Realistic or Modern Idiots w/ s e v e n

[Clouds]

Jae-Hyun

26

k-idol

pansexual

Hyu

rapper

PERSONALITY

Park Jae-Hyun portrays the charisma one expects from the lead rapper in the k-pop industry. Someone who is tough and takes pride in his actions no matter what, however he is polite to those he meets. For his fans he even goes the extra mile with his efforts to please them, it is rare though for him to use aegyo.

In his private life he tends to make others angry since he is straightforward and speaks without filter. He can be quite blunt and sarcastic. He also doesn’t get angry or frustrated in situations where other might, for example when one of his members makes an obvious mistake on stage. He has displayed – multiple times – tremendous patience whether it’s waiting for a situation to arise or helping out his members. He doesn’t care too much about his living space, his manager had helped him styling his home so it was presentable. (x) He cares a lot for his members (both present and ex). Contrary to popular belief, Jae-Hyun is not arrogant as he can be seen chatting even with the janitor.

LIKES + DISLIKES

Likes:
☆ Hamburgers
☆ Soju
☆ Bibimbap
☆ Music (prefers r&b, pop, rock, alternative)
☆ The color black
☆ Travelling/Exploring
☆ Necklace (x)
☆ Running
☆ Variety shows (such as Running Man)

Dislikes:
☆ Being looked down upon
☆ People using his stuff without permission
☆ Podcasts (thinks they’re boring)
☆ Sweets
☆ Heights

OTHER

➵ Member of ZEN.

➵ Main rapper.

➵ Stands at a height of 179cm.

➵ Wants to star in a movie.

➵ Rarely dyes his hair.

➵ Birthday: August 10.

BIOGRAPHY

Jae-Hyun used to be in another K-pop group called Dice but got disbanded due to the lacking popularity. He resented the CEO for not having tried his best more like he did, but it was already too late to make any changes. His members also didn’t seem so disappointed which was shocking to him. Not much later after the disbandment, he got scouted by another company who showed more promise. It wasn’t too well-known but they had some popular actors/actresses in the field. Feeling like it couldn’t get any worse than where he was now, he accepted their invitation and trained with his new members to be. To his displease, one of his rivals managed to get into the same group… Not being able to complain, he just went on with it, trying to ignore the other for as long as he could (but did help out with practice if something wasn’t going right). To his surprise they debuted after only a few months of training and were rapidly rising to stardom in a short amount of time which came with its ups and downs.

© pasta

 

[s e v e n]

HOME

I

II

III

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

• 

  
  
  
  

  채민수 Min-soo Chae .
  
  
  Let my voice be heard, my joys and sorrows;—
  For it is my soul that sings and my spirit that weeps​
• 
  

  Basics .

  
  
  

  

  
  

  name .

  채민수 Min-soo Chae
  
  

  nickname

  Moonie
  
  

  d.o.b

  November 22nd
  
  

  age.

  25
  
  

  gender.

  cis-male
  
  

  sexuality.

  Homosexual
  
  

  position.

  Background-Singer
  
• Persona .

  
  
  

  

  
  

  personality.

  
  
  Min-soo is the light of the party. He makes up to what he can't afford, and that is talent. His manager realizes this, and he of all people, too. There was nothing wrong with his first ever group, no scandals, no mistake. Instead, that was exactly what was wrong. It was mediocre, and that summed up what Min-soo is. Each year, hundreds of groups across the country rises to the top, smiling in front of cameras yet clawing each other behind it. And as always, he blurred in the background. He did not know how or why, yet from millions of grey, they then chose him. And he was not planning to make the same mistakes.
  
  The jokester of the group, the loudest and the one with the outmost bubbly personality. Antics would have been his middle name, there is barely a day where he is not seen shouting in the streets, or bumping over a vase. If he was not clumsy, he should act as so. Play dumb, ask stupid questions, what are tofus made of? The camera is watching, and he must be prince charming. What lies behind the mask, they should not know.
  
  

  trivia.

  
  
  - Enjoys the nature. He hikes by himself during vacations. It feels like the only place he could be himself.
  - Can play the guitar and is learning the drums
  - Left handed
  - Horribly near sighted, though most the times he is seen wearing contacts
  - Plays mobile games in his spare time
  - Photography is a side hobby
  - Adrenaline junkie bay-bee
  
  
• 
  

  Background.

  
  
  

  

  
  Being an idol has always been Min-soo's dream. Standing on a stage, facing a wave of crowd. Lights of multitude colours beaming his direction. And he would sing to the world. It was what he wanted to do, what he wanted to be. To touch the hearts of hundreds, heck, even millions with his voice. To bring them hope that he never had.
  
  The youngest of three siblings, Min-soo never had much spotlight to himself. Look at your sister. Why can't you be more like your brother? His future has been dictated for him ever since he was young, a book which ending has been written long ago. That night had not rained. No fight, no words. One day, Min-soo had simply packed his bags and left for Seoul. Spare money in his pocket, lasting him enough for not more than a few months. Perhaps he thought he was special. Perhaps he thought they would find him. He was wrong.
  
  A boy without a degree, nor friends and family. Sinking deep into a pit that he could not crawl out from. Min-soo joined the wrong sorts, played his cards wrong and succumbed to a life of hedonism. And when he had forgotten, the world reminded him. A night just the same, brimming lights and rustling leaves, a flyer hung by a pole. The dream he had left behind, his very main purpose.
  
  Do you have what it takes to be South Korea's next super idol?
  
  

code: s e v e n ​

 

[Clouds]

Il-Woo

25

k-idol

demisexual

Wooz

dancer

PERSONALITY

Ahn Il-Woo is altruistic and he takes seriously his responsibility to help and to do the right thing. He will base his moral compass on established traditions and laws, upholding authority and rules, rather than drawing his morality from philosophy or mysticism. It’s important for him to remember though, that people come from many backgrounds and perspectives, and what may seem right to them isn’t always an absolute truth.

He loves to be of service, enjoying any role that allows him to participate in a meaningful way, so long as he knows that he is valued and appreciated. This is especially apparent at home. He respects hierarchy and does his best to position himself with some authority, at home and at work, which allows him to keep things clear, stable and organized for everyone.

Supportive and outgoing, Il-Woo can always be spotted at a party – he’s the one finding time to chat and laugh with everyone. But his devotion goes further than just breezing through because he has to. He truly enjoys hearing about his friends’ relationships and activities, remembering little details and always standing ready to talk things out with warmth and sensitivity. If things aren’t going right, or there’s tension in the room, he picks up on it and tries to restore the harmony and stability to the group.

Being pretty conflict-averse, he spends a lot of his energy establishing social order, and prefers plans and organized events to open-ended activities or spontaneous get-togethers. He puts a lot of effort into the activities he’s arranged, and it’s easy for his feelings to be hurt if his ideas are rejected, or if people just aren’t interested. Again, it’s important for him to remember that everyone is coming from a different place, and that disinterest isn’t a comment about him or the activity he’s organized – it’s just not their thing.

Coming to terms with his sensitivity is his biggest challenge – people are going to disagree and they’re going to criticize, and while it hurts, it’s just a part of life.

LIKES + DISLIKES

Likes:
☆ Long hot baths
☆ Nature
☆ Sports
☆ Performing

Dislikes:
☆ Bad drivers
☆ Laziness
☆ Negative, toxic people
☆ Being taken for granted

OTHER

➵ Member of ZEN.

➵ Main dancer.

➵ Stands at a height of 186cm.

➵ Has starred in commercials.

➵ Loves to dye his hair blonde.

➵ Birthday: May 11.

BIOGRAPHY

Il-Woo was the big brother for most part of his life as it was just his personality. At first he wasn’t particularly interested in joining an entertainment company as he wasn’t focused on it but more on his studies. Eventually his little sister managed to convince him to join the company that went after him for years now. His family was his weak point after all… He had trained for a mere two years before he got notified that he was going to debut with three other trainees at the company. He had talked to them before but not as to say it was a lot since there were a bunch of other people there. After meeting them, they had started their path to stardom which came sooner than he had expected.

© pasta

 

[s e v e n]

HOME

I

II

III

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

• 

  
  
  
  

  오하늘 Oh Haneul .
  
  
  We are all in the gutter;—
  But some of us are looking at the stars​
• 
  

  Basics .

  
  
  

  

  
  

  name .

  오하늘 Oh Haneul
  
  

  nickname

  hana
  
  

  d.o.b

  November 22nd
  
  

  age.

  27
  
  

  gender.

  Cis-Male
  
  

  sexuality.

  Heterosexual
  
  

  position.

  Lead-Singer
  
• Persona .

  
  
  

  

  
  

  personality.

  
  
  To good to a fault, is how one would describe Haneul. No, people do not step on him. At least he refuses to acknowledge as so, Haneul believes in sportsmanship and justice over results itself. The path he has paved himself is nothing but honest. Honour stands before all, and he shall protect it all he can. Laid back, yet responsible all the same. A bright view in life. Sure, the competition is hard. Sure, it was not an easy path. But just because the whole world was bad, does not mean you must be too.
  
  

  trivia.

  
  
  - Has three toy poodles of different colours: Hunny, Sunny, and Munny. Munny wears dark shades at all times.
  - Spends most of his time writing music in his laptop, sitting in a cafe with hot chocolate by his side
  - Fears spiders
  - Has naturally long brown hair (mostly seen pre-debut). After being told to cut it short by the management, Haneul adopts the habit to colour his hair every other day. Thursdays in particular are pastel themed
  - Can't drive a car
  - Almost has at least one ukulele hidden in every studio for him to play
  
  
• 
  

  Background.

  
  
  

  

  
  As a boy, Haneul had not been the healthiest. His breathing problem had restricted him from excessive activities, and he spent most his childhood locked behind doors. A young girl, his oldest friend, stayed with him when his parents had not been around, and introduced him to music. The melodious tune of a picked guitar, the harmonies conjured over the simple symphony. An idol was not what he had in mind for a first- in fact, it was the last thing. He treated singing as a hobby, nothing more to refresh himself off his daily school work. A rather intelligent student amongst others, it was not hard for him to enter the best academies of South Korea. Despite this, he was still just a normal boy. His situation got better as he age, and he lived a normal life just as any other. It was until a talent show occurred, where an agent happened to scout, that his path began to shift. Years later, Haneul could not be more thankful that his flatmate had been so insistent that they skip exams for the performance.
  
  

code: s e v e n ​

 

[Clouds]

Spoiler: Manager

Name: Kim Hyo-Joo
F.C.: Lee Young Ae
Age: 31
Gender: Female

Spoiler: Stylist

Name: Park Ji-Won
F.C.: Kim Yoo Jung
Age: 22
Gender: Female

 

[Clouds]

Jae-Hyun

#nofilter

Jae Hyun opened his eyes due to the sun that crept from between the curtains. A frown formed due to the intense light, groaning as he attempted to move his head to the other side but was stopped before he could even continue his sleep. Il-Woo laid his hand upon Jae-Hyun’s with a gentle glance in his eyes. ”It’s time to practice again.” At those worse, Jae-Hyun let out a deep sigh as he had just find his sweet spot to fall asleep at. Pushing himself back into his chair as he stretched his arms out which made weird popping sounds which made himself feel more loose and ready to go at it again. Charcoal black locks were pushed back by a headband as it got into his eyes one too many times.

Following behind Il-Woo whose steps were bigger than his, making him grumble incomprehensible words under his breath as he felt kind of jealous of the other. Though when it came to working out, they were on the same level so that was already an achievement. With roughened up fingers he brushed the back of his neck before entering the training room which they would be using for only two more weeks before moving out to somewhere else. Hopefully a bigger dorm since this one was just way too small for their own good. They even had to share it with other trainees! What kind of some ridiculous crap was that even? He couldn’t even go home where his family was at, he only managed to stay there for a mere month before he went on with training for another debut… Sad times.

There he saw the thing that he personally didn’t like but was going to be stuck with until the end of their days: Chae Min-Soo. Honestly, he didn’t even get on how the guy even managed to get another debut while his skills were worse than even newcomers such as Haneul and Il-Woo. Hell, those two just barely started out without experience and they were already better. He guessed that looks were really an incredible thing to have to even get someone like him into this business. However, he told himself to keep calm which he succeeded in the last few days. Progress!

The song they were going to perform for their debut was gong to be called “Answer”:

To signify the time before they were united as a group, the members are separated, isolated from each other by swaths of fabric, halls of mirrors, sands of time and an amphitheater that looks like the face of a clock. Despite their internal demons, the pressure of time and their struggles to define their artistry, the members are able to come together and overcome.

That was the meaning of the song that would be sung on stage.



Jae-Hyun liked the song as it remembered him of the days how he felt before he received another chance to become a star. The feelings of despair, sadness and anger that resided in him for a while were all brought to light, the more he started to get into the lyrics, perfectly being able to bring the emotions out with every sentence he said out loud.

Later on today they would need to go film more of the music video as it was still not done as some still weren’t used to filming it. Hopefully they wouldn’t make too many mistakes which could drag out the filming time a lot which would cost the company quite a bit of money. Of course a lecture would follow afterwards by the manager and her terrifying aura which even got Jae-Hyun to shut up. Slapping Il-Woo’s butt with a cheeky grin on his rosy lips. ”Teach us well~” He said in a sing-songy voice, teasing the other which only brought out the rolling of the other’s eyes.

mood neutral | location training room | outfit x

coded by weldherwings.

 

[s e v e n]

채민수

Min-soo Chae

mood.

grouchy

location.

training room

outfit.

x

The alarm rang at exactly 8 AM.

That as much, was a fact. Except that it also have rung at 8:10, 8:20, all the way to 9 AM within ten minutes of intervals. Finally, when the clocks tick within the exact number, a different tune played over, one much louder and somehow more sinister. A single hand reached over from deep in the blankets, blindly waving over the night stand. Then after a solid swat of the arm, a crash was heard, followed by an abrupt stop of the noise.

Min-soo groggily slid himself out of bed, running his fingers through his dark brown locks. Shades of black had begun to emerge by its roots, and dyeing had been the least of his concerns. The weeks have gone by so fast, not even a moment to spare to catch a breath. Dark shadows marked the bottom of his eyes, what time had he slept last night?

The sun was high in the sky, yet exhaustion had never felt heavier. Days were counting down, each step closer towards the day they have all been preparing for: their debut. Everything must appear perfect; their song, their dance, their looks, their coordination. If a god exists above, this was his second chance, and he would not waste it.

Upon the couch, his guitar laid, out of its casing with sheets of music paper spread on top of it. Min-soo coughed, feeling the crack at the back of his throat as he cleared it. With their day closer than ever before, there was simply no excuse for him to slack. He expects the same from everyone else, of course.

The brunette boy stretched his arms out, grunting as he attempted to not trip over his own feet while heading towards the washroom. The usual routine: washing his face, brushing his teeth. There should be an hour left until he was expected in practice room. The dormitory have been a much welcomed upgrade from his old apartment. Taking a bus forty-five minutes from the building had not been pleasant, and avoiding fans became a chore. Some days he got so fed up yet others he the felt hypocritical shame when there was not anyone that recognized him.

Slipping his feet inside his fluffy slippers, Min-soo dragged himself back out, all the way towards the counter to make himself a warm cup of lemon infused tea to soothe his voice when a knock was heard on the door. He scowled, setting back the leaves down the jar as he reached for the door at the other side of the room. A face emerged, a much familiar one and thankfully, one not so annoying. Min-soo thanked the heavens for even one extra hour freed from a certain man's presence.

"Min-soo, good morning~" chimed in Haneul from the door, his hair mostly tied up to his head in a messy bun. Min-soo blinked, almost instinctively, as the smile itself had been much brighter than the sun outside. He squinted, rubbed his eyes again, then looked back at the older male.

"Good morning" he replied, to which the hoarseness of his own voice surprised him. Quickly he turned aside, clearing his throat a few more times before looking back. "Haneul-ssi, what brings you here? Do you need anything?"

"There is no need to be so polite," Haneul laughed, patting Min-soo's head in which the latter had stepped back from. "I'm here to pick you up, silly."

"Yeah?" Min-soo reached for the door handle. "Well that is very nice of you, come back in an hour."

"Yes, er, about that-" Haneul slipped his foot in to budge the door. "The practice will begin in five minutes."

Min-soo released the door, cocking up an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

He patted his pockets, realizing that he has not changed. Quickly he scrambled down the floor, towards the wall where his phone had bounced off to. As he clicked the screen on, a subtle crack now over it, Min-soo felt his stomach sink.

9:55 AM.

"Out out out out-"

The door slammed behind him after he pushed Haneul out of the way. He should not have done so- after all, the man had only been so nice to remind him. Yet his heart racing against his chest, eyes immediately lighting up. There was no need for coffee, in fact no time for it. Hurriedly Min-soo slipped on a hoodie, reaching over for the closest pair of clean trousers and went on his way.

The hallways were cleared already, no sight of the long haired senior anywhere. It was then when he had realized that he had not exchanged his slippers for shoes, but there was simply not much time left. A phone in his pocket, his wallet, then the keys-

"Shit!" He cussed as the set rattled down on the floor, his keychain clinking more than necessary. Not too gently, he locked back the door finally, pocketing them before he rushed his way downstairs, towards the main aula outside the dorms. Eyes set constantly upon the floor for he had no courage to look up. He wished he had carried his mask at least, to conceal his face from the embarrassment. Min-soo slid his hoodie up.

"Sorry, I'm late!" he announced, finally, when he reached their corridor. Briefly he shared a look with Haneul, who only flashed him a quick soft smile, then Il-woo. He had not eaten breakfast yet, there was no need to get sick so early by seeing Jae Hyun's face. Min-soo felt his cheeks already heating up, from anger mostly. At himself.

"I-I'll get changing for the shooting later. Haneul-ssi. Il-woo-ssi," he bowed his head slightly as regards, then dejectedly made his way to his post.

Today was definitely not his day.

code: s e v e n
​

 

[Clouds]

Jae-Hyun

#letmehelp

Hearing the exclamation of Min-Soo, Jae-Hyun pretty much didn’t answer to it as he didn’t care that much about it. The one thing he did care about was that the vocals and dancing was on point since they had been training for it for a month now. They couldn’t afford to make a mistake at such an important time. They were even going to be the opening performance of their company which only added up to his stress level yet he never showed that kind of emotion on his face since he didn’t want to make the others panic. Standing in front of the mirror that was the same length as the wall, he started warming his body up by doing some stretches.

Il-Woo smiled towards Min-Soo with a short wave. Bowing however towards Haneul as he was the oldest of the group. Hell, Il-Woo was shocked that he got to be the leader of the group even since he was one of the two youngest. But through the support he received from the others, yes even Jae-Hyun, he accepted the role and put his all into it like he always did.

Jae-Hyun eyed the others after they were done with greeting each other even if Min-Soo skipped him so naturally. He guessed they eventually came to the point where they thought it was the best that they would just ignore each other. He ran his fingers through his soft black hair as he looked with deep chocolate eyes into the mirror, ruffling it slightly which made him weirdly enough more charismatic. Once the voice of Il-Woo echoed, he snapped back to Earth and got into his position as what was being told. This would be one of their last few actual rehearsal moments for the choreography since their schedule was starting to get full with talk shows, filming of the music video and some meetings with the managers about how they were going to do things after their debut. It was not like they didn’t know about it but sometimes there were changes they had to take in account. It was bothersome to him but it wasn’t like he could just erase that part of the job.

Ah… There were also the small videos they could make before they would actually debut which they haven’t done that much yet. However, the response was great already, better than everyone had expected even.

The music started and there they went… Having gotten used to the choreography, it was a breeze for Jae-Hyun to go through the routine. Even with the trickier parts, there were no problems for as far as he and Il-Woo could see. Feeling as if he accomplished something, he actually smiled genuinely towards Il-Woo, high-fiving each other even! But he noticed the other two were still struggling here and there which was a little alarming. Il-Woo had already gotten to Haneul who had the least dancing experience so Jae-Hyun couldn’t do anything else but to help out Min-Soo. ”You moved wrong after Haneul finished singing [0:45-0:50].” He stated rather neutral faced. He didn’t really want to talk to the guy but he couldn’t let the performance go down either. ”You ought to do it like this.” He explained while moving his body to rhythm as if he memorized it to the core. ”Also during the chorus your footwork was a little sloppy. It goes like…[1:00-1:10]” Instead of talking, he performed it instead as it was easier to show that way. Jae-Hyun was being serious on getting it right and wasn’t joking around which was apparent in his tone of voice. He would repeat the same moves as many times as necessary.

mood serious| location training room | outfit x

coded by weldherwings.

 

[s e v e n]

채민수

Min-soo Chae

mood.

flustered

location.

training room

outfit.

x

Certainly he was getting better. Two years ago, when he took the first brave steps towards his new life, he knew it would have not been easy. A large sacrifice to go after his passions, leaving behind everything he had spent all his life to build upon. Min-soo was only twenty-one then, a drop out student off a local college bearing no degree to his name.

But now only three years have passed, and a year and a half spent working jobs that only allowed him to pay for closed spaced rent and food on the table. Most nights when he had not things to do he have spent on making videos, trying and failing. And failing. And failing.

This was his chance. There was no telling when the stars would realign. And he was giving it his all. When the beginning tunes thumped, Min-soo set his gaze straight towards the mirror, fists balled by his sides. When it started, immediately he fell into fluid movements. He sang when his part came, flinching slightly when his voice wavered slightly off-key. Should have drank that tea before coming, after all. Or wear actual shoes that were not fluffy pink bunny slippers. Mid song he kicked off his footwear towards the corner of the room, or at least he intended to. One had so conveniently flew over to Haneul's head.

It was a mess, and at the same time it was not. When they were done Min-soo rested himself over his knees, a smile subconsciously creeping to his lips. He hit had hit the note. Took all night of adjustments and practice, but it finally sounded decent enough to pass. Whoever stayed next to his room, oh bless their ears. The last thing he expected was for a certain someone to join in and ruin his parade.

Instantly the smile faded off his face, replaced by a glare sharp enough to cut through glass. He straightened himself to level with the other boy, brushing back the bangs that had covered his eyes. "I don't remember asking for help from a smartass," he said coldly, then a smirk followed by a scoff. "You think I couldn't do something so simple? Watch closely, my dearest hyung."

Sarcasm dripped off his sentence, an exaggerated form of aegyo that he must keep up within talk shows. As the youngest member, he must keep appearances- and that includes using all sorts of childish honorifics for even Jae-Hyun. The adorable Min-Min, Moonie, whatever they had chosen to call him. It was not as though he hated his fans- after all the first time he was called over in the street, asked for a photograph and signature, Min-soo had experienced an emotion he had never before. Surprise, nervousness, pride, yet mostly warmth.

Let my voice be heard, my joys and sorrows;—
For it is my soul that sings and my spirit that weeps.

From the distance, he watched from the corner of his eye as Haneul conversed with Il-woo, laughing as their mouths spoke in words he could not quite hear. He felt a pit of jealousy setting in his stomach. Why was it not Il-woo that teaches him. Haneul had also amazing voice. A background in an accoustic band he have heard, it was only right he became their lead singer. For now, that is.

Min-soo began to dance, and for the first few steps he was confident, overconfident even. And before he knew it, he tripped over his own steps, falling over and tumbling towards- yes, Jae-Hyun.

code: s e v e n
​

 

[Clouds]

Jae-Hyun

#nofilter

The sharp words filled with sarcasm to the brim, made Jae-Hyun roll his eyes in return as he had grown accustomed to the behavior of the youngest. Not being able to hold back his response as it slipped out of his mouth with his permission: ”Then don’t mess up.” His voice was snarky in the least as he didn’t want to deal with the dumb shit Min-Soo was going through in his head. A handsome guy who became a little too cocky despite the lack of talent, that would be the perfect description Jae-Hyun would give to the guy if asked about his true feelings. However, he was doing a good job with holding that back in his head and not blurting it out which would only worsen their relationship from what it already was. Honestly, they were now already on the brim of punching each other’s throat.

A sigh escaped as he left the other alone, already started to walk away since he knew the other wasn’t going to listen to him even if it was to help. But then, he felt a bump against his back. He swiftly turned his body around with minimum movements so he could catch the one falling down. Seeing that it was Min-Soo, he let another deep sigh as he jerked away almost immediately after making sure the other had found his balance back. ”Really… I really have to work with this guy?” He whispered under his breath in utter annoyance which was not like him. He rarely got this annoyed so why did this guy manage to get it out of him so easily. Il-Woo seemed to have noticed it as he started to keep an eye on the two troublemakers yet didn’t do anything as of yet.

Was it the stress that was starting to get to him? He didn’t know at all… he just hoped that he could debut in peace without too much trouble which could cause their popularity to plummet from the bit they had. It was a scary thought to be left standing alone once again despite his ambition to become one of the top performers, not only in Korea but far beyond that! He couldn’t disappoint his parents anymore either as they knew how much it meant for him to be here, having been singing and dancing for practically most of his life now.

Practice resumed, going over the dance a couple more times until the manager waltzed into the room with a light smile upon her lips, already having her bundle of documents with her for the schedule. ”Alright everyone, it’s time to go. Put on your clothes and meet me at the car at entrance of the building~” She nearly sang before leaving again. Jae-Hyun waited until she was out of sight before he went to the changing rooms near the training room where they were at. He didn’t bring anything too fancy since he was going to need to change at the filming station again anyway. The most comfortable clothes would do the trick which existed out of a black jacket and shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. He didn’t forget to put on his facemask either since it felt like some kind of protection from overly excited fans who tended to push their camera straight into his face. Also called the stans. Luckily, they didn’t surface as much these times as they were more focused on the bigger groups.

Nearly crashing into Il-Woo, making the other hold him in a hug against his chest. Jae-Hyun looked up to stare into the blonde’s dark hues which could make people feel lost in them. ”Thank you for catching me my Woonie~” He said in a playful tone of voice, even squishing the male’s cheeks while he was at it. ”Yah, hyung…” Il-Woo responded but went along nonetheless like the two idiots they were. Once they let go of each other, they made their way to the front where the manager was waiting for them, seeing she was checking her cell phone in a more relaxed way. Once everyone arrived, they got into the car and made their way to the filming location which was not that far off from the company.

mood playful| location car | outfit x

coded by weldherwings.

 

[s e v e n]

채민수

Min-soo Chae

mood.

annoyed

location.

otw car

outfit.

x

Then don't mess up.

The words rang in his ears as Min-soo slammed his hands against each side of his wardrobe doors. It has been hours past it, and around thirty minutes after practice. Min-soo had the opportunity to wash up, warm himself a quick meal in the microwave while he surf for a set of clothes to wear.

"Easy for you to say," he muttered to himself, then clicked his tongue. It felt bitter to say, yet it was true. He still had a lot to learn, and lots of time for that, too, but Min-soo refuses to believe he was in fact...

Slamming the doors shut as well as his mind, Min-soo slid a shirt over him and hopped awkwardly over the pair of tight jeans. There were two sections available in his wardrobe: one for his normal wear, the other, chosen by the managment itself. Not that he was complaing, they must have known best, what sells and not. It was a fact that revolves the entertainment industry, and he was only now seeing it first hand. It was not as though he was asked to wear a mini-skirt.

As the microwave dinged, quickly he rushed over to it. He needed to watch his figure for his debut, and somehow he knew that ruining it would result much harsher for him than any of the other members...somehow. He really did not want to think about it. At least he promised to treat himself a whole bucket of chicken wings, a pint of chocolate ice cream and a whole liter of Coca Cola to binge Netflix series with after he was all done with their debut performance. All for himself, yes, thank you for asking.

Biting down what he calls 'rabbit food', Min-soo fished out his phone when it vibrated again, for the twenty-fifth time perhaps. Normally it was unlike him to rebel as such, but he felt like he deserved a break at least this morning. It would be one of their milestones: their first music video. Min-soo could not have been more excited.

Instead, he flicked towards the camera of his phone and gazed as his own reflection. Where his eyebags have lied, he had applied much concealer upon. Sure, his make-up skills needs a bit of fixing, especially to make it recording worthy, yet at least he had not appeared as the walking dead. His hair now brushed nicely, a silver necklace resting nicely at his chest, Min-soo smiled. Then he smiled, narrowing his eyes, squishing his cheek with one hand shaped to a heart. There was no more Min-soo Chae, only an idol to the making. And he was nailing it.

Quickly he gulped down the rest of his meal, gurgled the tea he finally made for himself (a technique he has self discovered to relief hoarse throat). Wiping his lips, he snatched his bag and wore his cardigan over his shirt. Then he left his room once again, feeling entirely refreshed and enthusiastic. All the previous exhaustion has completely depleted, and he even feet-tapped himself as he skipped down the hallway towards the parking lot.

"MinMin!"

As he exits the main door, behind him a voice called out, and he turned. And even behind his mask, it was visible that his jaw has dropped, eyes forming two round discs. Haneul stood, and in his hands unlike Min-soo, was not a bag, but three whole puppies. Three mini poodles, a brown one, a black one one, and...a white one with shades over its eyes?

"Haneul-ssi! What- why, who?" Min-soo shifted his gaze up and down, from the three dogs one by one and then towards his senior. Haneul had too dressed up nicely, changing from his sweat covered training outfit to a clean sweater and pants. His hair have been neatly done, too, and now tucked underneath a beanie to avoid the wind messing it up.

"Oh," Haneul laughed. "I'm glad you asked. This is Hunny, Sunny, and Munny-"

"No no no, I meant whose are these? Why-" Their eyes twinkled, and Min-soo did not have the heart to continue his sentence. One of the dogs, the brown one, began to nod its head towards him and sticking its tongue out. Haneul extended his arm towards him, but Min-soo took a few steps back. It looks disappointed.

"Aw, I think Hunny likes you~" said Haneul, which begs him the question. Why is the black one, of all three, called Sunny? Assuming that the one in shades was Munny... Munny stared at Min-soo judgingly, and then threw its gaze away, as though sniffing the poor. "Oh, sorry. Munny dislikes newcomers. Also apparently my nervousness resonates to them, they won't stop whining! I decided to bring them along, hopefully they won't be so much trouble."

"Oh..." Min-soo could only nod in response. Even Haneul was nervous. He forgot how much he worried for his very first recording, and between all the practices, he forgot how much he has been dreading for this day, too. His expression has perhaps shown his sudden fear for suddenly Haneul spoke up in a hurried tone.

"No, no! Don't be like that, it's going to be fine, trust me!" he laughed, and there was nervousness in it which Min-soo could not help but notice, and it only made it worse. "We practiced hard- you practiced hard! We're going to be fine."

"Sure..." Min-soo nodded again, not at all feeling convinced, but it was only polite. Before he could thank him, he heard conversation up ahead. Seemed like they were expected. The two rushed towards the car, entering. Min-soo immediately calls shotgun to avoid any chances sitting with Jae-Hyun. Haneul casually greets everyone, towards the manager.

Off they went to their studio. Min-soo slid down his mask, leaning his head against the side mirror as they exits the building. A message buzzed in his phone. Quickly he took a glance at it- and this time he smiled. Genuinely.

code: s e v e n
​

 

[Clouds]

Jae-Hyun

#readyornot

Seeing the puppies incoming from the window, Jae-Hyun cocked an eyebrow as he didn’t expect for Haneul to bring his pets to the shooting area. It was almost to the point of it being amusing to him as he hadn’t seen this happening since the time he had been training and performing. Barely being able to hold back his laughter after seeing the astonished look of the manager who was behind the steering wheel. Yet she kept quiet and accepted the bunch of weirdos without uttering another word. She started up the van and drove off into the traffic which was starting to pile up as it was starting to get closer to noon. A lot of people had the thought of going somewhere to grab a bite to eat which made Jae-Hyun feel slightly jealous about it as he hadn’t much for breakfast. Some toast with jam and eggs on the side, that was about it. Oh! Don’t forget about the orange juice which was way too sour for a human being to drink, his whole face even distorted from the first sip.

Suddenly his fatigue hit him unexpectedly due to the heater that was turned on and a relaxing song was playing. Feeling more and more drowsy with the seconds ticking by, he eventually dozed off. Il-Woo noticed it and before Jae-Hyun could hit his head against the glass window, he put the male’s head onto his shoulder so there was some kind of comfort. ”So cute…” He chuckled, then thought of something. Taking out his cell phone, he took a selfie in this exact position, even Haneul peeked in to photobomb the picture. Grinning as he typed up the description “Jae-Hyun’s adorable side #ZEN” and posted it on Instagram. It didn’t take long before reactions started to come in with fans agreeing to his statement.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the scene, Il-Woo woke up Jae-Hyun as well before they stepped out of the car. Luckily, the information hadn’t leaked out of where they were going to film so the crowd was pretty much non-existent. Jae-Hyun felt more at ease that way but still kept on his facemask until he had gotten inside where the director was situated behind the cameras. ”We’re here from Aqua Company with ZEN who’ll you be shooting with. Please take care of us.” The manager introduced and then followed with everyone bowing in respect. The director did the same thing for himself and from there, the shooting started.

”Please follow the stylists, they will give you the performance outfits and do your styling. Afterwards come back here so we can start shooting.” The director instructed. Four women were waiting at the door for ZEN to follow behind. Jae-Hyun and Il-Woo followed suit and were shown the costumes which were pretty neat if he could say so himself. It was all black which added up to his reputation which he was satisfied with. Once he changed, he sat into the chair to do his make-up and hair. The touch of the stylists made him relax, indicating that they were quite skilled in their profession. A light smile appearing as he looked into the mirror in reaction to her talking. It seemed like she knew him from his previous group which laid a little sensitive but as she didn’t make any bad remarks, they had an enjoyable conversation. In the end they even exchanged phone numbers.

An hour passed and he was fully ready to go to the filming site with light steps.

mood serious | location shooting location | outfit x

coded by weldherwings.

 

[s e v e n]

채민수

Min-soo Chae

mood.

prepared

location.

shooting location

outfit.

x

The first five minutes, Min-soo tensed in his seat. Hands clutched tightly around the belt of his seat, it almost seemed as though he had not breathe. The next ten minutes, Min-soo was seen idly pressing the radio buttons, surfing through the channels till he heard a familiar song and slammed it off abruptly. The rest of the trip he had spent on his phone, paranoid eyes shooting behind him every once in a while. Once or twice he had snorted, or his lips would quiver as he held back a laugh.

Even when they have arrived, Min-soo have barely looked up from his phone. From behind he could vaguely hear a woman complain to Haneul for carry three dogs, in which the other male negotiated to have bring with. Even when they were sent out to each stylists, Min-soo appeared much to preoccupied. It was until when he had finally sat down in front of the mirror and his stylist had called his name when he snapped back to reality.

"Huh?" he blinked, then seeing the young girl behind him, he smiled at her so naturally, immediately flicking himself to his idol personality. "Sorry about that." Quickly, he typed in a short sentence and pressed enter, shoving the phone back in his pocket. "We may begin, miyongsa-nim."

"Please, just Eun-ja will be fine," she laughed, nervous undertone much audible as she tucked a stray lock of hair bashfully behind her ear. Her eyes shot back and forth from the mirror to the floor as she fiddled with her fingers. "Was..was that your girlfriend?"

"Oh," he raised an eyebrow. In quick view, the question seemed insensitive and rudely invasive. However, then he realized that in the context of an idol, it was as though he was no longer human. He was just a story on paper, where people would ogle over for long and talk of his life as though he was no more than a character from Lord of The Rings. After all, that was once how he viewed them, too.

"No," Min-soo grinned sheepishly, shaking his head. "That was just a friend."

At his response, her eyes had lit up significantly. Of course. That was the point of it all, anyway. To make sure they seem 'available', to give in the illusions and day-dreams of teenage girls. "Eun-ssi yourself?"

"Oh, no!" she quickly chimed in. "Absolutely not!"

"A woman like noona? Without a boyfriend?" Min-soo batted his eyelashes. Then he smiled, sweetly. "That's a shame. Any man would be so lucky to have you."

And there it goes. The next few words he could not hear so clearly as she fell into a flustering mess. They had fixed his concealer, dabbed in extra shine and sprayed his hair to set it in place. Attaching a small microphone beneath his shirt, she has set him off. Chances are they would not see each other again- at least that was an interesting encounter.

He had thought that he would be wearing something he had picked from his dorms. How wrong he had been when they offered him a fresh set of costume. They went past rows and rows of extravagant suits, from ones with peacock feathers to one that bore at least seven different neon colours. When they have picked for him his own, Min-soo could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

He changed quickly, slipping on the bandana before making his way to the set. Haneul is already there, and his hair is now out of its beanie, one side braided tightly. The dogs were nowhere to be seen and he seemed so distressed. When his eyes caught Min-soo's, he quickly waved, ushering him to join the rest of the group. Min-soo joined them, and he bowed towards the crew.

"Alright everyone- is everything a-okay? Lightings? Smoke?" The Aqua manager waved towards the top of the room, where a box is set with a glass over it, and the headlights flickered as though signaling its affirmation. "Il-Woo, is Zen ready?" she turned towards the boy, giving them the thumbs up. Then she lifted her megaphone.

"We will attempt the first take! If all goes well, then we can end it just as so, otherwise we can afford two to three times of effects before we have to reload- is that clear? OK, good!" she cuts in before they even had the chance to respond and clapped her hands together. "Take one in t-minus sixty seconds, everyone get to positions! Please do your best since some effects are irreversible- you know the drill."

code: s e v e n
​

 

[Clouds]

Jae-Hyun

#nofilter

As the director started to explain the process of the effects and such, Jae-Hyun nodded absentmindedly as he was already thinking about the possible scenes that could happen. There was none however that really stuck with him as he didn’t know how the director wanted to do the music video, it all depended on her imagination and instructions to bring this to a good end. It seemed like they were going to do the individual scenes first before stepping over to the group ones. It was nice since others could watch the one being filmed and learn from it, the only one with a disadvantage would be the first one up.

”Ahn Jae-Hyun, you’re up.” The director said. Of course, it had to be him this time… He mentally slapped himself to the head as he could have seen this coming as his luck wasn’t particularly good in these kinds of things. However, as he already had experience in being filmed, he wasn’t feeling that nervous and trusted on his own skills for bringing this to a good ending. It seemed like they had a dessert kind of place in their mind with a boat in the middle of it. It was a pretty good aesthetic from what he could see. The smoke machines were also pushed forward in the progress. He got into the boat as instructed, almost losing his balance as one piece was a bit loose and sunk beneath his foot for a few centimeters. Ah, they had to fix this before someone would get hurt…

Listening intently on how they were going to do this. It was pretty simple to him; his facial expressions were going to be the most important from what he heard. Once everything was said, the smoke screens were started, and the room started to fill up with it. Beginning his rapping one cue without hesitation which was the hardest part of this whole thing. His rapping went by fluently, so much even that the first take was already good enough to go through. Then they continued with the scene filming, which was just him sitting in the boat, matching his behavior with the music in a relaxed way, he couldn’t feel more at ease.

They took 2 more takes and chose the best one that came out. The director’s smile almost came to her ears as she watched the clips. ”We’re going with the second one!” She exclaimed, approval was given from the bystanders as that one came out the best indeed.

The director than made a gesture towards the next one in line who was going to show off their skills. Jae-Hyun plopped down onto the floor as he took a breather, calming himself down despite not having done much. The excitement was real and he couldn’t hide it! He was finally going to debut again and this time with mostly promising members who weren’t going to back down from a problem. Ah, if things could only go by this well today, they could finish up without problems soon enough. They were also lucky that all the scenes could be filmed in the same building as it was enormous to say the least about it. One could easily get lost in this labyrinth which was bad for Jae-Hyun as he didn’t have a sense of direction…

mood excited | location shooting location | outfit x

coded by weldherwings.

 

[s e v e n]

채민수

Min-soo Chae

mood.

anxiety-ridden

location.

shooting location

outfit.

x

All this time, Min-soo has sat cross-legged upon the carpeted floor, a bag of chips opened over his lap. They have offered refreshments at a different table, though he knew better than to be stuffing himself with junk food before their debut is not very wise of him, but it was much better than starving himself to death. Crunching on his potato chips, he narrowed his eyes as he kept his eyes on Jae-Hyun, biting down a bit too hard to be unspiteful. It was to the extent he nearly swatted off the hands of Haneul when he reached down to steal some chips.

“Oops- I’m so sorry I didn’t see you hyung!” he said, to which Haneul only laughed at.

“It’s alright moonie~” the boy retracted, all flustered. “So, Jae-Hyun is really good, huh?”

Upon these words, Min-soo’s expression darkened. He simply folded up the top of the wrapping, sliding a rubber band around it. “Hm,” he hummed nonchalantly, averting all gazes from either of the men. Then he heard Haneul shift from his seat, standing up then settling to sit next to Min-soo. He moved aside to make place for the older boy.

“You don’t really like him that much.”

“You think?”

“But why?”

Min-soo casted a short glare towards Haneul, but at his genuine curiosity, the boy sighed. Their chats were monitored; it was not he could say anything in it. Even moreso- saying it would mean admitting it. And that was the last thing he wanted to do. He supposed he hadn’t made it much a secret among the group members, yet the public must not know. A bad relationship between the members of the band will end up much unwelcomed.

“I guess-” he started, but as soon as he spoke, the megaphone came alive once more, announcing the end of Jae-Hyun’s session. Haneul waved towards the other male, in which Min-soo only avoided eye-contact.

“Alright! It’s your turn Haneul! Minnie, can you be on standby?”

He flinched slightly from the nickname, but regardless he flashed her a smile. A higher pitched voice when speaking, a lift of the eyes. The requirements of being an idol.

“Sure, manager-nim~”

The two boys stood from their spots, Min-soo dusting off crumbs from his shirt. He took a quick drink to clear his throat, then they walked towards the set. The lighting of the set immediately shifted, altering in hues of purple and blue. The wallpaper too has been changed. He watched as they began recording, Haneul standing at the centre of the room, where the spotlight is set amongst what have seemed as an attempt to replicate the aesthetics of old rubbles. The song started up softer after all, before peaking up in the middle towards the end. It was impossible- how is someone so new so good? Somehow it felt unfair, and he felt bad to envy a person who had been nothing but nice to him.

“Min-soo?”

He turned when he was called softly behind him and tapped over his shoulder. He flashed them a smile, tilting his head to the side. “Yes?”

“We need to prepare your harness. ”

“My…what?”

When they have showed him the equipment, his eyes widened. He assumed he was called to prepare for being sub-vocals, but in a four-man group, he supposes it was only natural that everyone would be given their own screen time. For their “biases”, they were called. He was given the outline of how the shooting would be, but who knew that the case he would be sitting on would be lifted seven feet over ground?

He had not even noticed Haneul finishing, because from the corner, he had been set with a towel. He gave him the thumbs up from afar, mouthing fighting! He gave him a hesitant thumbs up as a return. The harness has been set, shifted to the back of his outfit to avoid it being spotted. And he noticed that even safety mattresses have been placed underneath the set.

“That was a good take, Haneul!” their music video manager have spoken in the megaphone. “Minnie! You’re up. Is your mic on?”

Min-soo tested in to it, then giving them the ok-sign. He was not one to fear height much, but he would be lying to say that it had not peaked his nervousness. Shakily, he reached for the sides of the supposed swing. After cueing the set director, a spin of the gears, he was pulled up in the air. The lightings have changed once more, desultory shades of pale yellow and silver to perhaps signify the moon. He attempted to keep his balance, his toes nervously curling in his shoes.

When the music played softly in the background, he began to sing. A short part, considerably, compared to Haneul’s part, but there were notes significant enough that he felt proud to sing. And he had nailed it in practice, tonight- there was no reason that he had not this time. But midway through his song, he was stopped abruptly.

“Um, Min-soo?” she called out to him. He gazed away from the camera above towards the woman down there…and suddenly the height became twice more terrifying. He felt sick in his stomach and he wished he had not eaten breakfast after all. “Are you feeling alright? Your singing was alright, but your expression felt…tensed. Do you fear the height?”

“I’m fine manager-nim!” he called her from above, but perhaps he could not stand looking below any longer. “I’m sorry, I was just adjusting to the situation,” he laughed nervously. “No big deal!”

“If you say so.” She clapped her hands. “Start up on take two!”

The lights restarted, and the tunes came on once more. But this time he felt sick- it had not felt the same. So the moment when he needed to take a breath for the notes, instead he subconsciously fell back-

Min-soo quickly snapped his eyes back open over the sudden rush of adrenaline. He took the corner of the seat immediately but it was too late. He flipped back and with a quick holding of the harness, he was stopped before he reached the ground. Quickly they rushed towards him, manager still having the megaphone in her hand. “Alright alright, we can turn to Il-woo first, the group shot, then can you stay over-time for this shooting once you’re better? We can try to split the audio and shooting if it makes you feel better?”

At this he could simply nod. Il-woo goes next, and they were removing his harness. Immediately he darted for the door. He would need fresh air for a while.

code: s e v e n
​

 

[Clouds]

Jae-Hyun

#nofilter

Being thrown a cooled bottle of water into his lap, Jae-Hyun slowly sat up again and grinned sheepishly towards Il-Woo who plopped down next to him. Their focus then returned back to Haneul who was up to film his segment. He was better than Jae-Hyun expected, even more since the other had never done this before. A natural? Was that it? Being mesmerized by the acting of the oldest hyung, he couldn’t take his eyes off the filming platform. Honestly, even the background was nicely done which made him feel the slightest bit of jealousy. Without much redoing, Haneul finished in only a matter of time and came back to behind the scenes area.

Eyeing the next one in line which was none other than Min-Soo, hoping that the guy would be fine as he noticed the harness. His eyes wavered as he saw Min-Soo walking up the stage and got flung into the air without much warning. He felt his own heart drop at the sight as it wasn’t his favorite thing to do either. However, as he had to do this before, his heart was prepared for doing such things. The only thing he could do was to look on and hope for the best which was proven to be to no use. He sighed not out of disappointment but because he knew how it felt like the first time. It was only normal for someone to react this way, even more if they had a fear of heights.

Seeing that Min-Soo got put on hold, Il-Woo was called upon instead who motioned towards Min-Soo to cheer up and that it would be fine. More couldn’t the male do at this time and just went on with the filming, leaving Jae-Hyun to sit by himself. The thoughts just spun around on how he could make Min-Soo feel better but the thing of them not getting along at all wasn’t helping in the slightest. Honestly… if only he could shut the frick up sometimes instead of just blurting everything out he had in his mind, it wouldn’t have come to this point. Yes, he admitted he was partially at fault but would never say it out loud.

Another two hours passed before the shooting was done. The director was really helpful with her directions which came to the result of them not having to spend overtime. Jae-Hyun was really grateful for it but also a little sad since he didn’t have anything else planned for the day as he thought it would take longer. Il-Woo however had an appointment with one of his friends so he left as one of the first. Seeing him leave, Jae-Hyun was torn between going or staying to watch Min-Soo finish his part. Eventually, he just decided to stay, sitting down on a wooden chair which was placed against the wall. Hoping for the other to bring this to a good ending.

mood worried| location shooting location | outfit x

coded by weldherwings.

 

[s e v e n]

채민수

Min-soo Chae

mood.

mixed-feel

location.

shooting location

outfit.

x

Within a few hours, the day came to an end. The results much more than just satisfactory, the crew sent their regards and some even agreed to have dinner together in a local barbecue restaurant. Not for Min-soo, however. Haneul too was about to go with when it was as though he suddenly realized the circumstance his friend was in. Immediately he had rushed towards the boy, the three dogs now back in his hand.

"Are you sure you will be okay?" asked the older male. At this Min-soo could only nod. He was offered a dog for company, yet of course that would not help. Min-soo appreciates the thought, but he knew he would feel guilty to hold Haneul back. After all, they have all deserved a break, a celebration even.

But perhaps he simply had not wanted them to see him so miserable.

"I'll be alright, you go ahead," Min-soo forced a laugh. Despite it coming naturally, Haneul of all people could pick it up. That something was in fact, not alright. Idols were trained to hide their problems, after all. Fans paid to have fun and have someone to look up to, not to be shown how fragile and flawed they are, too. "Go have fun. I'm sure she's waiting."

At this Haneul's cheeks flushed, his eyes averted as he muttered something along that they were only friends, and even then he knew that once Min-soo set his mind on something, there was no changing it. So they shared a hug, Haneul promising him that they would hang out after everything is done, and then they parted ways. As Il-woo and Haneul exited the doors, along with a few of other crews, Min-soo's smile faded. He sighed, looking over his shoulder to their stage co-director, as he remembered, who smiled back at him, though sympathy was much in her expression.

"Hey, don't feel bad," she gave him a pat on the back. "Everyone goes through this. That's only natural. Think a glowstick," she gestured and then did a snapping motion. Min-soo flinched from this. "It can't shine without a bit of breaking, ye?"

"I guess so, director-nim."

"Oh please," she laughed, patting him on the back. "Must you all be so formal? I doubt I'm much older than yourself. You should have told us if it made you uncomfortable, we could substitute with green screen. Why, the effects would be slightly different but there is no need to force yourself to anything you dislike. You're human too, you know?"

Min-soo nodded, again, his head hung to gaze upon the floor. A part of him wanted to cry, yet he knew that succumbing to his emotions would allow an unbreakable dam to break through- and that is the last thing he wanted to happen. And somehow, the weight upon his chest is slightly relieved.

"Thank you, noona."

"Haru is fine," she waved him off, then noticed the questioning look on his face then shook her head, laughing. "Haru (하루) as in daytime, I'm not Japanese, though I do get that a lot. Now come."

Min-soo was escorted to a closed room, where he was meant to record his singing separately. On first try, he slipped accidentally due to nervousness, but after another breather, gulping down a whole bottle of water, he was ready. His eyes shut, and for a while the room was filled with silence. Then notes drawled out his lips like that of a gentle symphony, and he sang not through his voice, but through his heart. He felt every single word that was said, from the deepest part of his soul, the desire to feel a spark, the wish to find an answer.

Finishing, he stepped back from the mic, only to meet the astounded face of Haru-ssi. At first he had not understand her expression, and an unpleasant pit fell in his stomach. But then she grinned, clapping her hands together.

"Min-soo, that was amazing! The expressions, the everything- in fact we could perhaps just use this recording immediately!"

"Wait- what?"

"Yes! The passion in your emotion, all the things you have lacked earlier, mixed with perfect vocals- oh, don't worry about the effects, the background isn't exactly green but we could work some edits over it, no problem. And we could mix it up with some clips you had earlier to voice dub- minus the falling over, or course."

At this Min-soo beamed. He did it, in fact, he did great! Oh, all those hard work has not been put to waste, bless his soul. He went to hug the girl, who he felt tensed in his touch, but then warmly returned the embrace.

"Thank you for your hard work, Haru-ssi~"

"You too, Min-soo! Now," she began flicking the lights off. "I think your friend is waiting for you there, you probably should get moving."

Immediately Min-soo paused. Friend? Haneul had gone ahead, surely, and Il-woo had something to do. He shouldn't be here, too. There was a small leap in his heart, but nothing to hold him back for being curious. He shook the woman's hand, excused himself, then ran off to the exit-

And he paused.

"Jae-Hyun?" He could not hold his words back when he saw the other boy. Almost had he dropped his bag, yet he certainly have done so with his jaw. "What- what are you doing here?"

Then he scowled, feeling the surprise subside. Could they have just felt bad for him, that he was given such an easy task? Get it over with, perhaps, and go home. It should not matter that one member is featured less than the others. The joy he had felt earlier immediately perished, replaced by utter bitterness.

"If you're here to make fun of me, then beat it. I don't want to deal with you right now."

code: s e v e n
​

 

[Clouds]

Lead Rapper

Ahn Jae-Hyun

We are all made of stardust.

He slowly seeped into the chair, becoming one with the fabric as he barely managed to keep his eyes open. Nearly dozing off in order to wait for the younger one which might have seemed weird in the maknae’s eyes. However, once the guy was shot up into the air, his focus was brought back fully as he didn’t want anything to happen, not at this important period of time where everything rested on the health of the members to bring things to a good ending; an amazing debut. Yet there was this other underlying feeling gnawing on his insides which he didn’t feel much except for those he held close and usually that didn’t include Min-Soo. Perhaps their relationship did change for even the minuscule of bits… Well, they did live together for a month so it wouldn’t have been that surprising. Ignoring those thoughts, pushing them to the furthest back of his mind as he patiently waited for the cue of the director to end the filming.

In the meantime, some of the employees had come up to chat to him as they noticed him waiting for his group member, including the stylist from before. ”Oppa!” The girl outed, snapping his face towards her in a split second as he didn’t expect for him to be called out like that. Smiling gently: ”Ji-Won ah.” He called her name without hesitation despite having only met today, the cause mainly having been their interests that were aligned. Eventually they were caught up in talking while watching the filming unfold in front of them, hiding in the shadows of the cameras as the lighting was focused in front of them. Lowering their voices so they wouldn’t interrupt in any way possible which would mean they had to redo the scene again. He would have rather died on the spot if he got to know that it was due to his fault.

Eventually it ended and an applause echoed in the room from the employees as they were all proud on the work they had done, especially feeling glad that Min-Soo managed to pull through. Ah yes, the spite he heard in Min-Soo’s voice was clear to be heard even by Ji-Won who was standing behind him. Jae-Hyun motioned to her his goodbye and that she shouldn’t worry about it which she gladly accepted as the truth. Rubbing the back of his neck as he outed: ”I was just waiting for you.” He commented, confused on what he had done wrong this time, it wasn’t like he was actually correcting him or saying anything wrong, he hadn’t said anything to him at all in this building except from now.

”Well, since you can’t stand me no matter what I do I’ll just go then.” He said with a light shrug, greeting the driver of their company who was parked outside before moving into the opposite direction. Covering his face for the most part with his hat and mask, making it more difficult for people to distinguish him. It also wasn’t like he was wearing vibrant clothes either so way easier to blend in. Lucky that they didn’t have anything else planned for the day, he could go eat something delicious since his stomach was feeling like it was dying at the moment.

Code By Nano

 

[s e v e n]

채민수

min-soo chae

mood.

broken

location.

unknown

outfit.

x

Min-soo had to take public transportation back to their dormitories, and suddenly it had felt like old times. There was a certain atmosphere to a bus in Seoul, a mask concealing half his face, hair underneath a hoodie and eyes glued down. Avoid eye contact at all cost, he slid the screen of his phone back and forth, pretending to occupy himself.

It was barely afternoon, the sun barely setting as the orange glowed at the corners of the sky, yet even then he felt physically, though especially mentally, much too exhausted to even play a game on his phone. There was not even a message yet, not from Haneul, Il-woo, nor him. Then his mind wandered towards a certain face.

Jae-Hyun. He hated that he actually felt bad for the boy. A part of him attempted all his might to convince himself that it was true: Jae-Hyun was there for nothing but to entertain himself and satiate his evil pleasures of seeing others brought to shame. But the case was, that boy was a twenty six years old fully grown man, not a damn Looney Tunes character. Yet the thought that he was being waited upon made even less sense. Why? What for?What was there to gain? He could not understand. It better not have been pity.

"Min-soo Chae?"

Min-soo flinched when he heard his name called, yet he stuck to his principles and had not looked back. Surely no one could have noticed him in this get up, not even die hard fans, which he doubted he possessed. His knuckles turned white as his grip only grew more firm around the handles, and surely enough, the voices continued.

"What? The guy from ZEN?" Another girl had chimed in.

"Yea!" The first girl replied in a slight higher voice. "Isn't he cute? Here- they're releasing an MV soon."

"Hm...Oh yea, you're right. Wait- wasn't he also that one from Blue Rose?"

"Oh! Yes, you're right...hm. He changed a lot since that day, huh? What do you think happened?"

He punched two nosy fangirls on a bad day, that's what happened. If only he could. Gossips should come natural, anyway, it has become a package deal with being an idol. Once he thought he could cope with- and now, he feared that he had not seen the worst of it. As the next stop came around, Min-soo decided to hop right off, figuring that a walk around the block and breathing in fresh air would actually help him. At least it was much better than hearing people talk about him right in front of him.

Even as the sun sets down, the temperature has yet to fall. It was supposedly the beginning of fall, yet besides the browning of leaves, no such thing had signified any of the change. The streets grew less and less dense, and soon he became the only person on the road. Taking an extra step, he stopped, gazing deep at the empty neighborhood.

Where has he ended up in? So long had Min-soo walked, he had not known where he stumbled upon. A road that he never recalled, buildings bare of names nor panels. There was a single bus stop, with only one number to arrive, not even a sign to note how long it would take. The boy slid his mask down, his hoodie off his head, and for a while he only sat. Fingers intertwined before him, eyes focused yet blank all the same.

His phone rang. He picked it up. A voice of a male behind it, deep and husky. They exchanged words, Min-soo pressed his lips together and subtly nodded. The call only lasted for one or two minutes, and soon he removed it from his ear, clutching at his phone in front of him as though his final life line.

Slowly, he began to choke back tears. And then he cried.

code: s e v e n
​

 

[Clouds]

Lead Rapper

Ahn Jae-Hyun

We are all made of stardust.

Jae-Hyun let his eyes roam over the several displays of the restaurant names that were plastered over almost the entire street. Shrugging off the consistent stand-off – rude even – attitude of his team member called Min-Soo. Yeah, he might have said something in the past to the other about having used his looks instead of actual skills to debut but he didn’t think the comment would resound for such a long time inside the other. At least that was what he thought the reason could have been. Perhaps he treated the guy a little too harsh as well… He sighed deeply as he was standing on the verge of just giving up on their relationship as he couldn’t see the light of the tunnel anymore. The more he tried to get close, the more he got pushed away; an endless battle which he couldn’t win no matter how hard he tried. Due to that mindset, his heart felt like it was being squeezed from the inside out, grasping his jacket; standing still unconsciously.

Then as if his day didn’t seem to get any better, he heard some people bickering at the end of the street. Two women surrounded by men who didn’t know when to let go off someone even if they expressively indicated their disinterest. Rubbing the back of his neck as his body already started moving in their direction. Laying one hand on one of them, which shifted their focus towards him in an unpleasant way. ”Can’t you see you’re bothering her?” Jae-Hyun said in a neutral tone of voice as he looked at them. Their eyes were thankful that he came in between while many others just walked past, ignoring the entire scene completely as they didn’t want to get caught up in it. The girls held each other’s hand tightly as they didn’t want to be separated at all in this kind of situation. ”Hah? Who are you to tell us?” The man said, moving his arm to shrug of Jae-Hyun. Rolling his eyes at the thug before answering: [/b]”Do you really think this method would work on them? You’re only scaring them away… Can’t believe that despite you being ugly you’re stupid as well.”[/b]

That comment made them snap and of course they immediately turned to violence. Luckily, Jae-Hyun knew some martial arts to fend for himself, however going up against four of them proved to be difficult. He got in some good punches but he couldn’t keep up the moment they attacked at the same time. Motioning for the girls to run away which they did after apologizing. After a few minutes he got thrown against the wall where he slumped down. Those idiots left with satisfied smiles plastered on his faces, happy they could win against one single human being. Laying his head against the cold brick wall as he took a breather.

Surprisingly those girls returned once it was safe, immediately taking out their handkerchiefs as they dipped on the bleeding wounds in his face. ”Do you want to go to the hospital?” They asked in a slight panic which to Jae-Hyun shook his head with a gentle smile. ”No, that’s not necessary.” He said as he slowly pushed himself up from where he was sitting. Holding his breath as he felt a sharp pain shooting through his ankle. Fuck! He internally screamed as this was not a good sign, hiding the pain though like a professional. ”Though you could treat me to some food.” He commented with a grin to which they happily agreed, both of them supported him as they made their way to a small café where they served some delicious sandwiches for a good price. The three of them talked for a while, having a laugh and sometimes even going over the more serious subjects. It was nice to talk normally like this once in a while, it made him feel human again.

After perhaps two to three hours later, he got into a taxi and went back home to the dormitory after saying his farewell to them. They even said they were going to support him when he would debut which was nice to hear. The moment he was about to set foot into his dorm, he encountered the stylist who had a horrified look on her face once she caught sight of him. ”Jae! What happened?” She asked in a frantic, almost running towards him out of worry. ”Let’s go inside. Come, come.” Pointing towards the sofa where he sat down in, Ji-Won took out the EHBO-kit – which she had to search for - and started tending to his wounds. The disinfectant stung like a bitch, flinching once in a while which made Ji-Won reassure him that “it is going to be fine” and “it will hurt only a little bit more”. She didn’t seem to like to see him in pain which warmed his heart, also the fact that she didn’t ask on how it got to this made him feel more at ease as that meant she trusted him despite not knowing each other.

While she finished up he eventually asked about why she was here: ”I was going to check which kind of make-up was going to fit with you all the most for you last few photoshoots.” She responded which made him nod before continuing in silence for the remainder of his treatment. Once done, she put the kit on the coffee table and patted his head in a way like a mother would do: ”You don’t have to worry about the make-up, I can easily cover them up.” Her smile was beautiful despite her worried state of mind which sucked him in. His hand slipped around her wrist, taking a hold of it as he slowly brought it down. ”Can I fall in love with you?” He asked which shocked her to the core, staring at Jae-Hyun in utter disbelieve.

Code By Nano