ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) SHIRAKAWA MARIKO ❪ 白川 真理子 ❫, also known as MARIKO ❪ 真理子 ❫, is a French-Japanese singer, dancer, songwriter, and actress under KOZ Entertainment. She debuted on May 30, 2023 as the seventh and only female member of BOYNEXTDOOR. Since debut, MARIKO has been celebrated not only as a standout member of her group but also as one of the most prominent 4th / 5th generation idol in the industry for her versality and growing influence in both music and fashion. 𓂃 * MASTERLIST !
disclaimer side / i am only doing this for fun, and as a way to pass time so don't take it too seriously + this is also my way of coping with the fact that i'm not a bnd member.
(this is just me yapping abt how much i love taesan and mariko so don't mind my coke rant)
ive encountered a few issues with riko's lore in many ways/aspects. whether it was her backstory lore, her personality type, her faceclaim, and her love interest.
i didn't know if i should go with the reserved and shy personality bcuz all of my ocs are always so bubbly (and i think it's just a reflection of myself tbh). or if i should go traumatized backstory route or the cute and easy backstory route.... and lastly her lover ...
here's a list of all my options:
nct haechan (this was js self indulgent btw)
riize sungchan
boynextdoor jaehyun
tbz eric
txt yeonjun
enhypen heesung
and ofc taesan 💗💓💞💞💝💘💖💖💕💞💗💓💞💞💘💝💖💕💞💓💗💝💘💘💞
my main ones were haechan, yeonjun and jaehyun tbh. i was so set on yeonjun at some point, and then on jaehyun like it was crazy.
i was set on haechan bcuz i rlly wanted to make a secret relationship typa thing, and i thought he'd fit the best with how secretive he is with his life (and also bc that's #my man ✊). i thought if i gave riko a more reserved personality she would go really well with haechan who seems to be on the quieter side when he's not in front of the cameras ... but then i decided not bc i was gonna put him w someone else.
next was jaehyun, and a big part was because i was going thru a HUUUGE myungjae moment at some point lmao 😭 i was gonna give them the cliché fell in love while training. i was also gonna change riko's personality into a louder, bubblier one. but then i had an epiphany and i genuinely could not see them tgt. RIGHT NOW in my head they just don't make sense in my head cause that's #siblings like don't even joke lad they are twins.
lastly was yeonjun, because honestly? he was such a good choice on paper. like, everything lined up too perfectly: the charisma, the visuals, the vibe. he has that effortless charm that riko would definitely fall for at first. i could see them as that couple everyone online calls “the blueprint.” they’d serve together, have chemistry in photoshoots, be all matching outfits and shit. like it made sense. but i think that was kinda the problem 😭 it made too much sense. riko and yeonjun looked right together, but they didn’t feel right (to me). riko’s story always leaned more emotional. like, she’s not the girl who falls for the spotlight guy, she’s the one who falls for the person who sees her when no one else does. so yeah, yeonjun fit the “it couple” fantasy, but not the emotional reality i wanted for her. 💔
and that’s when taesan came in 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
like outta nowhere, everything that didn’t click before suddenly did. with him, it wasn’t about flash or aesthetics, it was about feelings. they just make sense in a way that isn’t loud or dramatic, it’s just right 💕💞💞💓💗
taesan has that quiet depth that riko naturally gravitates toward. he’s introspective, a little awkward, always thinking three steps ahead but never really saying it out loud. and riko? she’s the type to understand people like that; to see them when no one else bothers to. she wouldn’t try to change him or make him louder; she’d just exist beside him.
imo they're not the type to be like “holding hands in public” but more the type to be “sitting next to each other and it feels like home” kind. she softens his edges, and he anchors her when she starts drifting. it’s balance.
and what really makes them perfect is that their connection feels like something that grew organically. not a “they met and instantly fell in love” moment (even tho i personally think taesan fell in love with her the moment he saw her), but something built on it’s the “we’ve been in each other’s lives so long we didn’t even realize what it meant until it hit us” kind of love.
the type of love that sneaks up slowly, built on years of late-night talks, shared secrets, and stuff. they’ve seen every version of each other: the highs, the lows, the ugly cries, the random 3 a.m. rants and that made them even closer.
it's also this thing where as soon as i started to think of taesan as a love interest i had so much inspiration and motivation to write bc their lore was so good to me.
i always knew i wanted mari's love story to be smth based on friends to lovers. i wanted the whole "they've seen every versions of each other and still love each other so much" but none of my previous options hit me as much as taesan.
he just has that vibe that spoke to me. he fits so well with mariko in my head. she used to be very shy and introverted but with time (and also with his help) she came out of her shell and became super extroverted and hyped asl. and so on those moments where she has too much energy, he calms her down. reminds her to breath 😖🥺
