a little about alice's schedule in the fourth quarter as well as how she's feeling about it. plots for the quarter are at the bottom of this post!
alice is honestly in kind of a weird spot. awards season is coming up but she's not really excited for it because she can't envision candy winning.
there's talk about her getting a solo debut in december, but there's been talk about her getting a solo debut since signal era - she'll believe it when she sees it.
she doesn't hate so bad, but it's yet another song she knows isn't going to perform the way she wants it to. she's pleasantly surprised when the song gives them trending moments, but it's never enough for her mother.
she'll be attending the pre-opening party in 1930s glam to match with duri. being the social butterfly she is, she's likely to approach muses first.
her solo mini-concert is on the 30th of october, and she's hype as hell for it. she chose the tracklist herself and covers iu, lily, andromeda, minjung, selene, equinox and mirae!
she's hosting a workshop on stage presence, which she's pretty jazzed for!
she fully intends to post videos for base about the culture complex - she's lowkey in awe of it tbh
some plot ideas:
anyone else attending mirae's halloween party! she'll be dressed up as [TBA] and would love to chat and hang out!
[1/4] anyone else attending the base pre-opening party!
[1/1] a duo workshop partner! alice is confident in singing, dancing and performance! taken by yuna
[0/3] anyone attending the melon music awards, asia artist awards, kbs gayo daechukje, or sbs drama awards.
[0/2] someone to film videos with for the base culture complex! she'd be down for a christmas-themed makeup tutorial, a tasting of all the different treats in the cafe, or a cover (i suggest santa tell me by ariana grande, the carol by loona [i forget what the in-universe unit that performed it was called despite alice being in it jfgh #ripalsoohwa], baby it's cold outside, or the michael buble cover of santa baby ONLY)
she felt like her how-to was a little unique. though, she wasn’t sure how many other people were going to do something art related. they had the camera’s set up with one focusing on the front of them and the other , two laptop’s so they both could work and two tablet’s that were connected. and another screen so they could see the comments as they came in “when i upgrade, i never really let go of my old technology, so it works for this video.” she smiled, turning to alice as she spoke.
right now, she was fiddling around with a few more settings. “as soon as i’m finished, we’ll be able to get started. for this tutorial, it’s pretty simple but i thought that it would be good way for you lean as well.” she wanted everything to be perfect, as perfect as it could get anyway. “but we’ll be using photoshop and it should be fun, i promise.” she just had to pace herself.
Alice was fairly comfortable with the concept of photoshop in certain contexts - after all, who didn't nip in their waist in photos now and then, or create the s-line that was so sought after? Bigger eyes, slimmer nose, fuller lips - if BC wouldn't approve these changes in real life, what was the harm in creating them digitally?
It was the art portion where Alice was lost. She knew, of course, that photoshop could be used for art, but she'd never tried herself. "I trust you." She says with a bright smile. Not that there was much on the line - she would still get to spend some time with Kami regardless of the outcome, so she wasn't terribly worried.
mirae studies alice for a moment. it’s trained to the point of being natural for an idol to display humbleness, and doubly so for a woman. mirae understands the value of never thinking oneself above criticism herself, but she finds it all too common that young women in the industry are taught to shy too far behind the line and underplay themselves.
“if i can speak frankly, you don’t need to understate your efforts to me. you did well and you should give yourself just as many compliments as you give out.” mirae stops her studying of alice to look to the jacket she’d been holding when alice walked up, giving it an extra once-over before she sets it back on the rack and turns her attention back to her unexpected company.
“i’m looking for a little bit of this, a little bit of that. here, i thought i might find something for a youtube video i’m filming. i haven’t had much luck myself yet, have you?”
alice flushed a little as mirae studied her. in her dreams, some artistic girl would look at her the same way as she drank in her features to commit them to memory. this, however, somehow felt more like a test than an act of interest of any sort. had she passed?
with mirae’s words, alice wasn’t quite sure. “you can always speak honestly with me, unnie. i hope i can do the same.” she pauses, searching mirae’s face for a hint of whether that was the case before continuing. “i guess i just feel like... so bad is a good song and all, but ever since asap era, things have changed. maybe our old producers liked me better than the new ones, but i’m not getting lines the way i used to. part of me knows this is fairer, that everyone deserves a chance to shine, but i feel like sung and our maknae in particular are outshining me lately. good for them, on one hand, but on the other.... my mom keeps going on about how i’m being mistreated, as if it’s my god given right to sing half the song, you know? and it’s stupid, it really is, but it makes it hard to really enjoy the song when someone is telling you you aren’t the star the way you used to be.” she shrugs, as if discounting her own monologue.
ready to move on from what she’d said she smiles with a shake of her head. “i’m not either, honestly. it’s a nice store, but the things here seem a little more, um, mature than my style.” she admits. most of the store had her mother’s vibe - elegant, but certainly a woman in her fourties - rather than her own.
sunshine sparked a firework in sung’s chest, morphing into the small smile pulling up at her cheeks, but it was aborted at the rest of alice’s question. her eyes followed alice’s gesturing, then from closed lips a, “hm?” followed, finally, by the pieces fitting together in her head. not the location, but their activity.
frankly, sung hadn’t put enough thought into her thoughts to string them in a way that could be vocalized. her opinion on schedules wasn’t particularly asked of often– maybe because she tended to be the one asking others first. either way, her questioning hum turned into a thinking hum. “well, i love doing any dance schedules. i don’t know how other people think of this, but i think it’s one of our best skills as a group.” she took a breath. there was a ‘but,’ there was. speaking only on the positives wouldn’t be authentic to herself or the years she’d spent with alice thus far. “i’m not sure how much it promotes stereotype, though. they’re very different. it’s nice for fans to see different sides of us, but…” unfinished, she couldn’t bring herself to voice the full concern. with how often they went for girl crush concepts while doing crowned, how could they know that wasn’t the direction the company would want to take them down? sung couldn’t imagine that was what their fans would want from them.
saying as much would be so premature, especially when she hadn’t had the time to think through those thoughts enough to not run on a fully emotional basis, so she let the sentence be. “how are you feeling about it?”
“i agree, honestly.” alice nodded. this was fun and all, but it wasn’t sweet and soft by any means, and so felt inauthentic to candy. the girls had been chosen by the public, and she couldn’t imagine this was what they’d had in mind when they had chosen who they had. they weren’t tough as nails by any means, and their closest song to kill this love, for example, would have been like ooh ahh. maybe even tt. as much as alice liked putting on a persona for the purposes of the video, it was just that - all an act.
“it’s fun and cool to dance like we’re ultraviolet, but i do hope bc doesn’t think we’ll be ddu ddu ddu-ing anytime soon. i like our concept.” and frankly, alice was pretty sure she had a better idea of what it was than their creative director at this point, though she’d never say as much aloud for fear of being found rude. candy was made for cute catchphrases and bright colors.
“i also think it’s totally unfair that you don’t have a highlight part. you’re our best dancer. i mean, of course unnie did great in her solo, but you could have at least been put in the trio.” and as long as alice was present, she wouldn’t have minded sharing the spotlight. she and sung rarely got dance parts together, so it could have been fun.
alice loves sung. she really does. despite the jealousy she might feel sometimes, she could never say a bad word against the girl, and loves her dearly. she has a lot of admiration for her talent, and sees her as a friend and pseudo-sister at the end of the day, as well as the glue that holds candy together.
mentions: each candy member, in turn. sung’s section is long af.
word count: 739
summary: a headcanon detailing alice’s envy for each candy member.
warnings: alice is a petty bitch and a hypocrite.
perhaps it was natural for alice to have a jealousy problem, considering candy was formed in a competition show. Maybe it was normal that a part of her would always see candy as being ranked in some way - as if they were six soloists working together rather than a single group working as a unit. regardless of how she might rationalize it, one thing is clear - alice kim was guilty of envy.
the one member who’s never been the target of this envy is their leader and main vocalist. she’s the one member alice knows she could never replace, considering her powerhouse vocals. on top of that, leader isn’t a job alice could ever see for herself. she likes being the center of attention, but being in charge isn’t something she’d ever consider, especially being among candy’s youngest members. then there was the fact she had been the judges’ choice rather than the public’s. alice has always viewed her as not a threat, but an ally she didn’t need to compare herself to.
sun is an interesting case. at first, she didn’t mind the spotlight she received. the dance break in like ooh ahh only made sense, considering she was the main dancer. the jealousy only really started when sung went shy shy shy-ral. While she understood it was an uncomplicated line that made sense to go to a subvocalist from a producer’s point of view, and that she dominated the line distribution of the song, alice knew even during early recordings the line would be a hit amongst the public. she was glad the song got them their first win, but to be able to take credit for the virality of it would have tasted twice as sweet. likey was another era sung owned, but considering it was with a dance break and a simple repeated line ("bb cream papapa, lipstick mamama") she couldn't hold it against the girl. it did somewhat bother her that sung got the chorus and the iconic line, but it wasn’t a huge deal. the most notable era alice's envy popped its ugly green head out toward sung and blew a raspberry was also their most recent - stereotype. she could have dealt with their main rapper getting a highlight part - she was so rarely treated as a lead vocalist anyway. but sung? she was a subvocalist - usually relegated to highlight lines and easier parts in general. sure, she'd done well, but what kind of sense did it make for her to get a chorus? sweet timbre aside, she should have gotten center in the dance, not the best part of the song. still, sung is so darn sweet, alice can't even say anything - at least not directly. snippy comments here and there punctuated by syrupy sweetness were the norm now.
the main rapper and lead vocalist so rarely gets a chance to shine, alice is almost genuinely happy when it happens. after all, her chorus in like ooh ahh had had the leader doing vocal runs over it, her cheer up lines were decent, but nothing to write home about. it was more of the same up until tt, really, and even then alice's envy was more centered on the fact she'd gotten to tide a skateboard in the music video. she's noticed the other girl getting shafted more recently than usual, not even really getting rap parts despite her position. she feels bad, but has more concern for herself than her.
the lead dancer/vocal has alice's envy largely for the way she's portrayed. untouchably pretty, often singing the bridge, constant focus on her visual. it's not exactly that alice is threatened, but she wishes her own looks were more emphasized in a similar fashion. she's a pretty girl too, after all, and just because she can sing, doesn't mean she doesn't want her visual to be appreciated.
finally, the maknae. the poor maknae. for so long, she'd been shafted in the line distributions, and alice had felt bad. everyone else receiving double her lines in a good era. recently - since asap era, really - alice has noted that the maknae was receiving most of the rap parts, on top of a fair few vocal parts. looking at the numbers, her growth was something to behold, but alice can't help being a little jealous of the fact she's getting so many highlight parts while alice can feel herself practically fading into the background.
as is usual, alice’s fashion tends toward the cutesy side of things, with pleated skirts and cute patterns a constant. in the autumn, she trades graphic tees for soft sweaters and can even occasionally be seen wearing pants. her color palette for the season mostly consists of pinks, oranges and light browns.
@candygram: thank you for all the love! you guys are seriously the best. ♡ #alice
@uvinurarea: candy flop yet again. who’s surprised?
@aegyolice: SHE’S BLONDE!!!!!!!!!!
@joosungshine: yasssssssss
@catgirljhwa: it’s giving christian horse girl.
@jeojangyeon: queen of being blonde
@bradleymason: alice I'm glad to see you your picture I hope you keep posting I think you're beautiful and a gorgeous girl I've been commenting about you for a long time I live in the u.s. I'm a big fan of yours I would like to know you personally anyone ever give me a chance I'm a lot older but I know a beautiful woman like you I hope to hear from you one day goodbye cutie you definitely are!!
with the camera ready, alice's manager gave her the signal to get in front of it.
she walked into frame, new blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. she was dressed as y2k royalty, in a denim miniskirt and a pink shirt with a monkey on it that said "it's not easy being an angel".
"this is a story about a girl named lucky." she said, her english accent coming out naturally. it wasn't quite a britney impression with the accent and all, but the truth was, she wasn't trying to be britney, blondeness notwithstanding. she'd chosen this song for how it related to her. she walked out of frame, leaving the camera to focus on the background. it was made of blue velvet, with metal star charms sewn onto the fabric. it was a simple backdrop, but captured the feeling she'd wanted to portray.
she walked back into frame, now dressed in a pink robe, not dissimilar to what britney had worn in the video. from there, she began to sing.
Early morning, she wakes up
Knock, knock, knock on the door
It's time for makeup, perfect smile
It's you they're all waiting for
They go, "Isn't she lovely, this Hollywood girl?"
And they say
it wasn't like it was much of a stretch to apply the song to herself, barring the hollywood part. still, she was aware the song choice was entirely self indulgent. fans would have probably preferred to see her cover lily, or perhaps equinox. maybe minjung's celebrity. bitterly, she mulled over the fact that bc didn't seem to care what fans wanted to see. why should she? besides, the song choice was a message to a specific person.
"She's so lucky, she's a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking
If there's nothing missing in my life
Then why do these tears come at night?"
her life felt empty, meaningless when she wasn't actively performing. that was her mother's fault. grades had never mattered, she didn't need to be smart to be a star. she'd been all but isolated from her peers, seeing classmates only at school, dance acquaintances only in dance class, et cetera. she didn't need to make friends, they'd only use her as a stepping stone when she got famous. her interests outside performing were never fully accepted. if it didn't lead to stardom, it didn't matter. throughout her entire childhood, all that had mattered was pleasing her mother, and the only way to do that was to perform.
Lost in an image, in a dream
But there's no one there to wake her up
And the world is spinning, and she keeps on winning
But tell me, what happens when it stops?
she didn't even have non-celebrity friends. everyone around her was competition in a way, and it was sick she saw them that way. what was wrong with her that she couldn't take even someone like sun - someone on the same team as her, someone bright and kind and beautiful and pure - and see her as more than someone to measure herself against? sure, as a performer alice was good, but as a person, there seemed to be much left to be desired.
she carried on the performance, feeling herself a little too hard toward the end. at the end, she smiled brightly and blew the camera a kiss before doing her signature bite heart as a sign off. as the camera turned off, her smile faded. she looked at her manager.
“oh? i always think we’re cool too, but thanks for agreeing, candy’s alice.” though her tone is jesting, mirae ducks into a small bow of her head to convey her appreciation for alice’s words. she gets recognized in public from time to time, but it’s not often that she’s approached by another idol in public like this.
“candy’s finale song was good. you proved yourselves with that one.” candy’s record on crowned may not have been the most stellar among the competitors (though, to be fair, neither was selene’s), but if nothing else, they’d proven to mirae that they had a solid identity by managing to pull off their finale song as naturally as cheer up or tt.
she glances around them then back to alice. “are you shopping, too?”
alice giggles shyly, returning the bow. “thank you! our maknae and leader really carried the performance, but it’s a fun song regardless.” she wouldn’t mention feeling like it was yet another recent release that failed to hit that sweet spot candy had once hit so consistently. while their newer releases were technically better songs than their biggest hits in her opinion, it felt a lot like they were trading their popularity for artistry and becoming less relevant for it. frankly, at 21, alice didn’t want to be a has-been yet.
“i am! i was looking for some warmer clothes to add to my wardrobe for the colder months.” her wardrobe lent itself well to summer heat - cutesy skirts, graphic tees, and mary janes being constants. twice a year, she donated clothes she’d noticed she hadn’t worn often enough to warrant keeping, so while she had a few pairs of tights and a couple of sweaters, it wasn’t enough to last even a week. hence her presence.
comeback season was around the corner for lily, a week or two away. with everything complete there was no real reason for her to frequent the company building, especially not when she hadn’t found anything about this release particularly difficult, but it was a habit of hers. so it didn’t matter how easy the choreography seemed, it didn’t matter the years of experience she had, she would find the time to review which meant finding time in a practice room at night.
it would be a lie to say she solely focus on the comeback when she was in the practice room. most days, that time alone began with going over her own groups music and then it changed into playing around with other groups songs. looking into their performances, seeing if she could come up with a choreography or not. recently she had been into a quantum release and that’s what she was focused on when the door opened, her eyes piercing the mirror before her that revealed the person as they walked in.
“i know who you are, i voted for you on candy shop,” the senior made sure to keep up with what went on in bc entertainment and when word went around about candy shop, a show that would debut bc’s newest girl group - she made sure to watch here and there. the junior possessed a vocal tone that made her want to cast in a vote for her when she could. even if she hadn’t paid attention to the survival show, her focus in career path forced her to learn the members when preparing the choreography for their debut. “really?” she smiled, finding the other cute, “should i submit a piece for your comeback too, then?”
wait. waitwaitwait. song hayi had voted for her on candy shop? the song hayi? the song hayi who had one of the most iconic dance breaks in kpop in her debut music video? the song hayi who was the highlight of every variety show she was on? the song hayi who was a member of lily? that song hayi?
alice found herself caught between wanting to cry and scream with delight. thankfully she did neither, instead opting for a giggle that, confessedly, sounded a little manic. at least she hadn’t screamed. or cried. her crying face was not cute.
“thank you for your support! i hope i can become an idol who makes everyone who voted for me proud - especially you! you’re officially a part of candy’s history, after all - no one will ever forget sun’s dance break - and you’re an icon in your own right, so i’d really like to follow in your footsteps.” oh god, she was babbling. and practically confessing her love. but hayi seemed so nice! it was easy to babble at her.
“oh, gosh, i’d love if you did! i thought the choreography for like ooh ahh was so fun and refreshing, i’m really excited for what you’ll come up with next for us! i thought the genie choreo was really great too, for the record! you all look so cool doing it!” she could only imagine what the great mind of song hayi would come up with next.
how would you describe this comeback?
alice purses her lips in faux deep thought, as if she’s trying to find the words to precisely explain the comeback. finally, with a grin, she speaks. “i would describe stereotype as a somehow nostaligic pop tracks that shows candy’s unique colors.”
how are you feeling about this comeback?
this answer comes quicker, still with a smile. “i feel great about it! i think some members who often don’t get the chance to shine were given highlight parts, which i think makes it different from other candy title tracks.”
what is your favorite part about this comeback?
another thinker. alice hums, tapping her chin before a smile yet again lights up her face. “it’s hard to say since there are so many moving parts - including ours in sun’s amazing choreography, plus selene’s kami writing, producing and composing the song for us - but my favorite part might be the music video. i liked how we all portrayed different high school stereotypes, from social butterfly to theater kid.
what is a memorable story from preparations for this comeback?
“i think the most memorable story is hearing sun sing her part in stereotype for the first time. she just sounded so magical, no one could have done it the way she did.”
do you have any specific hopes for this comeback?
“i hope stereotype reaches a new audience while still pleasing the fans we already have. i want people to hear what we have to offer and paint pretty pictures based off our unique colors!”
what is your favorite song on the album?
“honestly, while each track has a unique charm, i think stereotype is my favorite! i love the bright and poppy sound.”
your lines in the chorus of stereotype were nice. would you like to explain how you relate to them?
“sure! so the lines go don’t create a stereotype about me/i’m a little different/i may seem flashy on the outside/but i’m still afraid, you should know which i feel i relate to, because even though i have a bright style, i can still be shy sometimes. just because i dress a certain way, it doesn’t mean i have to behave the way one would expect.”
you mentioned earlier feeling that each member portrayed different stereotypes. care to tell us more about that?
“of course! so, i feel like pur leader portrays a smart, quiet girl, our lead dancer is more of a quirky, independent girl, our main rapper is a social butterfly, our maknae is the popular type, sun is a theater kid for sure, and i feel like i portrayed a rebellious girl.”
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