol group, Four Leaves, who debuted in 1967. 

Four Leaves was a project composed of bishounen (pretty) boys who sang and dance but didn’t play any instruments. They were hand-selected and trained by Johnny Kitagawa himself, who largely focused on the artists’ personalities, attributes, and physical characteristics. 

Four Leaves’ success was so great that Johnny’s sought to replicate it, creating the first idol (aidoru in Japanese) training camp system which is the foundation of all idol companies these days. Just like idol companies today, Johnny’s selected young bishounen boys who were admitted via an audition process, and then placed them in a dorm together. There, they would train as Johnny’s Juniors (aka trainees) until they were ready to debut. 

By the 1980s, Japan had quite a few idol management companies (jimusho) that wanted to replicate Johnny’s success. By that time, the idol industry had matured, and the training camps had become extremely rigorous, Olympic-style singing, dancing, acrobatics, etc. all for the sole purpose of improving stage performances. By the time SMAP debuted in 1988, the system was already in place. But what SMAP did changed the game entirely: they launched their own variety show, effectively putting themselves into every Japanese household and endearing themselves to every single Japanese housewife. 

This caused their popularity to skyrocket, which in turn led to the creation of the ecosystem we now all know: the all-encompassing idol who sings, dances, and acts in tv shows, variety shows, plays, and films. Brand deals and endorsements also really took off during this time, especially with the most popular member, Kimura Takuya. 

(It must be noted that SMAP became very popular not only in Japan, but also all over Asia!) 

By this point, South Korea was taking notice, and by the 90s, debuted their first generation of idol groups, which included the likes of H.O.T. and Shinhwa, who all went through more or less the same style of training that Japanese idol jimushos put through trainees through. 

It must be noted that during this time, South Korea was pretty invested in trying to find the right secret sauce to also debut their artists in Japan, given the mature idol market there. S.M. Entertainment succeeded in doing this with their second generation artists, BoA, Super Junior, and TVXQ, by partnering with Avex Entertainment in Japan. (They even went as far as debuting a visual kei idol group, TraxX, which was actually produced by Yoshiki from X-Japan, to capitalize on the entire visual kei market in Japan.) JYP followed suit with Se7en and Rain, and YG Entertainment debuted BIGBANG and 2NE1. 

During this period of time, it must be noted that the big talk of the town was surprisingly not pop internationally - it was actually Jrock, which had a big surge of popularity in overseas markets between 2007-2009. (Hence S.M.’s desire to debut a visual kei idol band in Japan.) The Hallyu wave hadn’t really started yet, but within a matter of a few years, Kpop was suddenly the hottest new thing just about, well, everywhere.

In fact, it was so popular internationally, that by 2013, Kpop had become the #1 biggest contributor to South Korea’s GDP. It was so important to South Korea that the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism established KOCCA (the Korean Content Agency), which began heavily investing in the export of all things “Hallyu,” but especially Korean music. International industry conferences worldwide suddenly started to see the rise of Korean showcases, which took place literally everywhere. KOCCA was determined to export their idol culture all around the world. 

To capitalize more on international success, companies such as S.M. Entertainment and JYP began to incorporate Chinese members into their groups. This was specifically to give them a foot into the massive Chinese market, which, until the Hallyu ban in 2017, had a massive demand for all things Kpop. 

It was around this same time that TFBoys in China debuted. The industry largely considered them to be the first real homegrown mainland Chinese idol group that rose out of a similar training system used in both South Korea and Japan. 

HISTORY LESSON OVER! 

Why did I feel the need to explain all of this history, you wonder? Couldn’t I just answer the question in a straightforward way? 

Well, not really. It’s pretty important to understand that oftentimes, in the industry, idols aren’t seen as true artists - they are actually seen more as manufactured cultural products. The more products there are (i.e. music, acting projects) the more money there is, which in turn leads to more opportunities. When they are just starting out, idols never get to pick what activities they actually participate in - especially if they haven’t yet established themselves as very successful artists. 

And even when they are established, oftentimes, an idol company will push an artist to try expanding/broadening their various creative outputs with acting. Why only sell music, when you can make money through tv and film? 

Add in the additional benefit of not having any risk at all involved in said tv/film project and it’s win/win for the company - because they aren’t putting up any money upfront to produce and market the project. 

Companies want their idols to pursue acting gigs because it increases the market share for the artist and more opportunities for their artist to create new fans who might discover the artist through the drama or film. This tends to be a big part of the idol ecosystem, though it must be noted that not all idols do go down this route if their company determines that their music products might generate far more money than their acting products. 

This is especially true for rappers in particular, whose solo musical releases might not generate as much fanfare (or as much money) as an acting gig - especially in South Korea, where there is already a very mature, established Korean hip hop genre with plenty of very established hip hop artists. (There’s also a very popular hip hop competition show, Show Me The Money, that regularly features celebrity Korean hip hop artists.) 

Sometimes, it just makes more sense to take acting opportunities, as they can generate better income than music. 

Talented singers sometimes might also choose to go the acting route for the same reason - also because opportunities keep coming across the desks of their managers, who sometimes talk them into the projects. Other times, it may simply be that once an idol tries their hand at acting, they realize they have a real knack for it and end up wanting to pursue more acting projects. 

In any case, there isn’t a single, universal reason why idols choose to go from singing to acting, but there is a universal reason why all idols inevitably do make the switch: money. 

And for companies in particular, acting projects their artists star in are 100% pure profit with zero financial risk. 

In any case, quite a few artists started out in music, tried their hand at acting, and then continued to do both. We see this especially with artists such as Vanness Wu, IU (Lee Ji-eun), and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, who are all still active in both acting and music. 

I hope this massively long post was informative and also helped answer the question, “Why do idols go from singing to acting?” (I also hope I helped explain the way the idol ecosystem works and how it all started!) 

Thanks for the questions and for reading.

Edit: Oops, I totally forgot to answer the question, “Why do some people become idols?”

The answer is pretty simple: it’s really hard to get into the entertainment industry, and many people see idol factories as a straightforward roadmap into a career in entertainment. While it isn’t the only way into entertainment, it often is the path many artists do ultimately choose to take. 

[breitweisergallery]

Tagged by @killerandhealerqueen <3

Nickname: Took!! Some friends call me Tookie, some friends just call me babe/bae, all that is cool uWu

Star Sign: Scorpio

Height: That's a secret

Time: 2:50

Birthday: October 31

Favourite Bands: Super Junior, 2PM, SHINee, TVXQ!, Pentagon, SF9, Sugar Pine 7's music, clipping.

Favourite Solo Artists: Max Changmin, U-KNOW Yunho, Key, Rain, BoA, Jeon Somi, Minho, AleXa, Eden, BM, SUGR?, rafael casal, jake laxer, GIMS

Favourite Foods: Pasta, fish, sweet potato

Favourite Colors: Maroon & burgundy & lavender

Last Thing I Googled: Korean juvenile law

Last Show I Watched: The Devil Judge

Last Movie I Watched: I don't?? really watch movies tbh. I watch a lot of documentaries on youtube though so? that, I guess

Lucky Number: 14

When Did I Create This Blog?: Like, last year rifp

Do I Have Any Other Blogs?: I did, once upon a time. They've probably long since been deleted but I used to have a pretty decent war and peace blog

Do I Get Asks?: no but i want to! send me things!!!

Why Did I Choose My URL?: it's my ao3 username and from a poem

Blogs You Follow: 67

Dream Trip: Road trip to visit my friends!! I'm a road trip kinda person and I always want to spend time with my people.

Instruments: I play guitar, violin, some piano, some bass, and I sing. I love the sounds of strings in general. Wish I'd picked up cello too.

Average Hours Of Sleep: 8-9

How Many Blankets Do You Sleep With?: Two! One weighted that I put over my proper blanket.

Tagging: Anyone who wants to <3

[kleo1504]

Yes I'm safe now! I will be a bit more careful though for the next few days 💭 I didn't even know who this man was which made me more scared since I'm bad with remembering faces I'm not familiar with.

Ohh I remember watching these videos too! I also love the musicians react to channel on YouTube, I definitely recommend it since I also discovered new songs and groups thanks to them!

If you had to choose a top 5 of the groups you're currently listening to a lot which ones would they be?

Stay safe too 💕🌸

I'd love to watch more YouTube videos but the fact is I can barely keep up with the k-pop MVs. 😂

5 groups I listen to most these days...? Hm... It changes a lot, to be honest but I guess it goes as follows:

1) OMEGA X - I like their upbeat songs a lot. Actually I like upbeat songs in general. I never only listen to music. I always listen to musiv while doing other things so ballads are not my cup of tea as they don't really motivate me to keep on moving.

2) Super Junior - Again, I love their upbeat songs, Shirt is my favourite one. I have found out that Super Junior songs are absolutely great for my hula hoop workout.

3) SHINee - Including Taemin's solos. Want, Famous and Criminal are also great for hula hooping and Lucifer, Why so serious and Atlantis are fantastic for speed walking on the treadmill. Lol! This kinda make me sound like a sport person but I'm actually nowhere near that. I really need a strong motivation to exercise.

4) ATEEZ - Initially I didn't like Ateez at all, actually. It took me a long time to actually start liking them. At first their songs irritated me, like no joke. Lol. I only got into them through Fireworks (I'm the one). They are my new VIXX, I guess. Because in the beginning I didn't like VIXX at all but then they became my top group and I actually own many of their albums and even concert DVDs. I have no Ateez merch at the moment but I listen to their songs a lot.

5) MONSTA X - I listen to them a lot, although I prefer the older stuff when Wonho was still in the group.

This is the top 5 now but it really rotates a lot. I have weeks when I listen to 2PM or TVXQ only and so on. I'm capable of put one song in particular on repeat and listen to it for days.

Also I'm sorry for not being active much for the last couple of days. Life came in the way disturbing my concentration but I'll be back on track soon. 😉

Thank you!

Kleo

[i-stan-nct-and-satan]

Not Broken pt 13 (Jaehyun Mafia AU)

Not Broken Masterlist

Jaehyun X Reader

Y/N is a burlesque dancer living in Seoul. Jaehyun is one of the most powerful mafia men in Seoul. How will Y/N survive when Jaehyun suspects that she is involved with a rival gang?

Reasons to read this story: Ten’s a cross-dressing madam so….. yeah read it ya freaks.

Trigger warning: mentions of abuse

<><><><>Several hours before Y/N was called to Jaehyun’s office<><><><><>

“What’s so important to discuss that a member of the council decided to visit me personally?” Jaehyun asked in a disinterested tone as he poured two glasses of brandy for him and his guest, sealing the decanter once he had finished.

“A member of the council? I know that it’s best to keep an air of formality when in the presence of council members but given that it’s just the two of us, do call me Uncle, won’t you?” The older man requested, accepting the drink as it was handed to him.

Jaehyun moved to sit at his desk while Suho remained standing at the vintage drum table which the decanter rested on.  

“Why are you here?” He requested, setting his drink directly onto the cherrywood’s finish.

Suho’s eyes wandered around the room, feigning confusion towards his nephew’s inquiry.  

A soft sigh of frustration left the younger man’s lungs.

“Why are you here, Uncle?”  

A sly smile crept onto Suho’s face only for a contemplative expression to succeed it.  

The man began to swirl the amber liquid within its glass shell taking his time to notice how it coated the crystal walls for a fleeting instant before returning to a stagnant state.  

Jaehyun, whose patience usually would have been wearing thin at this point, allowed the man his thoughts as he began to observe his liquor as well.  

Suho was a member of Exo’s council, an alliance organization, of which Jaehyun’s father had also been a member. Exo could be characterized as a network of gangs or a grandfather gang, so to speak. It served as both an alliance and an enforcer, allowing associated organizations a considerable degree of protection against rival gangs. Several gangs in Seoul were affiliates of Exo, including NCT and all its current subgroups, Shinee, Super Junior, TVXQ, Red Velvet, BlackPink and many others. Although Exo was arguable the largest and most powerful gang alliance in Seoul, it wasn’t the only one. Got7 for instance, arguably NCT’s biggest rival gang was under the protection of JYP, an elusive organization that had begun growing exponentially over the past several years.

Although Exo’s membership technically extended to any and all members of its associated gangs, it’s only the Exo’s council members who hold any real power. Joining Exo forces leaders to relinquish many of their decision-making freedoms in exchange for protection, meaning that the council now had final say on important decisions involving their gangs.  

The council itself was made up of a select few individuals, each holding remarkable influence over the innerworkings of Seoul’s mob scene. Jaehyun was familiar with each of the council members for his father had been a member of the council since its creation, as had Suho.  

The two had been friends since they met in Juvie as teens, NCT was the fruit of that friendship. They started out preforming simple bank robberies, then quickly grew into a full-fledged gang eventually forming subdivisions meant to expand their territories. Sooman was NCT’s official leader and Suho was his right-hand man. They created Exo after forming an alliance with Super Junior and Shinee’s former leaders.

Not all council members were experienced crime lords. A handful of them were better described as investors, such as Sehun, who made billions investing in the drug trade. Becoming a member of the council was almost impossible, as members served lifetime appointments and a strict selective process was employed to take their places when they died. Those selected were never informed of their selection until after they were appointed to prevent any violence being committed against council members in the hopes of gaining a position.  

Jaehyun held great disdain for the process since every time a member died, he would be replaced by yet another old geezer who would continue to uphold the council’s outdated and traditional values.  

To Jaehyun, the council was nothing more than just another source of irritation. When his father died unexpectedly, the several members of the council opposed him, Jaehyun, from taking over his father’s position at such a young age despite SM and Suho having been even younger than he was when they formed NCT. Their official objections only ceased when Suho vowed to watch over the young man, although they continued to express their disapproval whenever the subject was brought up. Being the son of SM, one of the council’s original members gave Jaehyun a privilege that many of the other leaders did not have. He often got away with challenging the council with only a lecture for punishment whereas anyone else would risk forfeiting their gang’s Exo membership altogether.  

Jaehyun’s status didn’t spare him from any of the council’s scrutiny though, if anything, it was magnified.  

Out of all Exo’s affiliated gangs, NCT was the most powerful, meaning that if Jaehyun messed up in any way, the losses could be detrimental.  

Jaehyun had been called to face the council more than anyone else making him feel like their sole purpose was to piss him off. After the death of IU, the council began making what he viewed as unreasonable demands in order to protect NCT’s image.  

He had instructed Taeyong to send regular updates to the council regarding their captive and once Taeyong confirmed with them that not only had they proven Y/N irresponsible for IU’s death, but that she had actually killed the man who was, Jaehyun knew that it’d be a matter of time before he would be summoned once again. Jaehyun ignored the councils request to meet with them and thus Suho was sent as a representative in their absence.

“Are you sure that the girl is responsible for Lucas’s death?”  

Jaehyun returned his focus to the gentleman who had wandered over to one of the bookshelves. He used his free hand to graze the bindings of each of the collected works as if he were looking for something in particular.

“If you came only to confirm the information that was sent to you, then you’ve wasted a trip.”

Suho sighed, removing his hand from the bookshelf.

“I hope you’re aware of how this could make us look.”

Suho turned towards Jaehyun taking his time to meet him at his desk before sitting in the brown leather chair that mirrored his nephew’s.  

“Lucas having been killed by someone outside of NCT and all,” He finished, taking a sip from the crystal tumbler.

Jaehyun quirked an eyebrow.  

“What do you mean?”

Suho set his drink on a nearby coaster and proceeded to lift his leg, crossing his foot over his thigh, before leaning back in his chair.

“Think about it from a rival gang’s point of view. A year into his new position, a position given to him at what many considered too young of an age, the leader of NCT’s sister ends up being kidnapped and murdered by Wayv, a gang made up of former NCT members. Not only that, but three years later, NCT has still been unable find the man responsible,” He recounted, staring off into the room.

“That’s because he was dead this whole time. How the fuck were we supposed to know he was dead? You can’t find a guy who can’t be found,” Jaehyun reminded defensively.

“You of all people should know that image matters far more than truth. Remember how the council basically scrambled to protect NCT’s image? How we kept the truth about IU’s death under wraps so that to outsiders her death would have seemed like an accident? How none of us had even a second to mourn her loss as we were all too busy trying to do damage control?”  

Jaehyun didn’t respond.

“IU’s death was tragic. You know this, but you also realized the importance of minimizing its effect on NCT which is why as SM’s successor, you pushed through the pain to protect those of who were still alive, your members. We knew that presenting her death as an accident wouldn’t work long term, but the council hoped that it would buy you time while you searched for Wayv but now....”  

Suho’s eyes met Jaehyun’s as he stressed the seriousness of the situation.  

“Now that Wayv knows you have Lucas’s killer, they’re going to start forming connections, building alliances with other gangs, anything it takes to get to her. Word will get out that it was actually Wayv who were responsible for IU’s death and that the man who organized it wasn’t killed by NCT, but on accident by a mere burlesque dancer. NCT won’t just be seen as weak, it’ll become the laughingstock of Seoul.”  

“But, Uncle, Wayv must not want word getting out about Lucas’s death either. Why else would they have covered up his death and continued on as though he were still running everything?”

“That is true. It’s safe to say that before recent events, Wayv didn’t want the nature of their leader’s death reaching their rival gangs which is probably why they didn’t expose us when we buried the truth about IU’s death. They would have wanted to avoid suspicion at all costs. Even now, I’m sure that Wayv would prefer to keep this information to themselves especially after learning that Lucas was killed by someone with Y/N’s background.”

“So, what’s the problem?” Jaehyun asked, feeling uneasy about where his uncle was leading.

“The problem is that even if Wayv doesn’t want details regarding Lucas’s death reaching the public, their image won’t be hit as hard as NCT’s will, and it stands to reason that they’d be more than willing to cut off a few of their fingers if it meant NCT would lose its limbs.”

“What do you mean it would hit us harder? We’re not the ones whose leader was killed by a goddamn stripper!” Jaehyun boomed.  

“Yes, you’re right. He was killed and that’s exactly why they aren’t facing the same level of risk NCT is. Lucas was killed, making him Wayv’s former leader. He no longer represents them and thus whatever happened to him has very little effect on their image now. If anything, his death will actually strengthen Wayv’s image since after Lucas died, his successor somehow managed to keep his death a secret for almost three years. It takes a lot to hide something as big as the death of a prolific mob boss. If even one person were to squeal, the entire city would know within a matter of days and yet we’re only learning about it now, three years later. Wayv can only benefit from all this, You, on the other hand, will be seen as weak, incompetent, and a disgrace to your father’s legacy,” The older man explained.

“And that’s a shame because you’re not, Jaehyun. Your father would be proud to know how far you’ve come despite those whose doubt you,” He added.  

“That man never approved of anything I did when he was alive. I don’t know why he’d start in his death,” Jaehyun sneered.  

His face had fallen from its angered state, yet an air of bitterness seemed to linger in his features. Suho could only sigh at his nephew’s hardheadedness which had surely been passed down to him by his father.

“The council wants to replace you.”

“Oh yeah? And how do they plan on going through with those plans?” Jaehyun scoffed.

Suho gave his nephew a softhearted look.

“They don’t. You and I both know how capable the council is when forcing their agenda regardless of the leaders who oppose them, but I convinced them to hold off on their plans just until you’ve had a chance to resolve the issue on your own.”

Jaehyun leaned back in his chair as he pondered his uncle’s remarks. It was true that the council was more than capable of replacing him as leader even if his men continued being loyal to him. Exo wouldn’t just threaten to withdraw their protections over NCT, they would find a way to completely dismantle NCT, rebuilding it in their ideal image. Exo had more than enough funds to obtain whatever resources needed to preserve control of their affiliates. The only thing he could do, was roll over and hope they wouldn’t tighten his leash any further. He had to act.

“What should I do?” Jaehyun asked, finally letting his guard down.

“You need to get on top of this. Find a way to ease the council’s anxieties.”  

“And how exactly do you suppose I do that?”

Suho lifted his drink from its coaster, bringing it to his lips and finishing it in two large sips. He returned the glass to the desk, causing it to make a soft thumping sound as it contacted the wood.

“Have you thought about the council’s suggestion from before all this began, about taking a wife?”

“Oh, not this again,” Jaehyun groaned.

“Look, the council is worried. They don’t think you hold the same values your father did. To them, you’re a firecracker just waiting to go off. It makes them antsy. Marriage will show the council that you hold traditional values and are not the irresponsible rebel they think you are.”

“Marriage will do all that?” Jaehyun laughed, obviously not taking his uncles advice seriously.

“You were so insistent on being able to choose your own wife and rejected any thoughts of allowing the council to make any arrangements for you, which pissed off a lot of people. Taking one of the councilmen’s daughters or nieces as a wife would have shown commitment to your role as SM’s successor. Your refusal shows a lack of respect and makes them question how much power they should allow you when you continue to make them feel uneasy about the future. Your parent’s marriage was arranged. It really isn’t that big of a deal. Have you at least started considering any possible applicants?”

“I haven’t exactly had any time to mingle given how I’ve been busy trying to find the men responsible for my sister’s death and all.” Jaehyun reminded his uncle in a tone drenched with sarcasm.  

“Hmmm, well I guess that’s probably a good thing considering the circumstances,” Suho mused quietly.

“Excuse me?” Jaehyun leaned forward so that his forearms rested on the desk.  

Suho returned his focus to his nephew whose curious features urged him to go on.  

“The girl, take her as your wife.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Jaehyun gawked, unable to believe what his uncle was saying.

“Marry her. That’s the only way you can turn this around. If word gets out that NCT’s leader got married to the girl responsible for Lucas’ death, they’ll assume that his death wasn’t actually an accident but was all a part of your plan. Even if people don’t come to that conclusion, which I don’t see why they wouldn’t, marrying her will prevent all of the damage that she’d cause us if you let her go. How I see it, you have two options. You could let her go get captured by Wayv, which you do not want, and let everyone view NCT as weak for not being able to kill the man who murdered their leader’s sister, which you definitely don’t want, or you can marry the girl and kill three birds with one stone. She’ll be safe from Wayv, NCT’s image will be as strong as ever, and the council will view you as a trustworthy leader who shares their same values.”

Jaehyun scoffed in amazement, unsure of what he could possibly say to respond to such an outrageous proposal.  

Were these just the crazy ramblings of a man entering the stages of early onset dementia or was his uncle actually onto something?

“I mean, it’s not a bad deal. She is a very attractive young woman. I’m not sure you could do much better, even if you were to marry one of the councilman’s daughters,” Suho smirked.

Jaehyun glanced at his half empty glass, reaching towards it to take a sip.  

His uncle was right. Despite the bitter taste that the idea of marrying a burlesque dancer left in his mouth, she was more beautiful than any of the councilmen’s daughters. He couldn’t brush off the fact that marriage could very well be enough to stop them from interfering in his business as much as they did. Although the council members would probably prefer it if he didn’t marry a foreigner, perhaps marrying an American would grant him a bit of status. When he thought about the possibility of marriage before, he believed that he would be happy as long as the girl was beautiful and didn’t speak up too much or challenge him. That’d be the perfect arrangement, yet he didn’t see Y/N as the obedient type.

“Ok, wait a second. Suppose I were to commit to such a plan, how would I get her to accept my proposal? We didn’t exactly get off to a great start, so I doubt she’d agree,” Jaehyun asked, beginning to entertain the idea.  

“Present it as though she doesn’t have a choice,” He advised.  

Jaehyun shifted his weight off the desk and leaned back against his chair, taking a moment to process the suggestion.

“Even if I didn’t give her a choice, I’m sure she’d find ways to be as bothersome as she could. Dealing with her rebellious moods might be more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Well, finding a way to ensure her compliance shouldn’t be too hard, should it?” Suho hinted with a smile.

The younger man hummed, as he contemplated what his next actions might require.  

“No, it should not.”

<><><><><>

“Does everyone understand?”  

The members of NCT 127 stared at their boss, astonished by the sudden announcement. None of them knew what to say so many of them merely nodded, pretending as though they understood the situation.  

After Suho left, Jaehyun called Taeyong into his office to inform him of his intentions to marry Y/N. Taeyong was understandably shocked by his boss’s unsettling plans. To him, it didn’t make any sense to marry a girl who was rightfully terrified of him even if it was in the best interest for NCT. He tried to talk him out of it knowing full well that Jaehyun doesn’t just get talked out of things. After Jaehyun revealed that there were discussions of replacing him among the council and that Suho, himself, recommended the marriage, Taeyong conceded to his boss’s orders and called a meeting in the billiards room.  

“You are all dismissed then. Except for you two,” Jaehyun motioned towards two of his men before turning to Taeyong.

“Bring Y/N to my office when she is done eating. I need to have a discussion with these two first,” Jaehyun instructed his right-hand man.  

<><><><><>

“Have a seat.”

Winwin and Johnny sat in the chairs that were placed directly across from their boss.  

Jaehyun took his time studying his raven-haired colleague whilst almost completely overlooking the gentleman who sat beside him.  

“What do you think about what was discussed at the meeting, Winwin?” Jaehyun asked, taking care to analyze his reaction.

Winwin, who had been glaring at this boss up to this point, let out a dry laugh and shook his head to show his irritation.

“What are you trying to do here?” He demanded.

Jaehyun laughed in amusement.  

“What do you mean? I just asked for your thoughts.”

Winwin rolled his eyes.

“Listen, I couldn’t care less what you do with the girl. It’s just business, right? Or did you think I’d be against it since marrying her is all a part of your ploy to win against Wayv?”  

All traces of amusement were now gone from the Jaehyun’s face as he turned to Johnny.

“You’ve been keeping an eye on him all this time, right? Nothing suspicious?”

The man nodded in response.

“What about when you two were separated?”

“The only time we weren’t together was when one of us was using the bathroom, but like you instructed, I searched him for  any electronic devices before he entered the bathroom and had Taeil watch over him when I wasn’t able to.”

Jaehyun leaned back in his chair, staring behind the two men. He still didn’t trust Winwin but he couldn’t keep him on watch without there being any new evidence against him. Doing so would lead the others to believe he was making decisions based on his emotions instead of what he thought was best for NCT.  

His thoughts were interrupted when a soft knock came from the other side of his office door.

“Johnny, you will no longer be required to watch over Winwin. Winwin, you are free to interact with whomever you feel inclined, but I will be keeping my eye on you. You are both free to go.”

He watched as the two men exited out the door, catching a glimpse of them stopping to greet whom he presumed to be Taeyong and the girl.

After taking a moment to mentally prepare himself for what was about to come, he called out to them.

“You may enter now.”

Y/N was the first to enter while Taeyong held the door open for her. Jaehyun took note of what she was wearing, faded black jeans and an off-white shirt. It made him wonder why she wanted to wear something of such a low quality, when she could have worn what was prepared for her, but then he remembered what Jaemin had said about her not wanting anything he had to offer her.

Y/N made no effort to hide her avoidance of his gaze. Once she sat down in the chair Winwin had previously been seated in, Jaehyun dismissed Taeyong.  

It was just the two of them now.  

He silently stared at her frightened figure which seemed to shrink further and further into the brown leather chair. He noticed her bruises. They had almost completely vanished from her face and only small patches of discoloration remained.  

He hadn’t forgotten how beautiful she was the night of the performance, though he couldn’t help but observe how much more ethereal she looked than that night before everything went down. Sure, her wounds hadn’t completely healed, and her appearance revealed a tinge of dishevelment, but her flashy costume and makeup from the night of her performance only seemed to distract from her natural visage.  

“Y/N?”  

She looked up at him, finally allowing their eyes to meet and for a split second, Jaehyun forgot why he had called her into his office in the first place. It was only after he noticed her shaky breaths that he was reminded of what he was to say.  

“It has been decided that you and I will get married this month.”

<><><><><>

I was the type of person whose mind went blank whenever she heard something she didn’t want to believe was true. I felt as though I could turn any unwanted reality into a dream I could wake up from as long as I didn’t think about it, or anything else for that matter. If I allowed myself to process the situation, it would be like thinking it into existence. I didn’t know why this was my first instinct. It never changed anything. It only allowed for me to live in denial a moment longer. That was how I reacted to my parent’s death, and to my brother’s betrayal, but those weren’t dreams or even nightmares. I had to accept them for what they truly were. My reality.

Even now, I wanted nothing more than to fall back into that familiar state of disassociation. If there was ever a time to mistake my reality for a delusion conjured up by my unconscious mind, this was it. It was all so bizarre; too preposterous to be real. My rationality was evaporating, and my vision blurring.  

I bit down on the inside of my cheeks, determined to find some sort of grounding. I focused on the metallic flavor that began to coat my tongue. I continued to stare at the man that had found yet another way to afflict me, this time with words instead of fists. I wanted so desperately to snap out of it, yet I didn’t know how. I could feel myself falling deeper and deeper into nihility when a memory of the Madam entered my mind.  

“Those who believe that heaven and hell are opposites of each other are cursed to only experience one at a time. They say you gotta go through hell to get out of it but why not learn to love the heat?”

That was her go-to toast when having drinks with the performers. Why I had thought of that speech, I didn’t know. Maybe my mind was just trying to find a memory to latch onto hoping it would stop me from falling into oblivion. I used the memory as a chance to break my gaze from his. My eyes moved to see the glass of brandy that rested on the desk near his hands.  

I instinctively reached out toward the glass earning a wide-eyed stare from its owner. Without thinking I dipped my fingers inside the glass and scooped out the ice cube that was floating just below the amber liquid’s surface. The ice cube dropped to the floor and I bought the glass to my lips, quickly draining it of its contents. The familiar burn that traveled down my throat managed to return my soul to my body. From how many gulps it took to finish, it must have been a double, not nearly enough to get me drunk, but hopefully enough for the liquid courage to do its job once the adrenaline started to fade.  

I slammed the empty glass down on the desk and stared into the eyes of my captor.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

<><><><>

Jaehyun’s shocked expression disappeared and he began to laugh.  

“That’s what I get for not offering you a drink, I presume.”

My gaze became venomous, calling attention to the severity of the situation.  

Jaehyun noticed this and returned to his humorless disposition.

“You and I will be married this month,” He repeated.  

“You must have lost your mind. You and I? Married?” I scoffed.

“As the leader of NCT, I am required to take a wife for reasons of status. It has been decided that you will be that wife.”

“So? I’m sure there are tons of other women you could marry, why me?” I demanded.

“It has come to my attention that your involvement in Lucas’s death poses a threat to our organization’s image. Seeing as how you were the one to kill him and not one of my men, it’s likely that this could send a serious blow to us. That is, if it gets out that the man responsible for my sister’s death was killed by a mere... dancer,” He divulged, a speck of distaste coated his voice as he uttered the last two syllables.

“You’re crazy. You’re telling me you wanna marry me? How did you find the nerve? And while I still have bruises and a cracked rib that you gave me,” I spat.

I was seething in anger.

“This isn’t a matter of what I want or don’t want. This marriage, along with the wedding itself, will only be for the sake of appearances. If it were my choice, you wouldn’t even be here, but now that Wayv wants you, it’s in my best interest to keep you here, no matter what it takes.”

“You said I was free to leave whenever I wanted!”  

“Well I guess I changed my mind,” He declared using a dismissive tone.

“No, I won’t. I won’t do it.” I stood up, hands gripping the edge of the desk.  

“You don’t really have a choice now do you, Kitten?”

“This is insane. What on earth makes you think that I would willingly marry you? If you’re really just doing this for appearances, then... then I’ll do everything I can to show everyone just how unwilling I am. I’ll act out. I’ll... I’ll-”

“You will do nothing of the sort.” Jaehyun bellowed in a voice, almost intimidating enough to scare me into backing down... almost.

“What are you going to do, kill me?” I challenged.

Jaehyun stood up, allowing his oppressive height to add to his threatening demeanor.  

“You will do as I say whether that is going through with the wedding or anything else for that matter. You will behave from now on because if you don’t, it’s your friend who will pay the price.”

Extinguished by his menacing implication, the fire that ran through my veins was nowhere to be found.  

“W-what are-”

“Remember how you asked me to check on your friend from the other night? Wendy, was it? Well I had my men check the local hospital’s records from that night. It turns out that they treated three patients from the burlesque club the night of your performance and that included your friend. Somehow, she sustained the worst injury of all having received a bullet to the chest. Luckily for her, the bullet missed her heart and was easily removed through the surgery I paid for. She was released from the hospital yesterday.”

“Wendy’s alive?”  

I fell back into the chair, unable to believe how I had forgotten all about my friend these past few days. With everything that had been going on, I hadn’t thought of her since I made the request in the first place.

“She’s alive and will likely go on to live a full and meaningful life especially after having been granted 20 million won to study at the university of her choice... as long as you do what I say.”

I did my best to fight back the tears that were already beginning to stream down my face completely unaware that Jaehyun’s anger had turned into discomfort.

I gave up trying to hold back my tears and brought my hands to my face. After sensing a nearby presence, I removed them to see that Jaehyun had also returned to a sitting position and was offering me a royal blue handkerchief. I stared at him, confused by the gesture.  

“I didn’t want for things to turn out this way either. I understand why you’re upset and I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you because of me. Think of our marriage as an arrangement. Being my wife will offer you a degree of status and wealth, not to mention protection from Wayv. You’ll have to act as my wife at social events, but besides that, you’ll be free to do as you wish without any disruptions from me.” He explained looking away.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?! I’d rather you keep me locked up in that room for the rest of my life than spend one minute married to you!” I shouted, ignoring the handkerchief.

The neatly folded handkerchief was now wrinkled by the harsh grip that held it. The anger had returned to his face.

“Fine! If that’s how you’re going to be then who am I to deny you your wishes? Stay in your room and rot for all I care,” He roared.  

Taeyong quickly entered the room.

“Get her out of my sight and don’t let her out of her room until I say so,” He ordered, abruptly standing up from his desk and knocking over several items in the process.  

Taeyong escorted me back to my room. The only time he said anything was to tell me that he’d try to calm Jaehyun down and that I should probably stay in my room until he’d given me the go ahead.  

I spent the remainder of the night crying. Crying for Wendy, all the things she went through because of me and for the others who got hurt that night. I mostly cried for myself though. My worst nightmare had come true. I was going to have to marry Jung Jaehyun, the leader of Seoul’s most notorious gang, NCT.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

I woke up to the sun shining through my window, something I wasn’t used to, given my early morning training sessions.

It still seemed pretty early though.

I rolled over to look at the clock but saw a note on the vanity table along with a glass of water instead.  

I grabbed the water first, glad to have something to drink as my head was pounding.  

I picked up and read the note while sitting up against the bedframe.  

Y/N,

I talked to Jaehyun. He is sorry and you are free to move around the building unescorted. I asked Jeno to allow you the morning off from training.  

-Taeyong

Memories of the day before came flooding back all at once. It really did feel like I was hungover, but not from drinking too much.

I had no idea how Taeyong managed to get Jaehyun to ease up on me, although he must have since I was now able to leave. I doubted that Jaehyun was actually sorry though. Taeyong probably added that in just to give me some sort of relief.  

I heard noises in the hallway. It was a loud rustling noise. I got up from the bed to investigate. Creaking the door open slightly, I noticed that I really was unguarded. I peeked into the halls seeing nothing but closed doors.  

My curiosity got the better of me causing me to follow the noise until I was standing in front of a closed door. I could hear two people talking, but not very clearly. It sounded like they were having an argument.  

I pressed my ear to the door.  

“I just don’t get why it’s such a big deal. It’s not like we can act all lovey-dovey around the other members anyways,” Said one of voices.  

“That’s not the problem. The problem is that you can’t even tell them we’re dating. It’s like you are ashamed of me or something,” The other voiced whined.

My eyes widened in shock. Was this Jeno and Jaemin on the other side?

I focused on the voices. They both sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place who they belonged to. Luckily, I didn’t have to.

“Mark, I’m serious. If you can’t open up about us to your friends, then we can’t do this anymore.”

Mark?

If that’s Mark, then who’s-

The door opened causing me to stumble back and fall on the floor.

“Haechan, wait!”  

I looked up to see who had unintentionally knocked me over but was met with someone I would have never guessed.

“Donghyuck?”

“Y/N?”

“Haechan, what’s-” Mark came out from behind him before looking down at me.

“Y/N?”

I looked up at Donghyuck.

“Haechan? Wait but you’re Donghyuck.”

“Donghyuck?” Mark quirked.  

Haechan facepalmed.  

“What the fuck is going on?” I demanded.  

Mark looked at me, then back at Donghyuck then down at his hands that seemed to be working him through some sort of calculation.  

“If you know Y/N, and she recognized you but called you Donghyuck instead of Haechan, then... oh.”

<><><><><><><><><><><>

After our run-in upstairs, Donghyuck and Mark told me to wait outside their room while they called Taeyong. He had arrived shortly after and was ushered into the room with them. I stood there outside the room silently. I didn’t even try to eavesdrop for I was worried I wouldn't like what they were saying. As soon as the door opened, Donghyuck practically lunged at me, grabbing my shoulders so I would face him.  

“Holy fuck, Y/N. What kind of trouble did you get yourself into?” he exclaimed before pulling me into his embrace.

The three of them brought me down to the kitchen where we ran into Jeno, Jaemin, Yuta, and Doyoung, who all seemed to be getting ready for breakfast. Taeyong sat me at the table with Mark and asked everyone else in the kitchen to step out for a moment so he could talk to them. I tried asking Mark what was going on and why Donghyuck was here and why he was calling him Haechan but he only told me that I would find out soon enough. After what was most definitely more than just a moment, everyone returned to the kitchen except Taeyong and Donghyuck. When I asked where they were, Yuta simply responded with, “They need to talk to the boss.”

Jaemin and Jeno tried to lighten up the mood but to no avail. Jeno asked me how I was enjoying my day off from training while Jaemin set the table up for breakfast. Nobody spoke a word about the Haechan/Donghyuck situation or even mentioned the other elephant in the room. To be honest, I didn’t know whether to be grateful for not having to discuss the details regarding my recent engagement, or if it merely added to my anxieties.

The two of them finally returned after we had been eating, or more like absentmindedly playing with our breakfast, for over 20 minutes.  

As they sat down at the table, I noticed that Donghyuck’s eyes were glued to me. He looked pained, like a boy watching his pet cat run into a busy highway, knowing he couldn’t do anything to help the poor creature.

“Jaehyun is busy right now but he’s been filled in and has given me instructions on how to handle the matter,” Taeyong began.  

I felt myself relax a little after hearing Taeyong’s words. I felt relief knowing that I wouldn’t have to deal with seeing Jaehyun on top of everything else that was going on.

“It’s come to my attention that you and Hae-” Taeyong hesitated, not exactly knowing how to explain what he was trying to explain.  

“that you and Haechan, or Donghyuck as you know him as, are already well acquainted with each other.”

Taeyong paused waiting for my reaction but given that I was too confused to even know where to start, I stayed quiet.

“Maybe I should just let Haechan do the talking. He’s been caught up on your situation, so he can catch you up on his.”  

Everyone at the table turned to Donghyuck while he continued to stare back at me.  

A soft sigh left Donghyuck’s mouth as he broke my gaze to look down at the table.  

“Y/N, I’m a member of-”

“You’re a member of NCT?!” I blurted out.  

A small smile crept onto his face and a forced version of his laughter entered my ears.

“Surprise?”  

Everyone at the table stared at each other. It was agonizingly uncomfortable.

“I need a shot. Does anybody else need a shot?” Haechan awkwardly got up and walked over to the main part of the kitchen.

“Haechan, it’s 9:20. Nobody needs a sho-” Taeyong began.

“I would like a shot,” I announced, hand suddenly raised above my head.

“Thatta girl. Glad to see this place didn’t snuff out your party girl spirit. Jeno, where do you keep the booze in this place?”  

Haechan began opening the cabinet drawers as he continued his search for anything that would make the situation less uncomfortable than it was.

“There’s a bottle of cooking merlot in the upper left-hand cabinet above the main oven,” Jeno offered.

Haechan opened the cabinet and pulled the bottle out.  

“It’s not quite what I was hoping for, but I supposed it’ll do the trick.”

Haechan hurried to open the bottle, almost knocking it over in the process. Once the corked was freed from its enclosure, Haechan swiftly wrapped his lips around the bottle’s opening and started chugging. He held the bottle in its now tilted position for ten solid seconds before lowering it back onto the counter.

“That should do it,” He muttered, out of breath before grabbing the bottle by its neck and bringing it over to the table. As he handed me the bottle, I couldn’t help but notice that a measurable amount of the red liquid had disappeared from the bottle, not that it mattered. There was still more than enough wine left to get me through the next few hours.

I began to chug the liquid in the same manner that Haechan had, unaware of the impressed and/or concerned faces that surrounded me.  

The bottle couldn’t have been more than halfway full by the time I set it down. I wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my shirt, unbothered by the risk of possibly staining it.  

“You,” I panted, pointing to Donghyuck,

“Tell me what the fuck is going on.”

Donghyuck, or I guess Haechan, did his best to fill me in on... well everything.  

The 127 member that Mark had told me about, was actually Donghyuck all along. He was working undercover as my apartment’s doorman, in order to get information on a former NCT member named Hansol, which is why he went by Donghyuck instead of his real name. Hansol had disappeared without a trace several years ago and 127 had been trying to find him ever since. One of NCT’s sources claimed that they had sighted Hansol entering my apartment complex with one of the building’s residents, a gang leader who usually went under the alias, Feeldog but was registered with the building as Kwang-suk. Apparently, it was rumored that Hansol left NCT to join Feeldog’s gang, UNB, a rumor that Yuta apparently took great issue with.  

“There’s no way. He wouldn’t do that. Not without telling someone at least,” He maintained.

Haechan and Taeyong glanced at each other.  

“What?!” Yuta snapped.

Taeyong sighed.

“It’s just that you and Hansol were so close, it makes sense that you would have feelings of betrayal surrounding his disappearance.”

“So what? You think I’m blinded by our friendship or some shit? That I can’t think clearly? Hansol disappeared and we failed him by not finding him. Who knows what could UNB could have done to him? He could be dead for all we know!”  

Yuta was so riled up that he had to excuse himself from the table. Doyoung, who had remained silent this entire time, left with him.

“He gets like this anytime someone brings him up,” Mark sighed.

“There hadn’t been any sightings of Hansol since or even before the one at your building. That’s why when we got the tip, we decided to send in someone to go undercover,” Taeyong revealed before Haechan chimed in.

“Jaehyun obviously couldn’t send any of the members on an undercover mission since Hansol would have immediately recognized them. Mark and I were the only two members who hadn’t joined 127 until after Hansol disappeared so it had to be one of us. Since Mark was being trained to eventually take over NCT Dream, the Canadian unit, I was the obvious candidate. After that, we needed to figure out how I was going to be able to constantly surveil the building without being suspicious.”

“As a doorman?” I interjected.

“Exactly! It isn’t abnormal for a doorman to take an interest in their building’s residents. They see everyone who comes in or out of the building. They know everyone’s names and everyone’s business. They’re always there so you never think twice when you see them around the building.”

I let out a scoff which prompted Haechan to furrow his brows.

“What?” He asked.  

“So, all this time, you were just pretending to be my friend so that you could blend in?”  

My accusation was immediately purged of all seriousness when a snort escaped from Haechan as he began to cackle.

“Pretend to be friends with you?! To blend in?! Y/N, I did everything in my power to avoid you!”

Now it was my turn to furrow my brows.

“The first twenty times you saw me you were either hungover or drunk. Either way, you found a way to make a scene, calling me Dongfuck, asking me why I was so serious and telling me to loosen up a bit. I was so worried that you would blow my cover that when I saw Feeldog coming down the halls, I agreed to go drinking with you just to get you to leave before he got close.“

I could feel my cheeks start to burn up. Taeyong started to chuckle, only attempting to recompose himself after noticing my glare. I remembered what he was talking about. After what happened with Lucas, I found the Heartbreakers and was able to make enough money to afford rent in a bougie apartment building. But to say that I was in a better place would have been far from the truth. I was an absolute a mess. The only time I was sober was when I had just woken up and sometimes not even then.  

“I knew if I stood you up that you’d only make an even bigger ruckus the next time you saw me, so I decided to just say ‘fuck it’ and go party with you. I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did.”

I looked up at Haechan and was surprised to see nothing but sincerity in his eyes.

“Okay, but what about you and Mark?” Is he the guy you had told me about?”  

All traces of peacefulness had disappeared from Haechan’s eyes which looked as though they were about to pop out of their sockets. I felt an elbow dig into my side though when I turned to scold its owner, I saw that Mark was shaking his head at me with a look so serious and grave that I could barely believe it had actually come from Mark, himself.  

I shot a look back at Taeyong who seemed more confused than anything, before taking notice of Jeno and Jaemin who both sent each other a casual smirk. I had totally forgotten that they were arguing about the secrecy of their relationship before I unintentionally intervened.

“I just meant... the guy you told me about, the one who loved watermelon more than anything? That was Mark, right?”

Both Haechan and I looked at Taeyong, who was chuckling under his breath.  

“He really does love watermelon, doesn’t he?” He laughed.

Haechan’s eyes returned to their usual state after realizing that Taeyong was still as clueless as ever.

Once I had been caught up on everything, Taeyong excused himself, allowing the table’s remaining occupants to discuss more personal matters.  

“Yes, Mark is the boyfriend I told you about. The one who can’t even man up and tell his coworkers that he’s bi and has a boyfriend.”  

“Wait, what?” Mark quirked, having returned to his default state of confusion.

“Oh, forget it,” Haechan sighed.

<><><><><><><><>

I woke up the next morning to the sound of the alarm clock Taeyong had given me the previous evening. I was glad to have some way of waking myself up in the morning so that Jeno wouldn’t have be the one to do it. I always felt bad for him since not only did he usually have to wake me up, he had to wait for me to get ready too. This way, I could wake myself up and be ready to meet Jeno in the training room before 6:00.  

Before coming here, I was never able to get myself out of bed this early, usually due to being hungover, but I really didn’t want to keep Jeno waiting, especially since he was doing me a favor by becoming my trainer.  

I got out of bed, still sluggish with sleep, and proceeded to put on my workout clothes. I brushed my hair out of my face, pulled it back into a ponytail and headed out the bedroom door.  

Since I was allowed to sleep in the day before, waking up at 5:30 was harder than usual. Just when I was starting to get used to the crazy schedule, Taeyong had to mess it up by telling Jeno to let me sleep in. My eyes could barely stay open as I wandered through the empty halls. I lightly slapped my cheeks with my hands in an attempt to shake away my drowsiness.  

I hoped that Jeno’s training voice would be enough to snap me out of my dazed state, so I immediately entered the training room when I arrived at its door.  

“Goodmorning, Jeno,“ I greeted as I tried to rub the sleep from my eyes.

“Goodmorning, Y/N.”

My breathing hitched and my lazy steps came to an immediate halt.  

All fatigue left my body along with any last traces of serenity I was feeling only moments prior.  

My hands carefully removed themselves from my eyes and dropped to my sides. 

“What are you doing here?”

[muselin]

Hey! I'm the 2nd gen anon that sent you the ask the other day. I agree with what you said especially the thing about social media.

For the past few years, I've been wondering why I fell out of Kpop because at that time, Kpop was gaining more attraction. I think the first reason would be that many older groups were disbanding. Then, it would be the presence of social media (toxic fans are the loudest). Other than that, I couldn't get myself into the newer songs. I remember thinking that the reason for this was due to newer songs being too westernized. However, foreign producers have been making songs for Kpop artists for a while. Over time, I noticed that a lot of the newer songs (even non-Kpop songs) don't have full choruses. The songs are mostly focused on the beat and the title of the song is repeated in the chorus. I don't hate this type of music but I tend to get sick of it quickly. A lot of 3rd and 4th gen groups are coming out with this kind of music now which makes sense into why I couldn't get myself into them. Even when my favs, which are 2nd gen and early 3rd gen (I actually regard them as 2.5 gen because they had similar styles to 2nd gen) come out with songs that don't have full choruses, I rarely listen to it.

I know in my previous ask, I did say I stopped being a Kpop fan at one point but I did still listened to my favourite Kpop songs as well as trending songs. I don't think I can ever stop listening to Kpop or music in general. I guess you can say I just became a casual listener. I'll check kpop news from time to time but that's it. I couldn't keep up with the fandom.

I don't know if you ever felt this way before but I feel bad for not putting in time for my favs or ults(?). What I'm talking about is things like streaming and voting. Luckily, my favs don't really care because they've been in the industry for a while but I still feel guilty because streaming and voting is a form of supporting the artists you love.

Sorry for the long ask. It's just hard to find 2nd gen fans on Tumblr. Also, thanks for bringing awareness about mental health. Like you said, it's sad that such tragic events have to happen in order for us to bring light to an important topic. With this, I hope people will care for the mental health of others and themselves.

I definitely agree with a lot of what you said. And thank you for dropping in again! I personally don't like songs where the structure is "skimped on", e.g. not having a full chorus, or several lines of lyrics being just the same word or phrase repeated over and over. Although that said, "Sorry Sorry" and "Ring Ding Dong" are what got me into kpop and are the most iconic songs ever and you can't tell me otherwise lol.

For me personally, rediscovering Super Junior and SHINee after 7+ years of not keeping up and being a casual listener was like a shock to the system. With Super Junior it was like, hold up, you mean Kibum, Hangeng, Kangin AND Sungmin are not in SJ anymore?? And with SHINee it was like... how can we go on without Jjong?? And hold on, Taemin is now the biggest solo artist of all of them?? TVXQ was now only Yunho and Changmin and the rest had left?? It was so much to take in.

When I was coming back into kpop circa late 2017, besides BTS I wasn't that thrilled with what I arrived to as a 2nd gen fan to be honest. Monsta X and KARD were a breath of fresh air, as a proper very EDM focused and a mixed gender group, respectively. Musically though, aside from BTS it was VIXX I loved the most and they sit awkwardly in the time line, somewhere between 2nd gen and 3rd gen. They're usually considered 2.5 gen.

It was sad learning about everyone I knew from 2nd gen that was disbanding or not active (f(x), 2NE1, SHINee were just recovering from Jonghyun's passing at the time). But at the same time I was thrilled that so many were still going strong. I felt i could relate to them because I was getting into that later-twenties stage where I was worrying about getting older, but I was comforted knowing my 2nd gen idols were growing older with me, they were already a few years ahead of me and still rocking it.

You see, with feeling guilty about not streaming and voting, I didn't really experience that. When I was an early kpop fan it wasn't even possible to vote outside of Korea so I never felt like I had missed out on these opportunities or let my idols down. When i got into kpop again I did take advantage of the fact that I could stream, vote for MAMA and vote on some music shows. I never felt guilty though because I knew that the majority of these voting drives were for the younger fans, who didn't have full time jobs, families or that many responsibilities. So I always felt I was doing my best as a fan in moderation, without sacrificing all my time, money and sanity.

With 4th gen, I don't even bother with voting. Some people might say that makes me a shitty or lazy fan, but my ults are 2nd and 3rd gen, and I'm only one person. I know 3rd and 4th gen have loads and loads of young fans who do the streaming and voting better than I ever could. I just stream on comeback day and enjoy the music, and buy the occasional album. When I was a young fan I had no money at all, I couldn't buy any albums or go to any concerts. So I don't feel guilty because I can do more now as an older fan than I ever could before to support my idols. I save my voting rights for my 2nd gen faves who aren't as popular anymore, because I know it would mean much more to them to still win awards this late into their careers :)

[kpopmusiclyricsalbums]

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT....

Kenzie 

The hidden goddess of songs in SM Entertainment. 

The brilliant lyricist that is behind some of the most iconic songs in SM’s history. 

A graduate from the Berklee College of music, yes, that Berklee she has written 10 songs to hit number 1 on the gaon chart, and her B-sides are dreams.  

The thing that I love about Kenzie is that she knows how to twist a song into making it mean something while saying something else.  It’s kind of hidden meanings within a song that I don’t see all that much from writers.  It’s one of the reason I love Taylor Swift’s music is because I love learning something new every time I hear the same song over and over again.  The hidden depths and meaning more.  

3 Examples:

Obsession - EXO 

At first glance, the song could meaning the obsession with one’s fans/Idols, or being obsessed over someone and seeing the toxicity in it.  When I heard it, I thought it was a dig at sasaengs and fans that go to far.  Then the line at the end came in and it completely startled me.  

거울 속의 나를 보고 있는 나 / It’s me looking at myself in the mirror

It’s can simply change the entire meaning behind the song without even thinking about it.  It’s a double meaning that also is about ego, and self reflection.  Sometimes you get so caught up in everything, In yourself, you never realize the toxic part could also be from one’s own self-reflection.  The lines that follow are all of plea’s to get away, to disappear.  It’s the last line of substance in the song that flips it on it’s head.  A cry for help because sometimes your worst enemy, the thing that goes bump in your nightmares isn’t someone else, but you.  It turns the song into a dialogue with one person fighting with their own demons.  

Power Up - Red Velvet 

Power up is one of those Red song’s that people either hate or love.  (I personally loved it)  It’s one of those songs that is great for summer and is about having fun.  But it also is about recharging yourself and going for your dreams that seem so out there.  It’s also points out that maybe the reason we haven’t gotten our dreams yet is because we just need to have fun.  

It starts off with someone who hasn’t moved since they got up, and ends with them being recharged and ready to take on the world.  It’s about changing your mindset on things.  Yeah school is boring and sucks, but you could also think of it is school is learning and you are evolving as a human being.  It’s about changing the mindset. 

선생님은 내게 말씀하셨죠 / Teacher told me 

놀 때도 일할 때도 즐겁게 해 / To have fun whether I’m playing or working

그래 난 유달리 반짝거렸죠 /Yes, I shined even more

뜨거움도 새로움도 It’s mine / This hotness, this newness, it’s mine

It’s  a song to help those who need it be pumped and to get out of bed.  To go forth into the world and achieve their goals.  

Go go airplane 태양 위로 날아라/ Go, go, airplane, fly above the sun

Diving to the sky 완전 소름 돋았어 / Diving to the sky, I’m getting goosebumps

Let’s power up!

까맣게 다 타버릴 거예요/ We're gonna burn up

Doesn’t it make you enjoy Power up just a little bit more?

Into the New World - Girls Generation

Into the New World is certified Kpop Gold.  It’s the golden standard and a must for every new girl group to learn, and to be compared to.  The song is upbeat and high energy with just as much air needed to belt out the lyrics.  It’s a timeless song that has been turned into a rallying cry for protesters and Women empowerment.  Into the New World is what Girls’ Generation ended up doing for the Kpop industry as a whole for female groups, by going the tough route always working hard, facing the darkness that comes.  

사랑해 널 이 느낌 이대로 / I love you, just like this

그려 왔던 헤매임의 끝 / The longed end of wandering

이 세상 속에서 반복되는/ I leave behind This world’s

슬픔 이젠 안녕 / Unending sadness

수많은 알 수 없는 길 속에 / In the many unknowable paths

희미한 빛을 난 쫓아가 / I follow a dim light

언제까지라도 함께하는 거야 / It’s something we’ll do together to the end

다시 만난 나의 세계 / Into my new world

특별한 기적을 기다리지 마 / Don’t wait for a special miracle

눈앞에선 우리의 거친 길은 / There’s a rough road in front of us

알 수 없는 미래와 벽 바꾸지 않아 / With unknowable future and obstacles, I won’t change

포기할 수 없어 / I can’t give up

The lyrics in the chorus are talking about struggle and paths not yet traveled.  To a better place where even though the light is dim, we have to work towards it together, because that’s how things change.  It’s a rallying cry for hope, for endurance in tough times, and to make sure that people keep fighting for what they believe in.  That they know, they are not alone.  

To sum it all up, Kenzie is the secret hidden goddess of Kpop song writing.  If Kenzie releases a song, I know its going to be good.  So here a list of songs she has written the lyrics for and the links so you can listen and enjoy! 

BoA

DOTCH 

Garden in the Air 

I Kiss 

Lollipop 

M.E.P. (My Electronic Piano) 

Milky Way

Moto 

My Name 

On December 27th 

People Say…

Spring Rain 

Time to Begin 

EXO 

24/7 

Baby

For Life

Forever  

Monster 

Obsession 

Sing for You 

Transformer 

The First Snow  

What U Do?

Wolf 

Ya Ya Ya 

EXO-K 

Overdose 

EXO - CBX 

Playdate 

Rhythm After Summer 

EXO - Baekhyun 

Betcha 

EXO - Chen 

Love Words

Shall We?

F(x) 

Cash Me Out 

Danger 

Jet 

Lachata (Intro) & La Cha Ta 

MILK 

Mr. Boogie

Papi 

Red Light 

Signal  

Vacance 

Gain

Kiss or Kill 

Girls�� Generation 

All Night 

Diamond 

Europa 

Express 999 

FAN 

Fire Alarm 

Girlfriend 

HaHaHa

Haptic Motion 

Into the New World

Light Up the Sky 

Merry-Go-round 

Oh!

Oscar 

Way to Go!

Girls’ Generation-TTS 

OMG (Oh My God) 

Girls’ Generation - Seohyun 

Don’t Say No 

Girls’ Generation - Taeyeon 

All Night Long (& NCT Lucas) 

Close 

Four seasons 

I Got Love 

Lonely Night

Love You Like Crazy 

Spark  

Sweet Love 

Isak N Jiyeon 

The Sign 

NCT 127 

Limitless 

NCT Dream 

We Go Up 

Red Velvet 

Attaboy 

First Time 

Lady’s Room 

Lucky GIrl

Mr. E

Peek-a-Boo 

Power Up 

Psycho 

Really Bad Boy (RBB) 

Red Flavor 

Sassy Me 

Some Love 

SHINee 

All Day All Night 

Evil 

Graze

Green Rain  

Jo Jo 

Life

LOVE 

Love Sick 

Queen of New York 

Our Page 

Real

Rescue 

Savior

SHIFT  

Stranger  

Trigger 

Why So Serious?

SHINee - Key 

One of Those Nights 

SHINee - Onew 

Blue 

SHINee - Taemin 

Sexuality 

Want 

SMTOWN

Hotmail 

Red Sun 

Snowflake 

Super Junior 

첫눈이 와

A Day 

Angela 

Bittersweet 

Devil 

Good Love 

Hate U, Love U 

Lo Siento (& Leslie Grace) 

Storm 

The Girl is Mine 

Your Eyes 

Super Junior - Happy 

Sunny 

Super Junior - K.R.Y. 

Just You 

Super Junior - M 

Me 

Only U 

Super Junior - Kyuhyun 

At Gwanghwamun 

A Million Pieces 

SuperM

I Can’t Stand the Rain 

Let’s Go Everywhere 

The Grace 

한번 더, Ok?

One More Chance 

Sweet Emotion 

TVXQ 

하구달 

Humanoids

Like Now 

Oasis 

One 

Phantom 

Rainbow 

Remember

When We’ll Be Together  

Your Man 

TVXQ & Super Junior 

Show Me Your Love

Masterlist

[allyreactions]

people should stop saying "bts isnt the reason txt is popular" when it is. bts made bighit well known. for example, super junior, shinee, f(x), red velvet, exo, and nct wouldn't be as successful without tvxq. why? because tvxq made sm entertainment well known which led to future sm groups getting more and more popular. if a company is popular, than their future groups will be popular too.

send me your kpop unpopular opinions 

____________________________

I agree, but to a point. I’m not a Moa or an Army, so just hear me out okay. 

TXT did get their popularity from BTS. Now that’s not to say that that’s the only reason for their success, because I believe that they have been able to create a name for themselves. But you can’t ignore the fact that TXT got a lot of hype just because they’re BTS’s little brother group. 

That’s not quite the case with all the other groups though. Itzy did get a lot of hype and support because they’re Twice’s little sister group. But when it comes to SM groups, not all of them got the same support from other SM fandoms. Sure, there’s a lot of fans that ult all of SM’s groups, but not everyone feels the same way. NCT didn’t get a lot of praise, simply for their concept. Not every EXO-l was on board. And EXO wasn’t well established in the beginning either. Red Velvet had backlash because SM used them to mistreat F(x) and cover up Jessica leaving SNSD. 

All of those groups didn’t originally have a super strong fanbase at the beginning, they struggled a lot more than TXT ever has. And I don’t think Moa’s and Armys acknowledge that. 

~ Admin Ally 

[quyennie]

Thanksgiving with Lou

Pairing: Reader x Lou (VAV)

Word Count: 1497

Genre: Smut

Warnings: unprotected sex (y/n is on bc), risky sex, cream pie, 

A/N: none this is pretty tame actually

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!! ENJOY!

You were headed to your parents for Thanksgiving. The entire family was going to be there, and you were really hoping your brother would bring his super-hot roommate so you could at least have some eye candy to get you through the repeated questions of are you still single, when are you going to get married, don’t you have a boyfriend, are you a lesbian. You really hated all these questions. You were so tired of these questions, you really just wanted to say you were a lesbian, but then you’d have no chance of ever getting with Lou, so you endured it. You knew your chances of getting with him kept growing smaller the longer you waited though, so you devised a plan to hook up with him during thanksgiving dinner this year. You saw the way he looked at you, and you knew he wanted it just as bad but neither of you ever acted on it. You weren’t entirely sure how you were going to make it happen, but it had to be now.

You pulled into the driveway of the house you grew up in. It was a big, white house with flowers in the front and a lot of trees. You really loved this house, but not when the family got together. Your grandma made a lot of snarky remarks, your cousins had their perfect lives, your parents seemed perfect, but you knew that was a lie; your aunts and uncles all lived so luxuriously, your brother was a shit so no one even bothered to question him, and then there was you. You had put your dreams on hold long enough to try and seem like the perfect daughter, but you were so tired of it. You wanted to run away and be the bad girl for once. You took a deep breath before you opened the door. You had to mentally prepare yourself for the dysfunctional family waiting inside. You saw your brother’s car in the driveway so there was hope that Lou was indeed inside. With him being Korean American, his family didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving so your brother normally invited him just so he wouldn’t have to stay home alone. He also enjoyed the chaos that was your family. You weren’t really sure why he did, but you were really happy when you walked in and saw him sitting on the couch with your brother watching football.

“Hey guys, y/n finally made it,” your brother, Sam, said.

“Now that everyone’s finally here we can start eating,” your mother yelled from the kitchen.

A few folding tables had been set up in the living room so everyone would have space to sit without having to hold their plates. Everyone slowly made their way through the line of food set up in the kitchen before settling down at the tables. Small talk was made. Of course, they asked if you had a boyfriend. You looked at Lou, who was staring at you intently, before sighing, “No, I don’t have a boyfriend. I’m waiting on someone special.”

He smiled at you. You were really hoping he took the hint. He was the someone special you were waiting for. The questions continued. You didn’t know why everyone found your life so fascinating besides the fact you were the youngest and one of the few single people at the table. They didn’t care to ask your brother these questions though and they wouldn’t dare pry into Lou’s life like they did yours. They did, however, ask him if he was single. “Yes ma’am, I’m single. I have someone I’m interested in though. I’m just not really sure how to tell her.” He stared at you the entire time, though he was answering your annoying aunt. Wait, was he interested in you too? You hoped with all your being that he was.

After what felt like hours of interrogation, everyone finally settled in for a nice dinner, some football, and small talk. You noticed Lou got up to go to the bathroom, so while no one was paying attention, you slipped away and followed him. You went upstairs and knocked on the door. “One minute,” Lou replied. You waited for him to open the door, “Oh, hey, y/n.”

“Hey, Lou.”

“How are you enjoying your Thanksgiving?” “It’s the same as always. Apparently, my family thinks I’m a lesbian because I’m single, but what they don’t know is there is someone I really like.” “Oh really?”

“Yeah. He’s really cute and sweet and I really like him a lot, but I’m not sure he feels the same.”

“Well, you’re a really great person and anyone would be lucky to have you like them. I mean, I know if I was the guy you liked I would be ecstatic.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Well….” you stood there for a minute before looking towards the ground and whispering, “you are the one I like.” You blushed. You’d never been one to confess to a guy before.

“I am?” he smiled. Like really smiled. It was beautiful and magical and just damn.

“Yes. I’ve liked you for a while now actually,” You lowered your voice, “I think about you a lot; about the things I would love for you to do to me.” You ran your hand down his arm with eyes full of lust.

“Mmm, baby, you don’t know how much I’ve imagined doing so much to you,” he replied, eyes darkening to match yours.

You dragged him to your old room. It still looked exactly the same, TVXQ, Big Bang, and Super Junior posters plastered the wall. Yes, you know you’re American, but you’ve been into Kpop roughly half your life and apparently your parents never cared to redecorate. You were pretty sure they just didn’t want to accept the fact that their precious daughter was almost 30 and was fully capable of taking care of herself and had been living on her own for years now. Oh well, at least they still left the bed there. Lou kissed you gently, but you weren’t looking for slow and gentle right now. This was something you had been looking forward to since the first day you met him. You needed him now, and you needed him bad. You deepened the kiss. “Lou, we don’t have time for slow and sweet. I need you now. I need you hard and fast and dirty. We can have time for slow love making later on.”

He took the hint. He locked the door and pushed you on the bed quickly stripping you of your pants and panties and running his fingers through your slit. “Oh, baby girl, you’re absolutely soaked for me and we haven’t even done anything yet.”

“I told you I’ve wanted you forever. This is what you do to me. Now fuck me please,” you pleaded.

He undid his pants and pulled them down just enough to let his cock spring free. “Turn over. I want you from the back like the dirty little slut you are.” You turned over, and he slid inside your aching core. Fuck, the way he stretched you was amazing.

“Fuck, yes!”

He put his hand over your mouth as he continued to thrust into you hitting your gspot every time. “You have to be quiet, remember your family could come looking for us at any moment.”

“Choke me. It’s the only way I’ll keep quiet.”

He wrapped his hand around your throat and thrust into you hard a few more times. “Are you on the pill?” You nodded. “Good, Imma paint your insides with my seed.” As he thrust into you one more time you both came, your pussy convulsed around his cock milking him of that thick, white seed. You lay there for a minute feeling his cum seeping out of your pussy. He used his fingers to push it back inside of you. “I want you to hold my cum inside you for the rest of the time we’re here. Tonight, I’m going home with you. Let’s tell the family we’re dating.”

You just nodded. You could already feel yourself getting horny again. “Okay, let’s go give them something to talk about.”

You two walked downstairs holding hands. “You two were gone for a while,” your aunt said.

“Yeah, I know. We were talking. Guess what everyone. Lou and I are officially dating now,” you held your hands up and showed the family.

“Congrats!” everyone said. You weren’t sure but they may think this is a ploy for them to get off your ass, but you didn’t even care. You really liked Lou and wanted to be with him regardless of what others thought. You succeeded in making it through the rest of the day stuffed with Lou’s cum before you finally headed home.

“You ready babe?” you asked. He nodded and you guys headed out together. You were excited to see where this would take you.

To be continued…