NOVELLA is aΒ fictionalΒ seven-member girl group under Storybook Entertainment.Β The group consists of members Sujin, Haeun, Aecha, Eunjeong, Dambi, Nari, and Aina. They debuted on theΒ 31st of October 2018Β with their first single album,Β The Prologue.
Tag Dump ββ Writings ββ Discography ββ Blog Roll
ββ Group Info
Group Name: NOVELLA
Company: Storybook Entertainment
Greeting: "Hear our story! Hello, we are Novella!"
Fandom Name: Authors
Variety Show: NeouiBELA
Group Colours: Darkness (#0D0907), Bruised (#2A0134), Old Blood (#420D09)
Debut Date: 31st of October 2018
Debut Album: The Prologue
Concept: Horror, Paranormal, Mystery
ββ Member List
Choi Aecha '98 [μ΅μ μ°¨] Leader, Lead Vocal, Lead Dancer
Min Sujin '97 [λ―Όμμ§] Visual, Vocalist
Kim Haeun '98 [κΉν΄μ΄] Main Vocal
Yoon Eunjeong '99 [μ€μμ ] Main Rapper
Kim Dambi '99 [κΉλ΄λΉ] Lead Dancer, Lead Rapper, Sub Vocal
Kang Nari '99 [κ°λ리] Main Dancer, Lead Vocal
Hiramatsu Aina '00 [εΉ³ζΎ ζθ] Main Dancer, Vocalist
You've been walking, you've been hiding, and you look half dead half the time
FEATURING: Min Sujin, Choi Aecha, Hiramatsu Aina
DATE: Between May 2016 and May 2018
A/N: the lioness does not concern herself with a 9 to 5
!!!: N/A
Sujin has been bored her whole life.
Moving to Seoul, she thought something might finally click. Sheβs an effortless top student with countless academic awards and a first try admission to Yonsei. The years of obeying her parents wishes would finally coalesce into one satisfying moment, where everything became worth it. Itβs what everyone said, still, Sujin has never felt content.
Until one day.
βExcuse me! E-excuse me!β A shrill voice calls.
Sujin whips around. Despite everything her βcity friendsβ tell her, sheβs never been able to keep her head down.
A surprisingly middle aged woman jaywalks across the road in a hurry, just barely evading a speeding car. βWow! Youβre so pretty!β Sujin wonders if her all-black mask and face-cap have somehow slipped off her face. βAre you free to chat for a moment?β
Sujin smiles nervously. βSorry, Iβm actually on my way to university-β
β-Ah! Itβll only take a minute, really! I was wonderingβ¦β
Which is how Sujin finds herself shuffling anxiously in a random practice room in a random basement thinking maybe- just maybe- her city friends were right and her naivety has finally lured her into an organ harvesting cult. Unfortunately, she doesnβt have much time to dwell on her final moments because-
β5..6..7β¦8.β
The two girls in front of her break out into a flawless dance routine, humming through some old American pop song Sujin canβt quite remember the name of and staring at themselves intensely through the mirror. The shorter girl, Aecha, is surprisingly stable as she crawls onto the floor and whips her hair with an exaggerated flourish. They both look back to Sujin expectantly, eyes searching while their chests pump rapidly to catch their breath.
Sujin gulps.
βHow was it? Think you can follow along?β Aecha asks.
The next few weeks of Sujinβs life is hell.
For the first time in her life, sheβs truly challenged. Between Aina expecting her to twist her limbs into unattainable shapes and suddenly having waking up for 9 am lectures because otherwise she simply just wonβt have time to study, Sujin really thinks sheβs about to die. She barely has time to eat during her non-stop, practice-lecture-practice, schedule, and her frivolous nightlife activities are quickly forgotten in the rush. Aechaβs also been icing her out of every conversation since the day they met, and though Sujin is usually one for confrontation, she simply doesnβt have time to ask why.
Years of breezing through school and daily routines never had the blood rushing through her veins this fast. Didnβt prepare her for the sweat and adrenaline trickling down her spine by the end each night. Couldnβt have her envisioning just how sore her limbs could be every morning, with a pounding in her legs instead of the usual hangover headache.
βUnnie!β Aina whines. βAre you even listening?β
The two of them are drenched in sweat, having practiced nonstop for the last two hours. Sujin brings up her hand to brush away the hair stuck to Ainaβs face. βSorry, I zoned out. What were you saying?β
Aina pouts. βNever mind. Aechaβs gonna lose it if comes back and we arenβt ready.β
So they practise.
Nonstop.
For two years.
Until somehow their group has grown from 3 to 5, Aecha seems to maybe kind of like her now, and the company is giving her an ultimatum. Well, they arenβt explicitly telling her to quit but-
βWe understand that your education is important to you,β it isnβt, Sujin wants to argue, βbut weβre planning to debut the group this year, so, before you graduateβ¦ we can-β
βIβll drop out.β
The woman in front of her looks bewildered, as if Sujin just confessed sheβd be willing to drop out of one of South Koreaβs top universities to debut under an unknown company with a history of exactly one (1) failed group. β-Ah! Thereβs no need to make any rash decisions!β She flounders. βThis is obviously quite a big deal and we donβt want to pressure you into anythingβ¦ and we recommend speaking to your parents firstβ¦β
But Sujin chooses to ignore her, because sheβs nothing if not arrogant, ignorant, and a little bit impulsive. She signs her letter of termination first thing the next morning, only then choosing to call her parents. Whatever the reaction, it wont change what she already knows.
Sujin has finally found a purpose in Seoul.
A/N: This was a lot lighter than I thought it would be... but I don't hate it. Sujin's main conflict only starts at the end of this piece when she tells her parents, which I planned to include, but I came a natural stopping point and didn't want to ruin it. I could do a part two, but we'll see how it goes with the other members.......
NOVELLAβs lore is one of the most creative, highly speculated, and controversial narratives to come out of the KPOP industry since it's debut in 2018. Coming to life with the seemingly innocent, 'The Prologue' trailer, no one could have expected the dark turn their concept would take just a couple of years later.
In this series, weβll be deep diving into what we know (or, think we know) about NOVELLAβs alternate universe; this time starting with the foundation- the setting.
The boarding school theory is one of the most popular and accepted theories amongst Authors. In this theory, the story follows seven girls who all attend a relatively prestigious boarding school. The school itself is corrupt, with both teachers and students alike abusing the girls, or turning a blind eye to their troubles. In the end, their suffering ends in seven brutal suicides... or murders- a common theme behind all theories, but we'll talk about the specifics in a later episode.
The main supporting evidence for this theory can be found in NOVELLA's earlier music videos, which were mostly set in schools. However, in recent years, the girls have used less of the school girl theme in their content, leading some to abandon the theory.
The cult theory has gained more traction in recent years, due to many βcultishβ motifs appearing in the recent NOVELLA music videos. Believers of this theory argue that NOVELLA may have started in a boarding school, but were then conditioned to join a bloodthirsty cult. Instead of purely being victims like in the boarding school theory, the vellas are seen as victims-turned-villains, who have become leaders or key figures in this cult. As for the murder/suicide plot, it's seen as a symbol of the members' ascension or sacrificing the other cult members.
The most prominent examples of this theory include the βADDICTEDβ music video (which quite literally features a bloody altar surrounded by candles as its centrepiece) and the βOH MY GODβ MV (which can literally only be described as βlesbian sex cult.β)
The asylum theory is a bit different. Instead of choosing between the boarding school or the cult theory, fans believe that both may have happened sometime in the girls' past. However, now they are locked up in an asylum which could be harming the girls in some way. The suicides could be part of their own fantasies, or maybe their last moments before they were institutionalised. Another interpretation of this theory suggests that none of the twisted stories (pictured in music videos, diary entries, etc.) actually happened, but are instead being dreamt up or hallucinated by the characters.
The 'zombie' music video almost singlehandedly brought this theory to life, considering there was little imagery to suggest this beforehand. Still, the asylum theory is constantly gaining more and more support as time progresses.
The time loop theory is another widely accepted one, and is most often used in relation to the boarding school theory. Most fans agree that there is not supposed to be a linear storyline, but instead there is a supernatural force- like a time loop, lucid nightmares or other- causing them to relive their trauma, suicides and/or murders.
The clock has been a recurring motif in NOVELLAβs lore, whether it be written in metaphors, added in sets or used as a sound effect in their music. Additionally, dates (particularly, years) are often omitted or blurred in lore posts, making it impossible to piece together a timeline, and often causing things to overlap.
The catalyst behind the loop is still highly debated, with some saying one member could be (knowingly or not) in charge of the loop, and others suggesting it just restarts when all of them are dead. The only evidence that one person is cognitive between loop cycles are, of course, the diary entries.
The ghost theory is quite straightforward. In this, the girls have died long ago, and are instead haunting several places of interest which harmed them in some way, eventually leading to their deaths. This would explain the blurry timeline and is mostly just a by product of the horror concept.
-
Of course, there is a chance for all the theories to come into play somehow, considering the amount of overlap between them. SBE and NOVELLA have yet to explicitly talk about the lore in detail, so for now all we can do is speculate. But which theory do you believe in?
A/N: I was watching videos on the Red Velvet lore agesss ago and it gave me the idea to come up with some fan theories that may or may not be true.
Language(s): Japanese and English (Native), Korean (Proficient)
Face Claim: Nakamura Kazuha (LE SSERAFIM)
ββ Idol Information
Stage Name: Aina
Agencies: Storybook Entertainment (2016 - Present)
Training Period: 2 years and 6 months (Mar 2016 - Oct 2018)
Position(s): Main Dancer, Vocalist
Her emoji is a koala (π¨).
ββ Misc Information
She knows how to play piano and guitar.
She watches a lot of anime and reads manga.
She writes lyrics and produces songs for novella.
Her mum grew up in Ireland and went to university in America, so she only spoke English to her and her brother growing up.
In the beginning she had the βSub Vocalβ title, but she has recently been upgraded to just βVocalistβ.
ββ About Aina
From an early age, Aina was put in many extracurriculars, such as dance and piano lessons. Her parents believed this would give her an edge when applying to prestigious international universities, so, alongside rigorous studying, Aina's schedule was always packed with activities.
However, it was only a matter of time before she cracked. She was not like her brother, who sucked up the military school routine and is now doing tech-bro things in London or Silicon Valley or wherever. Aina has always been a creative at heart. From 11, she knew that she wanted to be an idol, at 12 she got her first guitar, and by 13 she was already producing music.
It was around that age when her parents began to worry about how much she enjoyed music, thinking it would distract her from her studies. They tried to withdraw her from her extracurriculars, but her grandfather convinced them it was important for kids to have hobbies. Throughout middle school, Aina would constantly have arguments with her parents over her grades, her 'obsession' with dance, and her future plans.
In 2016, Aina was scouted by MISSMUSE Entertainment while at her dance academy. This was the first time Aina had told her parents about her dream of becoming an idol, and obviously, her parents were having none of it. In the end, it was once again her grandfather who convinced them to let up. So, her parents signed the contract and shipped her off to Korea. However, they told her they would never support her music career and practically disowned her, denying all attempts of contact.
Aina doesnβt get much hate for anything, aside from the usual nit-picking. All her struggles are internal, the usual side effects of being disowned at 15 and having no real friends during her adolescent years. Fans annoyingly point out her lack of family every time she posts a pic at Nariβs place, but other than that Aina is coping just fine :)
Training Period: 2 years 5 months (May 2016 - Oct 2018) (2 months at SBE)
Position(s): Main Dancer, Lead Vocal
Her emoji is a kangaroo (π¦).
ββ Misc Information
She worked part-time while training (and in school).
Her family is very tight nit and her mum has 'adopted' the other girls.
She watches a lot of anime.
She plays video games alongside Aecha and Aina.
She's a huge busybody and will try new things on a whim.
The one member who is worryingly excited to do aegyo.
ββ About Nari
Nari does not remember much about her father, as he died shortly after the birth of her younger brother. So for her, a tight budget living on a single motherβs paycheck was always the norm. At first, she never blinked twice at the other kids who bullied her, but being the class loner get old quick, so in middle school, she overcompensated.
She was flashy and honestly a bit too much, the resident class clown who proudly proclaimed βIβm gonna be famous one dayβ and youβd laugh and say βno chanceβ. But behind the playful dramatics, Nari was working really hard to make that dream come true. Instead of studying like her brother- who is actually a nerd and got into SNU without breaking a sweat- Nari spent all of her time singing, dancing or working, despite her motherβs complaints.
In May 2016, Nari finally auditioned for an idol company and was accepted, but was soon transferred to a new company. She made it so close to debut, partaking in the company's pre-debut YouTube series and even being announced in the official line-up with a May 2018 debut date. However, the debut was delayed, and Nari was subsequently kicked out of the group. With little hope and a bruised ego, Nari joined SBE, not expecting to actually debut in two months, no matter what the CEO said.
Nari is sometimes dubbed as annoying, over the top, loud, etc etc, and many people speculate that her members donβt actually like her... but she is also the most shipped member so clearly fans canβt make up their minds. Plus, sheβs also the only one keeping the TikTok account alive so can we really hate her?
Language(s): Korean (Native), English (Good), Japanese (Good)
Face Claim: Han Eunji (EVERGLOW)
ββ Idol Information
Stage Name: Dambi
Agencies: Unknown (2016 - 2018), Storybook Entertainment (2018 - Present)
Training Period: 2 years, 4 months (July 2016 - Oct 2018) (4 months at SBE)
Position(s): Lead Dancer, Lead Rapper, Sub Vocal
Her emoji is a deer (π¦).
ββ Misc Information
She is a lyricist.
Aecha dragged her to the gym one day, and now they're gym buddies.
She likes to draw.
She has four (known) tattoos and she drew three of them.
She has had the nickname βBambiβ since childhood.
ββ About Dambi
Growing up, Dambi's home life was turbulent, and her parents definitely should've divorced much earlier than they did. To try and distract herself from said home life, Dambi was almost never home. Instead, she found hobbies to do and clubs to join, one of them being an independent dance group that she started taking herself to at around age 9. Eventually, dancing was no longer just an escape route, and it became a huge passion of hers, sparking an interest in the world of idols. Another hobby she developed at the time was writing, which initially started as just poems and short stories but, as she became more serious about becoming an idol, eventually turned into songs.
In July 2016, just almost out of high school and free from her mother, Dambi finally auditioned for an entertainment agency and made it in. Despite auditioning as a rapper, the company wanted to train her as a vocalist, so she took vocal classes for the 2 years she was there. However, in 2018, Dambi decided to leave the company as they had no plans to debut a girl group any time soon. From there, she joined SBE because they offered her a place in a new girl group that was set to debut in 4 months.
Dambi is the token quiet one of the group, which often results in hate on both sides- βwhy do they never include her in anything?β βbecause sheβs boringβ- but over the years her real humour and personality has gradually seeped through. Despite being dubbed the βboringβ member, there is no debate around Dambiβs all-rounder status, and solo fans really canβt wait for her to go solo.
Language(s): Korean (Native), English (Good), Japanese (Basic)
Face Claim: Jeong Jinsoul (ARTMS)
ββ Idol Information
Stage Name: Eunjeong
Agencies: Storybook Entertainment (2017 - Present)
Training Period: 1 year (Oct 2017 - Oct 2018)
Position(s): Main Rapper
Her emoji is a giraffe (π¦).
ββ Misc Information
She loves travelling/exploring.
She is a lyricist.
She has a very blunt personality (and a severe case of rbf).
Sheβs very touch averse.
ββ About Eunjeong
Eunjeongβs parents forced her to take piano classes from a young age. She didn't particularly enjoy them, but they did still manage to pique her interest in writing music. Her plans were never to become an idol (though she canβt deny that 2NE1 had a huge influence on her decision to pursue music), but some way or another she ended up auditioning for idol agencies after graduating high school.
Eunjeong was accepted by almost every company she auditioned for, including big names like YG. However, she accepted the offer from Storybook Entertainment simply because they told her she was guaranteed to debut within a year. Her parents never agreed with her chosen career path, but they also never wanted a daughter in the first place, so Eunjeong supposed she couldnβt be more of a disappointment than she already was. Now that she's making big money, they seem to have come around.
As an idol, Eunjeong is always under netizen fire for likely avoidable scandals. Typically starting with a poorly timed facial expression, or her responding to things that really don't need responding to. Nonetheless, Eunjeong is one of SBE's favourite children- and NOVELLA as a whole get away with a lot because they practically built the company up from ash- so she has yet to face more than a harsh scolding as a consequence of her actions. Someone, please humble her.
Language(s): Korean (Native), English (Basic), Japanese (Basic)
Face Claim: Kim Sihyeon (EVERGLOW)
ββ Idol Information
Stage Name: Haeun
Agencies: Storybook Entertainment (2017 - Present)
Training Period: 1 year 7 months (April 2017 - Oct 2018)
Position(s): Main Vocal
Her emoji is a wolf (πΊ).
ββ Misc Information
She is an only child.
Her parents own a restaurant.
Her family has one husky and a samoyed.
She was in choir during middle and high school (no she is not a Christian).
ββ About Haeun
Despite growing up in her parentβs restaurant and developing a love for cooking, becoming a singer has been Haeun's dream for as long as she can remember. Her parents were well aware of said dream and have consistently supported her throughout. However, Haeun only decided to become an idol at around 16 years old, which unfortunately meant she had to learn dance as well.
After graduating, Haeun immediately auditioned for several entertainment agencies without telling anyone as she was so afraid of rejection. Perhaps her fears were right because the only agency she heard back from was MISSMUSE Entertainment, a nugu company that only had one unsuccessful group. She was initially going to decline the offer, but Haeun decided to take a chance and just accept it.
As a trainee, Haeun lacked a lot of confidence. However, the other members often recall looking to her for vocal help (because SBE was broke as and could barely afford to keep the lights on). She's also very extroverted and is known to have helped bring the group closer together during their early days.
Since her debut, Haeun has been criticised for subpar dance performances compared to her members (plus TikTok βvocal coachesβ kept dragging her when that was a trend). Still, Haeun is made of rainbows and sunshine, so she actually has the fewest haters and the second most solo stans.
She reads a lot and often gives book recommendations on her Instagram.
She has many plants.
Initially, she had the βSub Vocalβ title, but recently, she was upgraded to just a βVocalistβ.
ββ About Sujin
As a child, Sujin was a top student; she got top grades throughout school and was admitted into Yonsei on her first try despite being 'bad at studying'. Unfortunately, Sujin couldnβt care less about getting a degree, and with all the freedom in the world suddenly at her fingertips, it made it easy for her to make someβ¦ questionable decisions. The most notable being her dropping out at 21 to become a trainee without telling her parents.
She began training under SBE in her second year of university after being scouted on the way to an early morning lecture, and- despite having no background in singing or dance- she started to realise that being an idol seemed heaps more interesting than being a corporate drone. In 2018, when their debut was in motion, Sujin dropped out of Yonsei and then told her parents.
Naturally, they did not take it lightly. Her parents practically abandoned her for about a year after that, and to this day their relationship is completely mended. Itβs almost like theyβre still hoping she'll return to education once her contract's up and at least use all that idol money for something good.
Since debuting in NOVELLA, Sujin has been made the honorary dozen of the group, with many anti-fans using her scouting story as a dig during internet debates (βYour fave only got in βcause of sheβs prettyβ- well, yes!). Despite her growth as an artist over the years, people still canβt seem to let that go. Unfortunately, all the focus on her looks- plus the constant emphasis that itβs the only thing sheβs good for- has led to her being almost obsessive over her appearance to the point where she often seems kinda 'vain'.
Language(s): Korean (Native), Japanese (Proficient), English (Good)
Face Claim: Choi Yujin (Kep1er)
ββ Idol Information
Stage Name: Aecha (μ μ°¨)
Agencies: Storybook Entertainment (2013 - Present)
Training Period: ~5 years (Nov 2013 - Oct 2018)
Position(s): Leader, Lead Vocal, Lead Dancer
Her emoji is a squirrel (πΏ).
ββ Misc Information
She's into all types of games (video games, board games, etc) because she grew up playing them with her siblings.
She is also very sporty and loves playing football (amongst other sports).
She goes to the gym the most out of all the members.
Her favourite K-pop group growing up was KARA.
She is also very interested in photography.
ββ About Aecha
Aecha's home life has had little impact on her future, so we'll just skip over it briefly. Her family was big and happy, but leaving during her formative years meant she felt little of the warm effects that come with a happy home. Instead, she's been left to deal with chronic inadequacy syndrome, a consequence of uncaring guardians, teachers and seniors telling her 'you're not good enough' in some repackaged manner at least 20 times a day.
At 15 years old, Aecha somehow convinced her father to drive her and her friends up to Seoul so they could audition at some of the biggest Korean entertainment agencies. Unfortunately, Aecha was only offered a place from an unproven agency- MISSMUSE Entertainment- who had only just opened and were pretty poor.
Nevertheless, one acceptance was better than none, so Aecha joined the company and moved to Seoul all on her own. She would then train at MME (which later rebranded to Storybook Entertainment) for 5 years, pushing through two unfruitful debut prospects and one near company closure before finally debuting in NOVELLA in 2018.
However, just because she debuted doesn't mean she's in the clear. Through her idol career, Aecha has suffered mainly with her self-image as the βunspectacularβ member in a group full of 'natural talent'. Fans think that her vocals and dancing are some of the most overlooked in the industry, but anti-fans believe that- aside from being the leader- her contributions to the group are negligible. Not quite a dozen, but never the most important person on the stage.
lore!yeomeo has been living in my mind rent free these days... #yeomo #novella #nvla
comments...
HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!!?!?!?!?
if lore!yeomeo has no fans i am dead
I LOVE TOXIC YURI !! [happy]
'then die', well-
gl name?
THEIR ACTING IS ππ
fine I'll rewatch all of the diary entries for the 15th time this week...
A/N: erm... so i made the edit before i searched how to do velocity thinking it was like an effect u just throw on top but then i tried to do it and it started messing up my clips so lollll i rlly thought this was gonna b fire but its actually kinda a$$ π
A/N: we are slowly coming back! this idea has been plaguing my mind for days and after i was woken up by a fire alarm at 6:30 (π) i just knew i had to execute. also idk how to lay this out so blughj
Constance Blackwood ("We have always lived in the castle")
#6, AroarA / I don't love anyone, Belle and Sebastian / "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents", Lindsay C. Gibson, / "We have always lived in the castle", illustrated by Thomas Ehretsmann for "Centipede press" / "The Fall of The House of Usher," Steven Berkoff / "Descending Figure," Louise GlΓΌck