A week of auditions and meetings and Joonkiâs schedule for the week is-
One show.Â
One.Â
And so when he arrived at the filming site for the show, he was a little...grouchy. He was getting a âlittleâ touchy as he got closer and closer to paying off his fees, something itching underneath his skin and urging him forward, keeping him sharp on on his toes and preventing him from really relaxing or even getting proper rest.Â
So really, it wasnât that he hated Chae Soon or that he had anything personal against him (okay maybe he did have something against Polaris but heâd managed to stay perfectly cordial and ignore him for the most part when they briefly cross paths), but-
He was already in a bad mood, so a nice, pleasant, good first impression??
Forget it.
His voice was flat and lacked enthusiasm as he casually gave a look over the younger male. âSoon..was it?â Wasnât he some rebel or something-?? âWhat do you go by?? Teddy bear or something?â
âEnchantress? And who are you enchanting?â He snorts, taking a sip of his glass of water. (He would not be drinking tonight, oh no- not at something company related, not here.)Â Â
â...who is-â He raises a brow as she wipes at his cheek, poking his tongue against the wall of his mouth to trace the trail she left. âI donât contour at all, you need to enchant some glasses.â Thankfully, the guy idol makeup stuck to the usual eyes and basic face coverage rather than all the blush and lip tint some other idols had to suffer. (Ignoring the dark days of the past.)Â
âWhen do I ever really have places to go?â He drawls out, shrugging. âWhatever the other members go off and do, itâs none of my business.â He had the vague inkling as to what the others where doing, but he really, really didnât want to think about it.Â
âAnd what of you? Donât you have somewhere to be?â She wasnât as antisocial as him afterall.
âAnd what are you supposed to be?â Soora asked as she drew closer, getting his attention as a mischievous glint took place in her eyes, âCause Iâm guessing an idiot, idiot, or an even bigger idiot,â she teased, leaning against the wall opposite from him.Â
The party was great.
Free food.
Oh, he hated everything else about it- being forced to come out here and show face, sitting bored out of his mind as other people prattled on about things he didnât care about, people getting drunk and acting stupidly-Â
but the food was good.Â
âHm?â He looked up, raising a brow. âMe? Of course- Iâm royalty.â His smile was smug as he adjusted the crown on his head, the big giveaway. âOfficially- Iâm the Pauper pretending to be the Prince.â his lips twisted into a wry grin, the irony of it all amusing. âAnd what are you?â he squinted at the accessories draped on her, gleaming in the lights and catching his eyes. âA mannequin for a jewelry store??â Â
âHow was it?â she decided to ask out loud, a question that hopefully summed up all she was wondering about, and she glanced at Joonki who hadnât replied yet, still silent and supposedly lost in thought.Â
He tossed off his shoes and shuffled in, rubbing his eyes. The smell of food made his stomach rumble, waking up his sleeping hunger and he sighed, pushing away the haze of sleep the best he could.Â
âYa think.â His voice was flat, an eyebrow raised, his dark bags and sleep fluffed hair an answer enough.
He was exhausted- tired of the week and tired of the entire thing.Â
Leaning over, he peered at the pot of ramen and snorted, resting his head on her shoulder as a small grin grew on his face. âNoodles. Of course.â He goes to grab a bowl, rifling through the draws for some utensils. He only answers her question when he got himself his portion of food and slurped down some noodles.
âAuditions sucked. As always.â He grimaced thinking about them. He probably wouldnât get a lot of the roles, but of course he had to try try try. He had been antsy and increasing tired as the week went on, and when he swirled some noodles around his chopsticks marks peeked up from his oversized sleeves, crescents where his nails dug into the tattooed skin of his wrist.Â
âAs expected though.â He shrugged and continued to inhale the food.
Joonki was starving, his week of unsuccessful auditions grating on his nerves and wearing his body thin. He snuck in a few bites of the occasional donut or cookie in the waiting room or at the meetings, but he was sick of sugary sweet goods, sick of the instant food and the vague feeling that he was ruining his body at every bite.Â
It costs money to go out, it costs money to get ingredients, and Joonki grit his teeth and-Â
He wanted a meal for once dammit, was that too much to ask?
Wait.Â
Wait it wasnât too much to ask, was it?
[Outgoing â Chef B]Â
â ) Yah, are you busy?
â ) Iâm hungry.Â
â ) Expect me in 10.Â
@fmeunbyul 2016 End of the Year Awards, Starter!Â
Ah, how irritating.Â
He watched silently as other groups get on stage, performing and winning awards- he watched as runner-ups were announced, Halyconâs name not even mentioned.Â
Irritating.
His suit was tight, the âaudienceâ seats dark, the lights from the stage flashing and giving brief glimpses of dark eyes and a deceptively relaxed form. His arm casually slung around a group member, legs crossed as he tapped his foot to whatever insipid pop tune was playing- he mouthed along, aware of the cameras on him, no doubt recording his reaction.Â
Irritating.
The Sirens came back from a performance, seating next to them- and there was a moment, a mere few seconds where Joonki glanced over-Â
A soft sweet smile, the fluttering of lashes, a coyness that remained clear even in the dark of the venue. (If it was brighter, would he see a flush of pink?)
Irritating. Irritating. Irritating.
The realization was sudden, and the knowledge curled and something dark in him bared itâs teeth.Â
Before he knew it, Joonki had pulled out the pillow behind him, reaching over to toss it into Eunbyulâs lap. Over the music, he says loud enough for her to hear, but not enough for the others-
âJust a little cover. Donât want to be...indecent now do you princess?â His smile was something sharp, his tone a contrasting sweet croon.Â
Joonkiâs gigs had all started to wind to a close and he needed more jobs- so that meant going around and attending any audition he could until he filled his schedule again.
The grind never stopped.
But damn he hated auditions. The wait between casting and the uncertainty of it all, the stupid questions and the burn of the judges stares. While he had confidence bagging in lead roles for musicals, (he had a good face and a great voice) getting acting jobs always seemed to be more of a âby chanceâ kind of thing for him, and it all seemed like a giant waste time.Â
But he wanted that drama money so...
He was splayed out in a chair, leg bouncing impatiently for the other people to finish. He kept moving because if he didnât he would probably fall asleep. The sample script was boring enough as it was, but he was tired and the long waits werenât helping. (He was hungry too, but he was always hungry so that didnât really matter.)Â
Joonki only jerked awake fully at the sight of an awfully familiar face and he sat up, squinting at her.Â
A part of her was burning with questions, how he had been, how the auditions went, how he felt, where had he been, and what he had seen, but there was an unsaid rule when it came to their midnight meetings and these soft encounters which brought peace to Sooraâs world. In the air of comfort and serenity, stresses were meant to fade, and she held her questions back to succumb sincerely into this, and into him.Â
The slight touch of her hand had him reaching out, something in him relaxing- a knot of tension and anxiety and everything he had been pushing to the side easing up as his eyes flutter closed for a moment, head dipping down as he felt the warmth of her body pressed against his.Â
Ah. He didnât realize how much he had missed her until she was back with him, slotted like a puzzle piece back in itâs correct place. (No, that was a lie, he had missed her all week-)
A small part of him, the part of him that was prideful and bitter and stood too tall with a back too straight for a burden so heavy- a small part of him hated how easily he eased up with her, how he melted in her arms, how dependent heâs become on these meetings.Â
He hated feeling weak.Â
...Oh who was he kidding, he was almost all pride and bitterness- but somehow he had eased up enough over the years to reach out, to allow himself some comfort and to offer comfort in turn and he found no actual regrets in it. And so he could admit it- a quiet âI missed you tooâ and a small smile, the slight curling at the ends of his lips as he enjoyed the comforting silence after. He almost drifted off right then and there, yawning once before pulling away for a pointed look to the door they had abandoned.Â
At this point, even the small bits of annoyance had left Ryungâs system and now he stared watching in pure boredom as Joonki ate like a caveman, probably not even paying attention to a word Ryung had said.
Who was Joonki if he wanât being an ass to his beloved best friend?Â
Joonki was ignoring Ryung-Â
Per usual.Â
Teeth sinking into his burger, humming as the taste hit his tongue and he fed his starving stomach, he tuned out for a moment to chow down- only dropping the prize to snatch a bundle of fries after Ryung stole one.
Elegance? Heâd leave that to his leader. Joonki didnât care for appearance, especially in the comfort of a familiar face.
â...Are you done yet? Calmed down?...Well. I didnât know you were so needy.â He pointed a fry at him, absentmindedly licking the sauce from his lips and fingers, not wanting to waste a drop. â Maybe you canât relate, but Itâs been a god damn year since the last Halycon comeback and Iâm not just gonna sit around.â He ate the fry in his hand, leaning back to take a break from his inhalation of food and drink his soda.Â
Joonki hadnât just been neglecting his friend but also himself in the rush to finish his debt- only socializing when he had bumped into people by chance between schedules. When he came back the first thing he did was- well. He was too sleep deprived to type out any excuses, instead falling into the familiar embrace of a good rest at midnight.Â
And then he called Ryung. Starving and a little lost at what to do in the wait.Â
âYou know I donât bother with excuses.â He chewed at the end of his straw. âBut Iâll give you a heads up next time, you baby.âÂ
Something empty inside of him, gaping and gnawing away at him, something burrowing itâs teeth inside an sinking in itâs claws. It hit the worst as a trainee. When he had just debuted, when he was just a nobody watching older, more experienced groups snatch up awards and stand in the spotlight.Â
Grinding his teeth together, nails leaving indents on the palms of his hands. The hunger of his body paled in comparison to his starving bank account, and he bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile as he dragged himself upwards and grabbed at any opportunity he could, wanting more, wanting to reach the top- regardless of the people he left behind as he pulled himself up higher and higher, wanting to glut himself on the wealth of attention and feed off fame.Â
Hungry? He was ravenous.
But it was different now.Â
He fed the monster of his debt for 10 years, and now the effects of starvation caught him by surprise. Years of bad eating habits and reluctance to spend any money on himself, years of pushing people away, years of keeping his walls up draining him, leaving him weak.
He was almost done. Couldnât he afford to get himself one small thing? Couldnât he afford to let himself relax, to open up to more people, to do something for himself and not for a career?Â
God when was the last time he ate this week? His usual food pantries- his food sources, his bill payers- they had all been busy, and Joonki had too much pride to beg for a meal or to their schedules and wait like some child for a bite to eat.
He was outside of a bakery, the tantalizing smell of freshly baked goods curling around him, beckoning him into the warmth of the shop with curled fingers and a seductive smile. He could feel his stomach growling at him, he could feel his body scream for sustenance and the woman at the counter gave him a welcoming smile.Â
He took a small step forward-Â
and then stopped. The light weight of his empty wallet burned in the pocket of his jeans, and he gritted his teeth, ready to turn away.Â
âJoonki,â she muttered, voice unsure. Shocked, despite the numerous facetious, texting, and calling they had done. âYouââ asshole, shit-head, dumb-ass, âcame.âÂ
He was still sleepy when he made it to her, his hair fluffed out, hoodie wrinkled from his nap in the car on the way back to the area. Places where the fabric pressed against his skin left patterns on is cheek and neck, and he rubbed at his eyes, half-lidded and in a constant mode of drooping.Â
Joonki was tired, as usual but also more than usual. The constant trips around town to various auditions and meetings to try and get more work drained him and pulled him away from the practically everyone- his midnight partner included.Â
He was so close-Â
So he pushed himself, the last sprint before the finish line.Â
In his rush he had to leave behind comfort and proper rest, and he was aching for it, slumped against the wall across the door, blinking rapidly to stay alert. He was in a sleep haze, but even so he could still hear the irritation lining her voice- and he grimaced.Â
âOf course I came.â it was a small grumble as he wearily eyed her, wanting to press close with open arms but keeping his distance. âAre you going to let me in?â It was a question that asked for multiple answers, and he really didnât want to call a cab or have to walk.
It's M again! Yep, I'm back with another muse- my boi Joonki. He has his profile and bio, and his plots page will be up soon! I'm workin on it;; but! I'll have a few general ideas down below with some basics! If you like this I'll slideee into your IMs to plot, or just hmu in mine here or at @fmchaegyeong! (Warning: I'm a snail)
-Simply put, he's in debt.
-(tw: death, ilness) His father died of lung cancer so his mother borrowed money from a couple loan sharks to pay for the treatment
- The epitome of : âbeing an idol is a jobâ
-He's only in it for the $$$, and he left home as a kid to make money somehow
-Stressed out and always worried about his debt, he was just lashing out at everyone else around him and just Not A Nice Person
- 2013 Halycon won a Daesang, and with proof that heâs making progress Joonki relaxed a bit
-Really, really salty he didnât get any solo opportunities while the other Halycon members release solo albums and get drama rolesÂ
-Salty at the younger groups (esp Decypher and Polaris) bc competition?? and they missed out on the terrible fashion trends from his debut days
-He actually doesnât remember a lot of names from the newer groups,,, or heâll pretend to not know bc ego bruising is great
-Heâs still a grumpster but heâs softer now. Less likely to bite your head off and call you useless.Â
-Really rude. Speaks informally to sunbaes, blunt and not afraid to say what he wants to. (in private ofc)
- He's Halycon's triple threat and 'Ace of All Trades': Lead dancer, Lead Rapper and Vocal, got the nickname bc he's like- everywhere. Acting, Modeling, Musicals, Variety (mainly the last 2)
-He also helps to produce a few Halycon songs! The funky ones. (He's still a beginner tho.)
-He gives all of his money to the loan and to his mom so;;; worn clothes, not eating a proper meal for days-Â
-Its all worth it to him though bc heâs almost done paying off his loan, (after 20 years of debt) and hisâs so- anxious. Honestly.
General Ideas/Relationships!
He was on âWe Got Marriedâ so his partner on there! Needs to be in the industry at the time -2014, (actor/model/idol). He was a very good husband!...On camera anyway.Â
Decypher/Polaris : He really doesnât like your group or your popularity or just you in general. Or Rich muses! He really, really doesnât like you.Â
Joonki steals your food...a lot. All the time. Or youâre a chef and he goes to you for a meal
People that look after him, even when he grumbles and complains and is just terribly mean. (Either can know or donât know that heâs struggles with money)Â
...someone that found out about his debt/loan shark problem? Expect a lot of drama kkk
One of the few rare hoobaes he likes???? Heâs your fav in Halycon even though heâs the least popular???? Wow???
Trainee days/Debut: Joonki crushed your heart because there was no way heâs risking his career for anyone- even you.Â
âGet better,â she muttered, not really having many words to say.
It would take a long while for her to digest this situation, but in the end itâd somehow make sense and sheâd be back in this room again, a long while later.
He watched as his words softened her eyes, a subtle smile appearing on her face. As Soora looked away, there was a flash of satisfaction-
It seems like both of them were at a loss for words.Â
Joonki was glad he wasnât the only one feeling overwhelmed.Â
âI doubt Iâll be getting better soon-â he thought to himself. And that was true physically at least. His foolish trip outside the protection of his room and bed left him aching and possibly set for another month of bedrest.
But for some reason, Joonki didnât feel as- frustrated anymore. Oh he knew that one bad dream later, one phone call or one reminder would have him furious and antsy again, but... For the time being, he was settled in his spot, and he didnât really want to admit it-
but it was probably thanks to her.Â
He stares at her back as she leaves, lips pressed together.Â
