kill with kindness

Lee Dong Yul. 29 y/o. manager of Iris. Atlas Record. #veilkrp.

[dongyulvld]

kinamvld‌:

A perplexed sort of look scrawled across the trainer’s face at the other’s words. It certainly hadn’t been his intention to come off as rude, but apparently the other man had taken it that way. Doing his best to control the odd contortions his face wish to display, the trainer nodded, shrugging in return.

“The company directory had your address down right but not your number. I kept getting a dial tone.” Which was the truth, although he was almost certain the manager wasn’t going to believe him. Perhaps he’d make up another strange excuse or otherwise cruel lie. He wasn’t sure if he’d caught the man at a bad time, or if he were always this… was ‘unpleasant’ the right word?

With his offer to help denied, the trainer took a seat at the table, doing his best not to disturb anything around him. His lips flickered back to a smile.

“Coffee is fine, thank you. Good to stay awake for the way home,” he replied jokingly, although almost instantly regretted it. Would that get turned around on him as well?

“I have my phone on all day and you couldn’t reach it? Huh, that’s weird.” His reasoning was too suspicious to be true, and Dongyul was not sure if he could trust the man further. Although it was not almost every day, he remembered saw the man in the agency building a couple of times, whether it was involving Dahye or not. He couldn’t call themselves best buddies nor Dongyul wanted them to be because mixing personal and professional business could be tricky and he had no time for that. Focusing on Dahye’s growth was his only goal for now. Despite the need to get along with all the crews involved in her upcoming album production, it seemed maintaining the gap between them had become clearer now.

“Why? Have you been working hard today?” he asked, talking over the shoulders while waiting for the water to boil. Dongyul reached for his phone and typed in messages to Dahye to inform about Kinam’s presence in his apartment and his kind deliver for her dancing progress. Although he was tempted to check on the video saved in the device, Dongyul held back himself and let it be a discussion between the two. He knew nothing and inherited none of the dancing ability anyways. It would only stress them out if he butted in any critiques, which Dongyul knew couldn’t be stopped once he opened his mouth. “I’ve told Dahye about it. I’ll make sure to give it to her when I see her tomorrow,’ he informed. Dongyul poured in the hot water into the french press set when it was ready, brewing the coffee that instantly spread the distinctive aroma into the air once he pressed the plunger. “Anyways, how’s the practice with Dahye going? I haven’t checked on her progress because I was busy with something else. I hope you two don’t have a hard time.”

[dongyulvld]

vlddahye‌:

But that was the thing, Iris was known for taking risks. And it had worked great for years, she wasn’t going to question the higher-ups’ decisions, but it had reached a point where she wanted to do more than just that. “I’m not saying that I won’t do this sexy concept anymore, because I know it works and I’m not here to drastically change my mage. I just think we can add more concepts to that, like a nice ballad and some collabs.” That would be a lie because she had written that song for someone else and the fans hadn’t been in her mind at all. But she saw the point of it, because it was just business after all, and they could use that as an argument. “Do you think it would work?”

The demo would definitely be better once she worked on it with someone who knew what they were doing, she had just simply played around the piano and hoped for the best. Dada knew she wasn’t that young anymore, that with so many girl groups around, she was lucky to stay relevant. But she also knew that he same concept over and over would get boring at some point, but if they included other things, then maybe they would stay. “I think my fans are loyal enough to at least give it a try. If they don’t like it, then I will never say anything else again. I just want to do it instead of wondering what could happen.”

Dahye truly believed that everyone she met was a good person, giving everyone a fair chance because life would be difficult and quite depressing if she did otherwise. Her not believing in what other said about her was her own issue, something she needed to work on, but that wasn’t something she wanted to discuss at the moment or ever really. This was about her song and she didn’t want to deal with anything else at the moment. “Should we reheat the chicken?” She didn’t wait for an answer, grabbing the plate and going to the kitchen area. “I have ice cream if you want dessert. I haven’t done any grocery shopping in a while, so that’s all I have.”

He shrugged at her reasoning. “I still have to take a precaution measurement. Who knows, you might change your mind later on. We don’t know what’s the end result of this idea either. Your fans might demand more of this or worse, they would absolutely hate it. We don’t want that to happen, don’t we?” After typing in everything he needed on his phone, Dongyul put the device back into his pocket. “Without any actual responses, it’s still a gamble to me. But, it’s still worth to try. Starting a change is the scariest, but after you go through it, it will be okay again.”

At this point, Dongyul had no other options but to let her try. Before her passion is dying, encouragement was the last thing he could give to her. Although it was hurtful to say that he did not fully believe the idea would work, Dongyul needed stability in his job and continued to mark a milestone for himself. He knew if it worked, the success of the album would look good in his resume. Everyone he had worked with at least had to hit a peak of success under his belt, it was the principle he had been holding for so long. He was so much like his parents on that note, Dongyul hated to admit. They had taught him well.

“Sure. Ice cream would be great,” he answered, gladly pleased by her kind offer. He stared at the empty plates on the table that might not be in use anymore and started to pile them up. Since he was not sure if he should be comfortable enough to walk around in her house, Dongyul quietly put them on one corner on the table. Sipping his drink, he looked around and waited for her to come back. 

[dongyulvld]

oksanavld‌:

“of course,” she retorts almost immediately and the words are not spoken with harshness, not necessarily, but there is a subtle hint of cold genuineness to them. “what else would i be doing? god didn’t really give me plenty of other talents  – or maybe he actually did, but i’m just too blind to see them. in fact, i’m quite glad i managed to find my passion? and is that the right word for it? i don’t know, but most people never find their one true calling,” she stares at him for quite some time only to end up focusing on her glass, half-listening to the words leaving his mouth. it’s not that she isn’t trying to be attentive, but the clash of thoughts only forces her to ponder deeply. “isn’t that the very definition of complaining? you do make a solid point, but is anything in life easy? if you say that you like it, then why do you let the hardships bring you down? i’ve always believed that if you truly love something, you must be willing to sacrifice a part of yourself for it.”  

“I don’t know. Maybe do something bigger, like working for different people? Move out of Seoul? Build your own boutique store? There are tons of possibilities for you,” he replied, offering to fill in their glasses. the bottle was almost half empty and Dongyul wondered if he should order another one as he was closer to reach his limit.

He pondered on her words and turned his perspective around to understand her point of view. Did he start to be a complainer now after working in the field for years? Is it possible for someone to have an absolute interest in their passion without stumbling once in a while? “just because I like doing something, does it mean I’m not allowed to nitpick on things that overwhelm me? but if that’s really how you really feel, then I’d salute you. if I could build software for myself, I would like to have an update on my perseverance. Please, and thank you.” Dongyul lifted up his shot glass and swallow the liquid in one go. He growled at the heat running through his throat.

[dongyulvld]

kinamvld‌:

Watching the other search for his phone, Kinam couldn’t help but allow an awkward smile to grace his lips.

“I’m not entirely sure I have your number either, honestly,” the dance trainer admitted, seeing as how it wasn’t frequently that the two men had interacted. Sure, he’d seen the soloist’s manager around the Atlas Records headquarters, but the time allotted for them to speak was certainly minimal. As the other man inferred he was perhaps trying to share inappropriate materials with the soloist, the trainer couldn’t help but feel his lips curl into a frown, brow furrowing. “What? Why would I — ? No, absolutely not. No. It’s just video from recent dance practices.”

The comment was off-putting, almost regretting offering to help as the other took him up on it. Reluctantly taking the grocery bag, Kinam followed the manager, slipping off his shoes before continuing inside. Glancing around the apartment, he rattled his brain for a generic compliment that didn’t sound too generic.

“Nice place you’ve got here,” Kinam commented, gaze finding Dongyul as he set the grocery bag down with the others. At the offer of food, he knew better than to deny such an offer. The last thing he needed right now was to appear rude. “That’s very kind of you, thank you. I’m happy to help prep anything or cook.”

Dongyul was stunned by his honesty. He could refer to the same degree of their relationship as mere co-workers who shared the same building for work. Although he tried to keep the conversation light by acting chummy, they didn’t seem to be in the same frequency. Dongyul scratched the idea of going further with any friendliness. “You don’t have my number but you know where I live? Well, I’m glad that you found the right address,” he grinned. 

“Eh, no need to. Just make yourself comfortable. The coffee will be ready in a minute. Do you drink it black? Or do you prefer something else?” Dongyul had to speak louder from the kitchen while he put away each item of the grocery to different cabinets and boxes. He boiled hot water on the stove and prepared two glasses.  

[dazzlingkai]

[dongyulvld]

Character Development (1)

some pieces of information about Dongyul that you might be missed

because I kept changing his FC in the past and less active, so I assumed people get too lazy to read his profile and history lol 

Dongyul doesn't have a good relationship with his parents. he has been losing contact with them ever since he moved to Seoul. Although he’s sure his father is living in the same area, he never looks him up because simply he doesn’t want to.

His parents were the strict kind of parents who put a perfect image at front. They didn’t care about how bad their neighbors gossiped about their arrogance, as long as they had a successful business back in the days. Their parenting method shaped Dongyul to be a stubborn person who doesn’t accept less than the best result, thus he’s known to be an ambitious person throughout his education years. 

When his parents decided to divorce when he was in college, Dongyul felt freedom for the first time. He moved out of the house and lived by himself in his college year. It was a rough time since he could only afford a tiny and wrecked apartment. He also slept from one couch to another, until he went on tour with a small indie band to work for them as a manager. 

His first experience working in the idol industry was the lowest point in his life since he realized how a dream could be poorly executed when there was low financial support. The poor work condition he experienced gave Dongyul the best experience at time-management just so the next artist he handles doesn’t have to worry about anything else but their creative work. He loves the challenge of his job, although he disagrees with some business ethics in the industry. 

Those who don't know him personally may see Dongyul as a strict, cold person who is hard to approach--which is a precise impression. He doesn’t get attached to strangers easily, but once he spends more time with them, he will slowly show his gentle side and trust them. Once he trusts someone, he will give his best self to them and expect to receive the same in return.

The last time he was in love with someone was 2-3 years ago when he had to cancel their engagement because his former fiance expected him to change. It was a topic he didn’t understand because Dongyul believed there’s nothing about him that needed to be changed. 

He can be argumentative against someone who is as stubborn as him. He never wants to lose in an argument until the other person understands his point of view. He can go all night having a debate with someone until they meet an agreement.

when he was in school, he was a taekwondo athlete until he had to retire from the club because of permanent damage on his knee and head. The constant kicking ruined his nerves and joints that his kneecap becomes weak and he will experience ringing ear when he gets too tired. 

He enjoys cooking and likes to cook for people. His favorite menu to cook is bulgogi, short ribs, and soybean paste soup. He also likes oil pasta. 

Things that could overwhelm him is a sudden change. He enjoys living a stable life. Any kind of distraction and trouble out of the blue can stress him out. 

[dongyulvld]

vlddahye‌:

She wasn’t trying to produce a song, she didn’t even know how. All she had done was to write it and she wanted to record it, to promote it as Iris, that was really all she wanted. But Dahye understood what he was coming from, and decided just to accept it for now. They were talking in circles at this point and she didn’t want neither of them to get mad at each other, that wasn’t her intention. She accepted that her mood hadn’t been the best lately, that she was snapping at the tiniest things because she didn’t know how to deal with everything she was feeling, so perhaps it wasn’t the right moment to continue.

That song meant a lot to her, it wasn’t just a try or something as simple. She truly loved it and wanted to share it with her fans, because it wasn’t just about her getting some control over her image, but about her writing something from her heart and waiting her fans, those who had been incredibly sweet and supportive, to enjoy it. “Thank you, hyung. I appreciate that you’re willing to help me. I will do my best to make you proud.”

Wasn’t that the problem? Dada toyed with the bottle in her hands in an anxious manner. “I don’t believe over half the compliments I get.” She always thought they were just being nice or they wanted something, and she only accepted them when it came from people she trusted. She hadn’t expected his words to hit her in the way she had, touched by the concern, touched by the fact he said that he liked her for who she was, as that was everything she had ever wanted. But love? That was something quite messy. She had loved and still loved the same person she had for the past ten years, and it was ridiculous to accept that she had been in love with the same person for over a decade and it was still a mess. “It’s not that easy. It has never been easy and I doubt it will ever be. It’s fine, I’ve learned to accept that somethings are just not meant to be.”

“Once again, I have to remind you that it may not be easy. Not everyone is up to a sudden change, especially when they’re getting too comfortable with what’s going on. Even business-wise, some people might prefer to be stable than taking a risky measure. I know it’s not something you should be concern about, but I want you to understand that it could be the biggest factor this new idea may be delayed. It’s possible, but it will take time. Even though you’re one of the tops in the agency. Even though there is sentimental reasoning behind your creation,” the long explanation made Dongyul stopped himself. “...Wait...maybe we could work on that aspect. Making something dedicated to your fans. I think it’s about time for you to do that. Have you mentioned that before?”

He let out a stylus and scribbled some notes on his phone. “If I look at your fans’ demographic correctly, they’re protective of you. Any sudden change might be challenging, but if the demo is made better, they might actually like it.” Dongyul looked up and paused from thinking with himself. He gave her a look, a doubtful one rather, because the fandom culture was not a topic he could easily grasp of. “Do you think your fans will like no matter what kind of music you put out there?” he asked, feeling unbothered to tone down his words.

Dongyul was surprised by her response to receiving compliments. “Why? Because half of them were insincere? Well,” he sighed. “That’s how people are. There are bad and good people, but I believe it’s easier to assume that everybody you meet is a good person. That will make it easier for you to go with life. Even if in the end it’s proven that they’re not as who you think they are, they are still the loser because you’ve been nothing but good to them. Well, I’m not an advocate for it myself. I’ve done caring and fighting about what others think of me. I just have to prove to them that they’re wrong to shut them up. And I’m sure you’ll be good at it.” 

[sungminvld-deactivated20200517]

★ open  ★

Sungmin let out the breath he didn’t even know he was holding in. You can do this, he thought, it’s nothing you haven’t done before. Rather, he hadn’t done it in a while with a proper set up and everything, microphone and all. He double checked his amp and guitar settings and triple checked that his guitar was tuned before playing the first few notes — perfect. He took another deep breath.

Busking wasn’t something he did often, even before he signed with Atlas Records. It used to make him nervous, plain and simple. It was different from performing on stage, where there’s an obvious barrier between him and the audience — it was personal. That was the thrill, he figured, and he was feeling especially daring that evening.  

The sun was beginning to set, bathing everything in a nostalgic orange hue. He could feel people’s eyes boring into him as he finished the last of his set up checklist, waiting in anticipation for what he was going to perform. The spot he’d set up at was usually occupied by a dance crew, but they seemed to be absent that evening, allowing Sungmin a decent spot to perform. He was sure he wasn’t as exciting as they were, but he was sure to give his small audience a show. 

Sungmin pulled down his mask, not fully, of course, but enough for him to sing without being hindered. Flashing his audience a smile as he tucked away a stray lock of hair, he thanked them for coming before beginning to play, not even bothering to name the song he was covering. 

His fingers began on the first fret of the low E string, playing the long introduction before —

Have you got color in your cheeks?

His English pronunciation had gotten better. He was proud.

D’you ever get that feel that you can’t shift the tides, that sticks around…like something’s in your teeth?

A little slow, kind of rough, but he’d always have issues with that particular lyric. That was nothing new. 

Are there some aces up your slee-ee-eve?

His voice sounded even, steady — even a little lower than intended, but his heart was beating a million miles an hour as he proceeded with the rest of the song. He chose to ignore the phone cameras pointed his way, opting to focus on his finger placement instead. The song itself was easy, something he could play in his sleep, but his nerves were getting to him. 

The moment he finished, he was met with applause. A smile crept its way to his lips as he gave a little bow to the audience, only now noticing that he’d been watched by a familiar face, right in front no less. Ah, shit, he thought. It was bound to happen, he was playing in public after all. 

[dongyulvld]

Walking down the indie side of Seoul was Dongyul’s favorite thing to do during his free time. There was always a new exciting thing on one side of the road like coffee shops and stores he had never seen before. The facade evolved rather quickly in three months, and the music blasting from each store as prevalence that had not ceased. 

His mouth was bitter after relaxing in the separated smoking booth, receiving disgust looks from a passerby who saw him through the translucent walls. People had different ways to cope with stress. Some would spend their money to buy their possession, some would spend it on other people. Dongyul just needed a little smoke. Many had told him to cut it down, which he voluntarily agreed to do, but it was an arduous task to let go of it altogether. It was a toxic relationship; but not the only one he had ever experienced. 

Dongyul thought dinner would be nice. The day had slowly turned off and the sky had revealed its darker tinge as a contrast against the orange clouds on the other side. He needed a shelter to warm himself and sweet taste to entertain his mouth. The unknown stores on both sides of the alley lured him to go in, but Dongyul had his own favorite place to go to. It seemed it was perfect timing to fill a table there. He sped up to the end of the alley which opened to the bigger space where more people were walking around toward different roads and districts. 

it was rather crowded on one spot, still too far from his sight. The further he walked towards it, the louder the sound to his ears. Someone was busking on the side of the road, a view he had not seen in a few years. The song they were playing was a familiar melody. He couldn’t pick the exact song in his mind, but it still felt nostalgic and reminded him of the time when he became a crew of a band when Dongyul was younger. 

His stomach can wait, he thought. 

Walking through the crowd, he slipped through some people to occupy a spot at the front row. As he got a clearer view of the performer, Dongyul was pleased by their young look. It was a young man with a distinct voice, a nervous build but a solid play of the guitar. Without himself knowing, Dongyul already nodded along to the beat, even though the song was not too familiar to him.  

The longer he spent the time as a bystander, Dongyul began to pick up a knowledge of the young man’s face. He was sure he had seen him somewhere. His voice was the key that brought him further to the memory in the company studio room, where Dongyul recalled the young man’s performance with the band he was trained with. He might have seen him around the hallways and the cafeteria. Dongyul was not sure if he remembered his name well, but the voice was impossible to forget.

When the young man was done performing, Dongyul gave his biggest applause as the final appreciation. They locked eyes, Dongyul held up a hand to say hi. 

[dongyulvld]

vlddahye‌:

“Are you even listening to yourself, hyung? I never said I was Choi Kiwoong sunbaenim or that I have more power than the higher-ups. And yes, I am a worker, we all are, but that doesn’t mean I have to sit and allow everyone to decide over my career when I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself.” Dada didn’t think she was better than anyone else, but she knew her worth. She was Iris, the first soloist Choi Kiwoong had debuted under his management and that meant something. That had to mean something. “I’m not a child, I know that.” She wasn’t expecting anyone to do what she wanted, this wasn’t about that. And she didn’t appreciate being talked to like this.

She would, of course, the next day. Seungyong had the worst schedule ever, she never texted him too early or too late, in case he was finally getting some rest. She usually did in the middle of the day, and she would do that. That was news to her. He had made it very clear that she was just his job and nothing else, so him telling her about a promise was surprising, but it also made her soften a little. She didn’t want to fight, she definitely didn’t want to have issues with him, and she simply wanted to do more than she had been doing for a while. And it didn’t mean she didn’t like what she did, because Iris was part of her and always would be, she just wanted to explore different concepts while she still could.

“You promised?” Dada sighed. “Don’t laugh at me.” She was trying her best here and him smirking at her only made her pout a little. It wasn’t like she wanted to get her way, because Dahye rarely got what she wanted, it was just part of her life. No matter how much she wanted something, how much she tried to fight for it, it never happened. Perhaps, after everything that had been happening to her in her personal life, she just wanted to have a bit of control over her professional one. There were times she felt like she couldn’t breathe because everting was a mess and she needed some peace, some control, something she could do to keep going.

“Believe me, hyung. You don’t want to be jealous of me.” She was a walking disaster, a mess with legs, and there were times not even Dahye herself could deal with all the insanity. “I think you’re doing pretty well. Most managers just ignored what I said and wanted, did the job and left. You’re here, having dinner with me, and I know it’s not the easiest conversation, but you’re here. I think you’re doing better than I am.”

“If you’re really capable of doing it yourself, then you should be independent by now. But that’s not how things work, right?” Dongyul really hated throwing the reality of how the company worked to her. He was not capable enough to handle her stubbornness, yet his defense was only giving harsh words to be in control. “I’m sorry...out of all people, you probably don’t want to hear such a thing from me. Although I haven’t worked in this field for too long, I understand the frustration. I read through all the contracts as well and...I don’t have the authority to make big changes. It all comes back to your pure talent and passion to have the higher-ups acknowledge your capability. I’m only a middle man, I have to think of both sides.

But, you know, if you’re confident that you can do it, then do it. Make the change. Change their mind about you. Prove them wrong. Outdo them. I’m counting on you to deliver the best song you could ever produce. If we fail, then let’s try again until we succeed. I don’t take less than being #1. I was raised to be always a winner, so this is a challenge for me as well.” 

Dongyul took a sip of his drink, calming himself down from the winding arguments. If he could be honest with her, he would like to tell her how unsure he was with the new pursuit of her future career. Even if he brought the topic to the table, the absolute answer that would be given to him was a big no. They would turn down any new refreshing idea of her because they believed it wouldn’t work. Thinking about how the new week would be a nightmare to handle was enough to kill his appetite. 

“You should give yourself more credit, Dahye-ya. Take some compliments and suck it up,” he chuckled, filling up their glasses with the remaining drinks for their dinner. “I know you know yourself better than anyone else, but I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who are willing to see pass through the flaws you think you have, and like you for who you are. And I think that’s how you should love people--’you’, as in all of us in general. If you don’t let yourself be vulnerable like that, you’re gonna miss the chance of being loved by the right person. I learned it the hard way, though.

[dongyulvld]

plot page is added!

if anyone is interested, you can check the link here. 

you can also contact me on discord: wongbabo#8864

[dongyulvld]

happy Ramadhan to all Muslims friends, in case there are some of you out there. 

[fyji-soo]

[dongyulvld]

vlddahye‌:

“And why is that? I’m a senior in this industry, I have a big fandom and the media always talks about me. I wrote a song and I want to promote, which is a great look for Atlas Records, if I’m being honest. I’m not just any artist, Dongyul-hyung. I’m Iris, I’ve been here for the longest time, don’t confuse me with a rookie.” He had been working with her less than a year, he hadn’t witnessed all the sweat, blood and tears she had poured into her career to get where she was. “The higher-ups will not like this? That’s too bad. Because I’m my own person, I’m twenty-seven years old, I think it’s about time I have more control over my own life and my career, don’t you think?” She wasn’t mad at him, she wasn’t trying to be difficult because she was grateful for everything he had done for her. But it had reached a point where she only could either let them control her or take control herself.

A loud sigh left her lips as she paused for a moment, realizing that Anju has run to her side and was trying to get her attention, like he wanted to comfort her because she was upset. “I can do that. I know someone who can help me, he already offered it.” And she hadn’t accepted Seungyong’s help that time because she knew he was busy with Particle, but she would give him a call. “I have someone in mind, but I haven’t really told him anything yet. I will as soon as I see him again. It’s an Atlas Records artist, so it wouldn’t be that hard to make it happen.”

She reached for her glass of water and took a sip to calm down a little. She hadn’t meant to snap like that, but she had been working really hard on this and all she wanted was the chance to prove herself. “I appreciate this, Dongyul-hyung. You’re the best manager I’ve had in a long time, and I don’t want to lose you or everything we have worked for. But I just want to explore other concepts. And if I can do that, then I can continue doing what the higher-ups want me to as well. I can show you the duality that Iris can possess.”

“Just because you’re the senior doesn’t make you own the company. You’re not the CEO, Dahye-ya. You’re just a worker there, just like me,” he retorted, maybe far too candid for her liking. “This company is not a kindergarten where the teacher will kiss your booboo and let you get what you want when you throw a temper tantrum. If that’s exactly what happened, Atlas would go bankrupt a long time ago. I may have not handled your work for too long, but believe me when I say that things will not go as easy as you expect it to be.”

The moment he was hired by the agency to handle her upcoming plans, Dongyul was pressured and prompted that her sensual image should be the priority against whatever concept that was offered on the table. It was convincing, it was slowly working in the public eyes even though the company had to swallow the bitter feedback from her haters. There was a market for her and nobody could outdo her stage presence yet, as far as Dongyul spent his time studying her career history. Initially, he thought the whole idea of her carrying the seductive image was under her consent. But apparently, it stressed Dahye out more than anything.

Everybody got tired of something, even when it was started okay in the beginning. And there would be a point in one’s life where they wanted to change everything. One thing Dongyul had learned that the change could slip off of his hand if he kept turning a blind eye on the obvious signs. if he recalled, this could be not only the chance he was waiting for but also a chance she had been longing for. He could give her empty promises at that moment and tossed her idea away and told her that the higher-ups insisted on rejecting her ideas. That could happen if he didn’t witness her injury with his own eyes. 

Dongyul rubbed his face, losing his appetite to finish their dinner. He could picture the turbulence that was coming. “Okay. Make sure you contact that person, as soon as possible,” he said, kneading his throbbing head. “I’ve made a promise to myself that I will help you no matter what, so rest assured that I will make it work for you. Somehow.” 

He smirked, amused by her determination to be herself. It was endearing to watch someone else getting excited when they talked about what they’re passionate about, Dongyul noticed. He used to be one of them, but it had been a long time since he had a dream. The more he spent time with her, the more he started to realize the wall he built to protect himself began to shatter. It was started with a small hole where the light penetrated in and warmed him up. Maybe, just maybe, if he fought for it, Dongyul could find himself once again. 

“I’m so jealous of you, Dahye-ya,” he muttered, stretching his arms out. ‘You know what you like and you like what you do. Meanwhile, I still need time to figure myself out. But that’s okay. In the meantime, I’ll help you instead.”

[dongyulvld]

vlddahye‌:

“Do you want to?” For the first time in a very long time, Dahye was completely confident that she had done something right. Instead of sitting around to cry, she had poured all her feelings into a song that expressed the way she felt. Writing it had been quite an experience for many reasons, especially for the particular someone she had in mind while she did, but that wasn’t something she wanted to dwell on because it meant nothing and she refused to give it another thought. “I know that, hyung. But I want to at least try. And, well, if Atlas doesn’t want it, then I’ll record it on my own.” Perhaps she wouldn’t release it, but it was something she really wanted to do.

“Okay,” she agreed, reaching for her phone. The song had been recorded on her phone with her playing piano very shittily, and it had somehow turned out alright. It could be better, and she had done the vocals and the rap, but she would love to have someone else taking over the rap lines. Once she found it, she pressed play and her singing voice filled the dining room space. As anxious as she was, she wanted to look away. Instead, she decided to be brave for once and look at her manager for any reaction.

Dongyul shrugged, shifted himself away from the table to give himself a space to concentrate on what was about to come. Arms folded and eyes closed, he gave himself to the melody that was roughly played from the self-recording method. The beginning didn’t deliver clearly as what he expected, but Dongyul erased the thought by compromising that she already made an effort. 

But the further he listened to the song, the deeper the frown on his face. Dongyul opened his mouth but no words came out. He gritted his teeth, keeping his comments until the very last beat of the draft song. 

When the room turned silent, Dongyul opened his eyes and threw her a serious look. “I’m just gonna be honest with you, okay? The higher-ups will not like this,” he firmly claimed. “This is...not the concept that we’re planning for you--and I know that you’re not liking what we’ve done.” Dongyul quickly added before Dahye could defend herself. “But it somehow what was worked for your...image. I know you want to try something different and do something that you like. This is not really what I expected. But it still has the potential. Just because this doesn’t fit the image that has been planned for you doesn’t mean it’s a bad song. So, I’d applaud you for working on this.” Dongyul let out a long sigh. It seemed it was going to be a long work for him. He knew if she didn’t try something, Dahye might have to do another concept she didn’t like for the rest of her career. 

the eye-opening incident was the only factor for Dongyul to finally be on her side. If he didn’t help her now, there would be no other chances. The thought had been spinning in his mind for a while and now it was openly served in front of him. He reached for the phone in his pocket and noted down few points as a reminder for him to do. 

 “Okay, I’ll arrange things for you,” he finally added. ‘Give me two weeks to talk to the higher-ups. While I’m working on it, it would be really helpful If you recorded a better version of this. Make an official guide record. Also, for the rap part, do you have anyone in mind? If not, then it’s another homework for me to do.”

[dongyulvld]

vlddahye‌:

She felt Anju walking under the table, making his way into the kitchen and the soft gulping noise made her know he had been looking for his bowl of water. It was too quiet even if the TV was on the background, some drama she hadn’t been paying much attention to playing some romantic song now that the leads were having a moment. She reached for her bottle of water, not really knowing what to do with herself at the moment.

“I do. It’s not quite, I just played around with the piano, and it’s not that good because I’m not a compositor. I wrote the lyrics and I want to record it, and I want Atlas to find a good compositor for it because I obvious can do that. The thing is that I think it would be great for a future comeback, and I know it’s different than everything I have ever done, but I think that if we explore other concepts, my fans will like it.” She stopped, gasping for air as she had talked a lot without a pause. “Hyung, look I know I should have told you before but the lyrics came to mind and I wrote it and now there it is. I just… I want something different.“

Sooner or later, Dongyul knew that the topic would come up in their conversation. He was not there for Dahye from the very beginning of her career, and only up until recently that he learned that forcing an image to someone else only did nothing but damage to the entire team. At least, it was damaging to Dongyul. Even when he tried to turn a blind eye on it, the accident would crawl back up and haunt him, as a quick reminder that anyone’s bad decision could put someone else in danger. 

And he never wanted to take that risk anymore. 

Dongyul put down his chopsticks. “Can I listen to it?” he requested. “Also, just a heads up, if any songs you’ve made are different from what we had worked on before, there might be a chance that your request is rejected by the high-ups. I want you to keep that in mind. The final decision is not mine to decide.” Dongyul kept his voice stern, to make sure Dahye took it seriously. “But that doesn’t mean that I won’t fight for your creative freedom. It’s just...there are a lot of factors to consider to make it work. Okay?”

[dongyulvld]

misunvld‌:

     she glanced down at the tteokbokki and kimbap she had been slowly eating on for the past five or ten minutes. how long had she actually been there? misun shoveled another bite into her mouth and thought about his question as she chewed. “i wouldn’t say forever, but when i think about it i don’t see myself doing anything else,” she replied, taking a sip from her own drink. the job truthfully needed more experience than she had upon starting, but she learned quickly and was able to improve on the areas she lacked in. “it is a lot to handle sometimes and i can only imagine how the trainees and idols feel. i’ve learned a lot these past two years and i’m grateful for my experiences — i guess you can’t have the good without the bad.” misun added, poking around her bowl and deciding if she needed to eat anymore of it. “i only see a portion of what’s going on, being in charge of one person’s day to day looks and all, but i’m sure you see the full extent being a manager, huh?”

Dongyul spun the empty shot glass within his fingers while listening to her words, taking in her experience and visualizing it as his own. “in ten years, you still want to do this? have you ever thought to expand your career somewhere else?” he questioned, filling up his glass and offered to do the same to hers.”I don’t know where I will be in ten years but at some point, I feel like I have to move somewhere else. Doing something else. Maybe go see the world, or building my own business, I don’t know yet...”

“I’m not the most gifted person when it comes to fashion, and I’m only interested in the basics. But as you said, I think I’ve started to appreciate people who work behind the scene the more I’m given the responsibility to handle everything,” he nodded, passing the plate still filled up with food for them to share together. “To make sure things happen in the right place and time. Not just for my job but everyone who’s involved. I used to not care about everyone around me, but an accident taught me a lesson and...I’ve started to view things differently now.”

[dongyulvld]

vldnavi‌:

“Forever?” Nayeon repeated, followed by a long silence. She sipped absently at her drink as she thought about the question. Realistically, they were both running out of time. It was rare for an idol to keep their spark as they aged, and she couldn’t see it being easy to deal with an idol’s hectic schedule as a manager, either, as years progressed. Bodies and spirits were sure to grow equally tired. She didn’t think either of them were in a job that was set for life. But it was bittersweet to think about, so when she finally decided so answer, she preceeded her words with a shrug.

“Depends on what forever means to you.” It wasn’t a forward answer, nor was it a very good one. But it was better than a lot of the things she could’ve said instead. “No matter what the future brings, we can’t erase time. I’ll always be able to say that I was an idol at twenty-five years old, you’ll always be able to say that you were a manager at twenty-nine years old. No one can take either of those things away from us, you know.”

Dongyul let out a soft hum, pondering on her words for a while. What does forever mean to him? If he measured the time as a linear line, he would never know where and what the ending was. But if he counted to 20 years, it was still a long winding time to pursue. He took another shot and let out a groan as the heat burnt his throat. 

“So you’re saying that I should appreciate what I have now rather than worrying about the future? Puffing out my chest as The Dongyul Manager until I’m worn out? You’re just fine being an idol for a long long time? Don’t you ever feel jealous of people who know what they want from the start and persist in pursuing their biggest dream? Ten years from now, people at your age will do anything for the sake of the money They do it to survive. I’m afraid that I will be those kinds of people. Things that I’ve learned this day...there’s more than surviving. And I still don’t know what I want.”